The former gas station-turned-empty-lot at the corner of 10th and Alma getting a major makeover this spring. A temporary community garden will take over the gravel lot, offering local residents and businesses a chance to grow food and flowers in one of over 100 garden beds.
The corner of Alma & 10th was once home to a service station (Esso), a financial institution (Toronto Dominion Bank), an auto shop (Gordon’s Auto Imports) and a thrift store (Ye Olde Comfort Shoppe). Past Alma Street, Broadway takes over from 10th Avenue as one of Vancouver’s major thoroughfares.
Landa Global Properties is working with non-profit Shifting Growth to launch the 24,000 square foot garden on April 8 with a free public opening for the community from 10 am to 4 pm at the corner of 10th and Alma.
Landa believes the transformation of empty lot into a community garden will make a positive impact on the neighbourhood. The beautification of the site will bring people and nature together in a way that will serve the Kitsilano community and bring a new vitality to the high profile corner.
For the relatively new development company, it’s an opportunity to get to know the community and to witness how changes to the urban landscape can make a difference.
“The site has been empty for many years and we thought this would be a great way to give back to the community and do something useful with the site while go through the development process,” says Kevin Cheung, Landa CEO. “We are really excited to see how bringing people and plants onto the site will change the dynamic of that corner.”
The Alma Temporary Garden will feature 100 community garden beds, in addition to seating, garden art and fruit trees. Each new gardener can sign-up to use one to three garden beds to grow food and flowers. Each bed is 4′ x 3.3′, or 13 sq. ft, of growing space, and costs $15/year, including access to great soil in a raised bed, water access and monthly updates.
Shifting Growth aims to create an accessible growing space for all community members. For those on limited incomes, please contact garden@shiftinggrowth.com.
Join us for the opening event, featuring free coffee, a pop-up garden shop offering an hourly plant draw and painting activities courtesy of local art educator 4Cats.
The garden will be in full swing through October 2017. Shifting Growth will take each year season by season, and will keep gardeners informed about future plans for the property.
