WOODWARDS BOONDOGGLE

September 12, 2005

For Immediate Release

WOODWARDS BOONDOGGLE

"Well leave your money to Councillor Jim Green to spend and that's exactly what he will do", states longtime Downtown Eastside social activist Jamie Lee Hamilton.

Green once again wants to raid the property endowment fund for another $2 million dollars for a project which he has continuously championed and waywardly claimed will solve all the woes of the Downtown Eastside.

"It has become clear the only benefit the Woodwards project will generate is for the Mayoral bid of Councillor Jim Green", claims Ms Hamilton.

States Hamilton, "the rising costs of the Woodwards re-development has reached massive costs overruns before construction has even started. The costs have mushroomed up to $280,000,000 doubling the original proforma numbers. Previously there was a funding shortfall for the non market housing component estimated by the developer to be $7,000,000 but this figure in just 10 months has ballooned to over $20,000,000".

"And the community in the process is being sold out", charges Ms Hamilton.

"For Councillor Green to allow a complete re-design of the Woodwards project is a complete betrayal of my neighborhood. Where in the revised proposal is the day and night food market promised to the neighborhood? Where are the public amenity spaces which were offerred up to the community? Where is the wellness centres and aboriginal healing centre components which were part of the original designs and proposal"? Where are they Councillor Green" demands Jamie Lee Hamilton.

The public report which was just made available on Friday September 9, 2005 shows that there is an anticipated shortfall of $32,000,000 and the developer is only willing to provide $7,000,000 of this shortfall.The issue of the outstanding $25,000,000 and where it will come from hasn't been addressed and someone has to put the brakes on for this massive and out of control mega project.

Ms Hamilton will attempt to address council on Tuesday September 13, 2005 when this matter comes before it.

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For further information contact Jamie Lee at (604) 781-3361