The 2400 Motel

A symbol of Vancouver’s Car Culture

I’ve decided to submit essays from my past studies as writing samples. If you would like receive a list of resources, please reach out to me on twitter (@trevormolag) or elsewhere. This is one of the essays from my time at Capilano University. (2012)

The 2400 Motel is a post-war era overnight accommodation situated at the crest of a knoll approximately halfway between the Burrard Inlet and New Westminster along Kingsway, an important road in Vancouver with a rich history. The motel consists of eighteen cottage type buildings and a central office building spread out over a 3-acre lot of land near the intersection of Kingsway and 33rd Avenue. Over time, the site of the 2400 Motel has developed into — and remains — an excellent representation of the Kingsway area’s cultural landscape of the mid-20th century, particularly that of post-war “car culture”: in the present day, however, a changing cultural landscape is warranting an adjustment to the Renfrew-Colingwood neighbourhood, particularly the motel site, to align with more current outlooks.

The 2400 Motel has a history rooted in its address on Kingsway, a road with a significant past. Kingsway was originally created in 1861 as a trail that ran from New Westminster, the then capital of the British colony of British Columbia, to Burrard inlet. Westminster Road (as it was then known) served to facilitate transport during the gold rush as a method of maintaining order in the region, as England feared the colony could be taken over by the expanding United States. When the city of Vancouver was established by Burrard Inlet at the end of the pancontinental railroad, Westminster Road was expanded to a road capable of transporting wagons. British Columbia became a Canadian Province in 1871, and the road remained a major artery of the region, connecting the former capital to the largest city. As Vancouver, New Westminster, and the rural area around Westminster Road continued to populate at the turn of the twentieth century, development included both a streetcar line along the road and an interurban rail line that roughly follows today’s SkyTrain route.

The most important development of the Kingsway area in regards to the 2400 Motel came with the advent of the automobile in the 1910s and 20s. Westminster Road was widened and paved in 1913, and renamed to Kingsway in honour of a street in London by the same name. By the 1920s, car ownership had risen and Kingsway, though still in a rural area, had begun to change into a motorway that featured a large number of gas stations, garages, cafes, car lots, and other facilities that were made relevant by the automobile. Kingsway also featured many “auto camps” — an early form of overnight accommodations that were essentially camping lots with parking spots. Time progressed, and the Pattullo bridge was constructed 1937, solidifying Kingsway’s importance as the primary route of transport both East and South from Vancouver, as well as connecting it to the Pacific Highway, which ran from Mexico through the Pacific United States, now connecting Vancouver with its neighbours to the south. It was during this period (1920-1940) that Kingsway became known as a center for automobile-related amneties. The 2400 Motel was built not long thereafter, providing a place for southern travelers to stay, and has lasted to this day as a symbol of Kingsway’s car culture and development in the post-war era.

In 1946, at the close of WWII and the Great Depression, the 2400 Court (currently identified as The 2400 Motel) was constructed. Auto “courts” as they were known, had come to replace auto camps through the Great Depression, as the courts were a relatively inexpensive way to turn unprofitable land into income from tourism. These courts would continue to flourish under the booming postwar economy and the suburban lifestyle, as more families were able to afford automobiles and the travel luxuries they provided. Several auto courts operated along the recently expanded Kingsway (in 1950 to six lanes, eliminating the streetcar tracks), along with other “car culture” businesses such as diners, strip malls, and car washes. Auto courts (including The 2400 Court) typically featured an open space, or court, surrounded by a number of unattached, furnished, bungalow-type dwellings. Certainly, as it stands, many features of The 2400 Hotel boast post-war culture. These elements include ornamental landscaping and shrubbery; the architecture, streamlined design, and layout of the court; original accommodation furnishings, and, of course, the iconic neon sign. The neon sign is an excellent symbol of change itself — it was not until 1963 that The 2400 Court became “The 2400 Motel”. Though the facilities remained unchanged, the operators of The 2400 Court elected to change the name of their business to “motel” at this time in response to the growing trend of overnight accommodations as single structured, multi-unit operations. A combination of “motor” and “hotel”, the new name was somewhat hastily added to the bottom of the sign. As such, the neon sign itself remains an excellent testament to the changing 1960s: it represents the ways in which “mom and pop” operations such as The 2400 Motel were forced to adapt to the growing demand for sophistication and functionality of services, especially in tourism.

It is somewhat rare that a business will go about unchanged for a period of fifty years. Though the Kingsway area (also known as the Renfrew-Colingwood neighbourhood) urbanized steadily throughout the 20th century, its economic strength diminished for several reasons. At this time, development over existing structures was not entirely necessary; although many of the operations of the sixties were taken over and replaced by more modern alternatives, The 2400 Motel remained quite intact. Its perseverance was enabled by several factors — primarily the construction of more up-to-date transportation options. These included the Granville Street Bridge (1954), the Oak Street Bridge (1957), the George Massey Tunnel (1959), and eventually the Knight Street Bridge in 1974. These developments would pull the “Pacific Highway” away from Kingsway, generally lessening its regional role, and creating a lull in the local economy. Due to these factors, infrastructure growth was pulled away from the Renfrew-Colingwood neighbourhood and focused on other locations. That is not to say that these neighbourhoods were without development, however. Change is inevitable with time, and a number of the strip malls that had hosted the iconic businesses of the 50s would be removed in favour of shopping centres, a shift triggered by the construction of the Oakridge Shopping Centre in the late 1950s. Indeed, the continuing presence of The 2400 Motel may certainly be seen as a survival, but its longevity has up to this point been encouraged by a focus on the development of other areas of the greater Vancouver area.

In more recent circumstances, the Renfrew-Colingwood neighbourhood has experienced quite a shift in several geographic terms, which have and will continue to affect The 2400 Motel. From the 1970s through to the 1990s, and continuing to present day, the region immediately surrounding The 2400 Motel has experienced a large change in its demographics with the influx of Asian immigrants to Vancouver. Indeed, the area has experienced not only a change in composition, but a lot of growth that had previously been withheld due to the focus on development in other areas of Vancouver. With this growth, even more of the remaining businesses from the car-culture era have been either bought out or closed as they struggle to remain relevant to the cultural landscape. The increased pressure on the 2400 Motel as a result of immigration and urbanization has resulted in a preserving polarizing effect; the motel is regarded as “the sole remaining record of Kingsway assuming the key role in providing up-to-date car-oriented accommodation for North Americans traveling to Vancouver” (Birmingham & Young, 8), and is revered by many as a landmark and symbol of the mid-20th century. There are indeed many outspoken endorsers of the motel’s historical characteristics in the community and media. Despite this, however, there are major plans to develop a large area of the region surrounding The 2400 Motel — an area centred on the motel itself.

The Norquay Village Neighbourhood Centre Plan, approved in November of 2010, was created to deliver a variety of benefits to the area, such as the addition of housing increased in density and affordability, public gathering spaces, and an enhanced neighbourhood identity. The City of Vancouver Planning Department has identified the “2400 triangle” as a “heart” of the reimagined Kingsway community as it sits on a topographical high point, and has a very central position that can be used to create a community-focused environment. The current site of the 2400 Motel would most likely become a combination of indoor and outdoor public gathering spaces/plazas, mid-rise housing, a supermarket, and other retail spaces. These developments are the result of augmented growth in the Kingsway area in recent times, and the subsequent increasing demand from residents and the city of Vancouver for a more cohesive, modern community. The plan promises to maintain the “distinctive and eclectic character of the neighbourhood” (City of Vancouver, 2) but obviously does not make any substantial, concrete concession for the cultural legacy of the Motel, which made the 2011 “Heritage Vancouver Top 10” list of the most at-risk historical sites in Vancouver. The future is uncertain, but certainly does not look promising for the continued existence of the 2400 Motel in Vancouver; indeed, the Georgia Strait acknowledges that it is more a matter of “when the wrecking ball will finally claim the 2400 Motel”, than if.

The current site of the 2400 Motel has a rich and dynamic history. Originally a part of the gold rush transportation network, the street upon which it lies became a major route for visitors to Vancouver. The car culture of post-war North America flourished in this location, and the 2400 Motel has persevered to this day as a visual and ideological symbol of Kingsway’s mid-century development and auto-heritage. These symbols are present in not only its era-specific appearance, design, and features; but also its very existence, as its longevity illustrates the lack of development focused on the area in the second half of the 20th century. Changing cultural landscapes in the 21st century are threatening to consume the motel, however, and it is certainly appears that the current site of the 2400 Motel will serve another, more contemporary purpose in the near future.