Heritage Inventory:  some.
Heritage Designation:  some.
Why Endangered:  see below.

Heritage Front Street is endangered - almost all of it.  For many years the city has worked to restore the heritage aspects of the Downtown area and Columbia Street, most recently through the purchase of the 1911 CIBC building, and has also wanted to improve the Downtown waterfront. 

However, standing between Columbia Street and the waterfront, in place of an open street with views of the Downtown streetscape is the gargantuan parkade. Until the 1920s, there was only one side of Front Street, as the other side was the water.  This changed with harbour development in the early 20th century. 

The street was open and vital, arrival point to New Westminster by ship or ferry.  Thousands of new Canadians – well, Canada was very far away, but many of their ancestors would be Canadians – arrived here, the early gateway to mainland British Columbia. Designated as Antique Alley, the other side of Columbia Street remains in shadow, its richest history not only in the antique shops but outside on the streetscape for all to see – if only it could be seen.  Some buildings which have been spruced up on the Columbia Street side remain neglected, or in a state of outright deterioration, on the Front Street side.  In some cases, historic buildings with frontage on Columbia Street are maintained in reasonable condition, while whole other parts of the building remain effectively abandoned.  Famous waterfront views of Downtown New Westminster from early photographs now show ribbons of concrete blocking the views of those early buildings. 

Local owners deserve credit who have maintained facades on Front Street, but the fact that no one can see much of any significant heritage restoration of a Front Street building façade that might be undertaken is a practical impediment to fully developing all of our historic Downtown and waterfront as a heritage district. With the parkade in place, one critic has described plans to increase traffic on the street as creating a tunnel with shops having doors to it – but who would want to stop and take a little walk and do some shopping in the Deas Island Tunnel? It remains to be seen whether new developments on the waterfront will embrace Front Street, or turn their backs on it.  In the long term, however, historic buildings between Front Street and Columbia Street are challenged in their viability and in the inclusion of more comprehensive restoration of our historic Downtown. 

Tentative plans for waterfront development include a walkway on the river, but there is no clear relationship to the historic waterfront street.  As the river flows by, traffic flows by even more quickly on Front Street – leaving the possibility that the city’s other historic Downtown main street will simply remain a place to be bypassed and left in shadow, it’s original views and beauty left unseen until decay fully takes hold.