Imagine a block in the middle of downtown where you could sit and drink a coffee in the sun. NPA Coun. Suzanne Anton does, and she planned to champion her vision of a public space at city council Tuesday afternoon, after the Courier's press deadline.

Anton, the lone NPA councillor, wants staff to hold consultations about turning the 800 block of Robson Street between Howe and Hornby streets into a public square. "To me one of the essential elements of a good public square is chairs and coffee," Anton said.

She says Vancouver lacks a central focus and gathering spot similar to the squares she's visited in Europe and Asia. "The Olympics demonstrated how much people love being downtown and love being with each other," Anton said. "Certainly, there's an opportunity right now because that little piece of street has be closed for nearly a year now, first of all for the Olympics and more recently for the renovations to the courthouse complex there."

Anton said she's talked informally to representatives of the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, the Vancouver Public Spaces Network and Mary McNeil, the Liberal MLA for Vancouver-False Creek, and she said all are keen to explore the idea, as are cyclists she messaged on an email list.

"It's used by vendors. It's used by dancers. It's used by Tourism Vancouver. It's used by people who want to have a good protest. It's used by chess players. It's already demonstrated that it's a good public space," she said. "So I think this just recognizes what people already want to use it for."

Anton says the lawn on the north side of the art gallery lacks the same sun exposure but that space, too, should be reconsidered at some point.

The only problem she anticipates is with the No. 5 Robson/Downtown bus route, but she notes that bus has been rerouted for nearly a year.

Charles Gauthier, executive director of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, said the BIA hasn't formally discussed the idea but it makes sense to him.

"Because it's so narrow and it only has one lane in each direction and it's typically clogged up anyway with buses--this is my own personal opinion--but I think that it could be better utilized as public space," he said.

TransLink spokersperson Ken Hardie said a permanent closure could work but it would require a technical review and consultation with bus riders.

Vision Coun. Andrea Reimer said creating a public square on the 800 block was one of many ideas forwarded by Vision Mayor Gregor Robertson as an Olympic legacy project in March and staff are exploring the idea.

Reimer said she's interested in a comprehensive plan that considers multiple public spaces or squares. She said related projects are in the works. The "summer spaces" program that closed blocks to cars and opened them to neighbourhood play is being revamped. Jerry Dobrovolny, director of transportation, is exploring making the city friendlier to cyclists and pedestrians under the Greenest City action plan, and the city, Downtown Vancouver BIA and TransLink continue to discuss taking vehicles off a section of Granville Street in the summer to allow other activities.

Anton hoped her motion would be supported for discussion at a city hall meeting Dec. 2.

crossi@vancourier.com