The Globe and Mail

Soon after sweeping the NDP from power in British Columbia in 2001, the Liberals took a large axe to the $250-million Central City project unfolding in Surrey, B.C., a Vancouver suburb. A disaster of vacant space and losses in the millions of dollars loomed. Undaunted, the provincial Crown corporation developer/owner completed the politically derailed project. It opened in January, 2003, with a million square feet of empty space -- at the time the emptiest office building in North America. Central City lingered in white elephant territory for months before starting to turn around, leasing briskly and winning international awards, although with 300,000 square feet left to fill, it may yet qualify for that dubious distinction.