At Main and Hastings, a radical rebuff to the rich takes shape, how Bob Williams helped make a derelict cop shop a litmus for clashing values in Vancouver

At the corner of Main and Hastings in Vancouver is the city's former police headquarters, empty since 2010. The next life for the building has been the subject of brainstorming, debate, and protest in recent years. The outcome is now taking shape, what is officially called 312 Main: Vancouver's Social and Economic Innovation Centre, representing compromise and collaboration between the City of Vancouver, Bob Williams and his allies at VanCity credit union, the Jim Green Foundation, and the neighbourhood.