So Long to one of Vancouver's Greatest Eyesores

[phesto]

It looks as though prep work has begun for demolition of the concrete shell at 1153 West Georgia, future home of a new 57-storey hotel condo tower to be developed by the Holborn Group.

Here is a tribute to the existing building and its past. The reason I remember the building is that my dad used to work on the 7th floor for most of the 1980’s and I used to visit. It was nothing really that special, certainly not fitting of being on West Georgia. However, I don’t think anyone could’ve anticipated what would happen to the building over 15+ years. It certainly came as a shock to my dad’s company and the rest of the office tenants when leases were not renewed and it was discovered that an Asian company had plans to convert the office building to some sort of fitness and leisure club.

Photo of the building in 1985:
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/8573/vch1985003bve4.jpg

1991, Terasen under construction next door:
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6899/vch1991002crq8.jpg

1992, Terasen topped out
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/7033/vch1992167bzn0.jpg

I don’t recall all the details, so if anyone can add anything, please do. Here is what I’ve found:

The original nine-storey office building was built sometime in the 1960’s. In 1994, permits were issued to strip the existing office building of its exterior walls and interior finishes and to change the use of floors one through six from office use to a fitness club known as the “Newport Beach Club”. After work began, for unknown reasons, construction was suspended, with cranes, tarps, railings, etc left intact. After a while the permits expired. The site would sit as a vacant and derelict building for many years.

http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/3678/4702111602ebfdf03a9boc8.jpg

Main elevator lobby:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8209/146734266d43012ffb2bix5.jpg

Lobby, looking Southeast:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6626/1470916972364104ee7bfy8.jpg

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/8505/10033765107b41ecf09bty8.jpg

In July 1996, a development application was submitted to replace the existing structure with a 27-storey office/retail development. That application was withdrawn in July 1997.

Cadillac Fairview then bought the land in early 2000 with plans to either redevelop the site, or renovate as offices. After a year or two of no proposal for redevelopment, the City of Vancouver threatened to declare the building a nuisance. Cadillac Fairview, however, promised to either apply for rezoning to build a new structure or use the building shell for a renewed project. They wound up selling the property to Simon Lim and the Holborn Group in 2003.

The covered walkway and crane are finally removed in 2003, believed to be a request from the City of Vancouver in light of the 2010 Olympic bid. The new wall would become a popular postering site.

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/6930/top12gu0.jpg

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/4368/247700926c4f70febecbft6.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/2568/247701183e8b2726762bht7.jpg

In 2005, Holborn announced plans to build a 57-storey, 600-foot mixed use building on the site. In light of difficulty with development approvals and rising construction costs however, it would take over two years to begin demolition, and the new project is not expected to be completed until 2010 earliest.

April 26, 2007: Prep work for demolition finally begins:

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/9026/4732857614a8e34a99ebbr2.jpg

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/1570/473270264377b3db44ebfw7.jpg

[Only The Lonely..]

Very interesting. Do you have any renderings of the building that is to take it's place? Just curious..Thanks!

[Holden West]

^Some info here (http://www.pacificmetropolis.com/2006/12/more_on_1133_we.html). (possibly outdated?)

Great images and commentary. I wonder if any movies or TV shows were shot in there.

[smasher000]

like, EW!

[Coldrsx]

awesome...thanks!

[mezzanine]

Nice montage! Of late, a large hole had been punched out of the plywood fencing by squatters, so this activity is certainly timely...

BTW, this is what will replace the site:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Misc/Perspective20View20Georgia20Bute.jpg

[Mininari]

FINALLY!!!!

I can now look forward to watching this tower in the Vancouver Skyline If & when I return to Vancouver from Winnipeg!

Yeah, I have to say that the more recent drawings are not as nice looking as the original rendering (with Ericksson standing beside it in his Mafia pose).
I hope that it hasn't been modified too much from that original rendering, and that the latest diagrams are simply ugly.

Looking forward to Vancouver's 600' pair in 2010!
And hoping to the future with a 600' + office tower too (I'm dreaming)

[David]

Very cool, I didn't even realize it was in use before. It didn't look half bad back then, at least for what it was.

[officedweller]

Good to see it is proceeding. (unlike Holburn's Port Moody project).

The Newport Club was to have two locations - the Newport City Club (at the Shell Building) and Newport Country Club (I think this ended up becoming Furry Creek). The Hong Kong backers ran out of money or couldn't get enough funding.

The mid-90s office tower scheme was to be called Golden Ocean Plaza. It was to be strata titled office space, but they could not sell enough units to proceed with the project. It was to be a thin tower (small floorplates) with setbacks (in a Rockefeller Centre style) with gold tinted glass.

You might add pics of the previous design for the Holburn project - the "vase" tower that was rejected by the UDP Higher Buildings Panel.

[Galvanized]

^Some info here (http://www.pacificmetropolis.com/2006/12/more_on_1133_we.html).

Interesting website even though there is a lot of editorialization in the written content without an author/editor signing their name to it.

[excel]

Thanks for the info on the original building and for the update.

[fever]

Awesome thread.. I'd never seen the original building

[Architype]

Interesting story. Vancouver is fortunate in that it doesn't have too many abandoned structures.

[squeezied]

fingures crossed that it's a go!! :D

[phesto]

Good to see it is proceeding. (unlike Holburn's Port Moody project).

The Newport Club was to have two locations - the Newport City Club (at the Shell Building) and Newport Country Club (I think this ended up becoming Furry Creek). The Hong Kong backers ran out of money or couldn't get enough funding.

The mid-90s office tower scheme was to be called Golden Ocean Plaza. It was to be strata titled office space, but they could not sell enough units to proceed with the project. It was to be a thin tower (small floorplates) with setbacks (in a Rockefeller Centre style) with gold tinted glass.

You might add pics of the previous design for the Holburn project - the "vase" tower that was rejected by the UDP Higher Buildings Panel.


Thanks. I forgot about the names Shell and Golden Ocean Plaza. Here is some promo material I found on the latter: http://sanhedrai.com/goprecent.htm

The massing looked cool, although I'm glad is was never built.

I used to have photos of the original Holborn proposal, but I lost them when I switched computers and when the SSP galleries were removed. Someone at Emporis had ripped them off my gallery and posted them there, but now you can't access the proposed buildings section...

[officedweller]

Phesto, I still have your pics on file:

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/982/1133westgeorgiastreetschu8.jpg

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/221/4288picture003bk0.jpg

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/712/4288picture002fr1.jpg

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/3457/4288picture005or6.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6070/4288picture006gj5.jpg

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/6089/4288picture010boq5.jpg

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/9375/4288picture011bkw6.jpg

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/6905/4288picture013lp3.jpg

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/1667/4288picture015ua6.jpg

[squeezied]

i think the old design should replace the proposed hotel georgia

[raggedy13]

Here are some images I found awhile back...

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Misc/02aerialfromnorth.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Misc/04closerview01.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Misc/09viewfromwest.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Misc/10viewlookingeast.jpg

[excel]

cool renderings

[Cypherus]

i think the old design should replace the proposed hotel georgia

I just noticed how similar the old 1133 West Georgia rendering is to the approved 801 West Georgia - same style curtain wall and pointy roof treatment.

The trees on the roof of the old 1133 W. Georgia made no sense at all.

[officedweller]

The old 1133 West Georgia was envisaged as a vase - with the trees on the roof being the greenery in the vase.....

[deasine]

The old 1133 West Georgia was envisaged as a vase - with the trees on the roof being the greenery in the vase.....

I like that though... XD It's becoming very in popular in Vancouver to have Green Roofs.

I love Flatiron for some reason. I think it's such an amazing residential highrise. (Random Point sorry)...

[SpongeG]

green roofs won't be for much more though

[sono65]

Great post, does anybody know of any other derelict buildings in and around the city? I'm making a short film and would love to have this type of backdrop but noticed they've already boarded up 1153 and cut off any access to the inside.

[vanhattan]

Thanks. I forgot about the names Shell and Golden Ocean Plaza. Here is some promo material I found on the latter: http://sanhedrai.com/goprecent.htm

The massing looked cool, although I'm glad is was never built.

I used to have photos of the original Holborn proposal, but I lost them when I switched computers and when the SSP galleries were removed. Someone at Emporis had ripped them off my gallery and posted them there, but now you can't access the proposed buildings section...

Hey, thanks for adding to the history of the different site proposals. Quite interesting.

[squeezied]

lol they mentioned about this thread at pacific metropolis! haha

[Canadian Mind]

lol, this thread was the whole article, lazy bastards. :P

[excel]

Full blown scaffolding infront of the site, this is finally looking promising.

[squeezied]

could u enlighten me wat scafolding is?

[TwoFace]

Full blown scaffolding infront of the site, this is finally looking promising.

Do you think the buyers from the Shangri-la will be a bit peed about loosing their view corridor?

[excel]

The building is actully not right infront of shangri-la, it is being built halfway between bute and thurlow on georgia. shangri-la is right on the corner of thurlow and georgia, so the views will only be blocked to the side.

[smasher000]

why did they change the hotel georgia building. it seemed much better!

[officedweller]

Different owner / developer bought the site.

[Mininari]

any more deconstruction updates on the "eyesore?"

[subdude]

could u enlighten me wat scafolding is?

Consider yourself enlightened: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaffolding

[towerguy3]

Would it not be cheaper (and easier) just to implode the whole building or use a wrecking ball to pound down the walls instead to painstakingly cutting all the rebar and jackhammering it piece by piece such as they're doing now?

[Xelebes]

That is/was one hell of an eyesore. That's competing with the Legislature Annex in Edmonton!

[achu]

Would it not be cheaper (and easier) just to implode the whole building or use a wrecking ball to pound down the walls instead to painstakingly cutting all the rebar and jackhammering it piece by piece such as they're doing now?

^probably doing it due to high material costs and possible LEED certification?