Capitol Residences
Peter Wall of Wall Financial Corp. is giving the legendary Capitol 6 theatre site on Granville and Robson streets a new lease on life, respecting this historic property with a majestic 43-storey skyscraper. To become the area's tallest residential address, The Capitol Residences will add a vibrant new dimension to this already energetic neighbourhood.
Wall and longtime marketing friend Bob Rennie, of Rennie Marketing Systems, will soon unveil plans for Capitol Residences, an elliptical tower designed by Howard Buigham Hail and being developed by majority partner Wall Financial along with Rob Macdonald of Macdonald Development Corp.
"Peter Wall has great respect for the history of the site and its significance to the city," says Rennie. The intention with Capitol Residences is to put this property back on the map as a Vancouver landmark. Plus, in a time when there are so few residential development sites in the downtown core, we wanted to take advan*tage of the amazing location."
Most Vancouveritcs associate the site as the home of the aging Capitol 6 theatre, but the property has a far longer history than its life as a six-screen Famous Players multiplex. It was originally the home of the Capitol Theatre, a live theatre and music house with its own orchestra and a renowned Wurlitzer organ, reputed to be the largest of its kind in Canada at the time. The theatre was demolished in the early 1970s and replaced with the Capitol 6 multiplex, which closed its doors only recently after more than 30 years in operation.
Now, with Capitol Residences, Wall Financial is intent on rejuvenating the site to its original grandeur. According to Rennie, the 372 apartments in Capitol Residences will appeal to a wide range of buyers. Those seeking larger homes will likely be attracted to the spacious, well-appointed condominiums on the upper floors of the tower, with features including airconditioning, high-ceilings and expansive views. Rennie stresses that there will also be plenty of apartments in Capitol at affordable prices from the 30th floor down, ranging from 550 to 1,100 square feet and which still offer the penthouse quality and finishings for which all Wall projects have become known.
As a nod to its musical origins, Capitol will feature a music school on the ground level: Peter Wall, a long‑ time supporter of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, has committed to building a total of S20-million in cultural amenities, including a 6,497-square-foot extension of the Orpheum Theatre stage, a 14,514-square-foot rehearsal room and tie 24,005-square*foot music school. The commitment is the result of the largest culwral-amenity density bonus in the city's history.
The theatre, which opened in 1927 as a vaudeville house, was once the largest and most opulent threates on the Pacific Coast. It was bought by the city in 1974 and reopened in 1977 as the permanent home of vthe Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Although an interior restoration was done with a restored concert hall more work was needed.
The developers have agreed to provide a recital hall and extend the back of the house. There will also be a new community music school on site. (See sidebar story for more information from a city perspective.)
And while this development does promise to be a benefit to the entire community those actually living there have the most to gain. Condo owners themselves will enjoy amenities, such a 24-hour concierge, an overheight wall to wall glass lobby, a landscaped terrace, fully-equipped gym, tv lounge with pool table and a reading room, meeting rooms with a kitchenette, and a Eco co-op auto network on site.
Height: 126 metres/414 feet
Floors: 42
Construction end: 2010
- Will include major expansion to the Orpheum Theatre, home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
- Largest amenities trade-off in city history.
- A 35-story residential tower is situated on top of a 7-story podium, including ground floor retail.
- The Capitol 6 Theatre complex was prepared for demolition during the week of October 23, 2006.
- Originally the site of the Capitol Theatre, a live theatre and music house with its own orchestra and a renowned Wurlitzer organ, the largest of its kind in Canada at the time. The theatre was demolished in the early 1970's and replaced with the Capitol 6 multiplex, which was then demolished for this building.
- The tower is elliptical in design and the tallest residential building in its neighbourhood.
- The $20 million in cultural amenities includes a 6,497 square foot extension of the Orpheum Theatre stage, a 14,514 square foot rehearsal room and a 24,005 square foot music school on the ground level.
Orpheum Theatre right next door
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VANCOUVER | Capitol Residences | 414 FT / 126 M | 42 FLOORS
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