General Vancouver Updates

[Feathered Friend]

Previous Concepts

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Current Concept

http://www.vancouvermarket.ca/2020/11/17...van-site-seeks-lower-density-100-rental/

Revised Proposal for East Van Site Seeks Lower Density, 100% Rental
Intracorp has submitted a new rezoning application for a 29,100 SF site they own at 1837-1849 E 11th Ave and 2631 Victoria Drive, this time with a lower woodframe building and 100% rental use.

A previously rezoning application for the site was approved in 2018 for a 11-storey, 138-unit mixed 50/50 condo/rental building on the site at a density of 3.59 FSR. Due to “market forces”, that application has now been rescinded and replaced with the new more efficient and likely more cost effective project.

The new proposal calls for a 6-storey market rental building and a 4-storey revitalized heritage house.

This proposal includes:

136 market rental units;
81 studios, 6 one-bedrooms, 47 two-bedrooms & 3 three-bedrooms;
A total density of 2.89 FSR;
A building height of 65.0 ft.;
43 vehicle parking spaces and 270 bicycle parking spaces.

http://www.vancouvermarket.ca/2020/11/17...van-site-seeks-lower-density-100-rental/

This poor project is now on its third concept. Now the FSR has been reduced by ~.7, and there's 60 fewer parking stalls too. I imagine the decreased height will only serve to galvanize those opposed to the 1780 E Broadway (the Safeway) rezoning application.

[rofina]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Previous Concepts


Current Concept

http://www.vancouvermarket.ca/2020/11/17...van-site-seeks-lower-density-100-rental/


http://www.vancouvermarket.ca/2020/11/17...van-site-seeks-lower-density-100-rental/

This poor project is now on its third concept. Now the FSR has been reduced by ~.7, and there's 60 fewer parking stalls too. I imagine the decreased height will only serve to galvanize those opposed to the 1780 E Broadway (the Safeway) rezoning application.

Might as well laugh, otherwise Ill have to cry myself to sleep.

But its not like 3 complete redesigns add to the soft costs, and ultimately add to the ridiculous construction costs. Its not like this process often taking years adds to holding costs. That doesn't increase housing costs of course.

I wish the CoV would just shut up about wanting to make housing affordable.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

The picture showing the elevation along Main shows a weird area there, curious to see how that turns out.

Where the lift is?
I think that'll be filled in to be even with the sidewalk and grade will be a slope that lines up with the adjacent concrete wall which shows cuts that maye be for doorways (though that would require stairs down to the interior floor (or a raised floor?)

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by rofina

Might as well laugh, otherwise Ill have to cry myself to sleep.

But its not like 3 complete redesigns add to the soft costs, and ultimately add to the ridiculous construction costs. Its not like this process often taking years adds to holding costs. That doesn't increase housing costs of course.

I wish the CoV would just shut up about wanting to make housing affordable.

They are building a less expensive building. It was Intracorp's decision. The COV has this whole block "zoned" for 10 storeys and they already had the application in the pipe. I think Intracorp just wanted to abandon the condos and concrete building. I wonder if they could've made the Below Market Rezoning Policy work like they did a block north.

Planners want to make housing more affordable but certain people on Council seem to like the opposite.

[giallo]

Originally Posted by rofina

Might as well laugh, otherwise Ill have to cry myself to sleep.

But its not like 3 complete redesigns add to the soft costs, and ultimately add to the ridiculous construction costs. Its not like this process often taking years adds to holding costs. That doesn't increase housing costs of course.

I wish the CoV would just shut up about wanting to make housing affordable.

Oof. That's rough. It's not like the original design was anything special, but it looks legitimately bad now. The ground floor of the building looks significantly worse too.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Where the lift is?
I think that'll be filled in to be even with the sidewalk and grade will be a slope that lines up with the adjacent concrete wall which shows cuts that maye be for doorways (though that would require stairs down to the interior floor (or a raised floor?)

Yes. Behind the lift in that picture is an emergency exit, probably from the parkade, if I'm remembering correctly. So that area will have to stay as is. Could be a nice sheltered spot for outdoor cafe seating, or creepy and noisy.

[jollyburger]

Assume this isn't Downtown but a replacement for the First United Church in the DTES.



So the church is 100% backer for this project?

https://www.urbanyvr.com/new-first-united-church-planned-in-downtown-eastside/

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Assume this isn't Downtown but a replacement for the First United Church in the DTES.

So the church is 100% backer for this project?

Yes. More from the Changing City blog. "The first four floors of the building will be the First United’s program space, including a drop-in space, a large dining room, a commercial kitchen, multipurpose spaces, a day sleeping area, a Sanctuary, and administrative spaces.

Above that are seven floors with 105 affordable housing units ranging from studios to one-bedroom units plus ancillary support services (laundry and amenity). The residential component will be operated by Lu’ma Native Housing Society. The design reflects native themes, including an angled copper wall, and carved welcoming figures beside the doorway."

[officedweller]

Built with 5-ply #CLT, this tower will be used to manufacture hand-crafted jewelry, while the heritage house remains a showroom.
The building will target @CaGBC Zero Carbon Building Certification.

https://twitter.com/fast_epp


https://twitter.com/fast_epp


https://twitter.com/fast_epp

[Migrant_Coconut]

That's a heritage house? Not sure how the hell it qualified.

[Feathered Friend]

Looks pretty true to what we saw at the UPD in 2018. Hopefully it's still incorporating the metal flower sculptures in the courtyard, and the same cladding materials that were proposed back then.


https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/02/10/new-jewel-box-proposed-for-mount-pleasant/

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Built with 5-ply #CLT, this tower will be used to manufacture hand-crafted jewelry, while the heritage house remains a showroom. https://twitter.com/fast_epp

I've been watching the project go up - there are some very unusual construction techniques here. The entire lower part of the building has a reinforced concrete frame, but they didn't use traditional shuttering. Instead they applied shotcrete, just like you'll find being used in a parking basement - but here it was used above grade two storeys high. Then the wooden pre-fabricated walls went up in only a few days, so there was an almost instant 6-storey building.

The house dates from 1909, and has been moved slightly forward on the lot, on a new concrete foundation. (They trucked it away to put the parking level in, then brought it back later).

As featherfriend notes, the finishing should be equally interesting if they build according to their original proposal, which they have been so far.


[source Changing City blog]

[Feathered Friend]

Precedent Setting Community Engagement Fuels Unanimous Support For Transit Focused Homes

2103 W Broadway (DP-2018-00488) (Cassis Residences) and 2106 W 8th Ave (DP-2018-00490) (Cassis Townhomes)
This Urban Design Panel meeting was relatively short, but it served as an excellent lesson about who really holds sway over our growing city. It also explained why there hasn’t been much information about the plan to replace the gas station at the corner of Arbutus and West Broadway since Hannah and I learned of it in 2018. That intersection will soon host the terminus of the Millennium Line, but these projects haven’t changed much in response to it.

That’s not to say these volunteers didn’t appreciate the small gestures that have been made, like the new plaza space at this intersection. They hoped other future developments would do the same on their respective corners, and praised the applicants for looking forward to the day Broadway becomes a great street. To that the end, the city has taken 10 feet of this property on Broadway, and an additional 13 on Arbutus, to accommodate bus traffic around the future station’s bus loop.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2020/11/27...imous-support-for-transit-focused-homes/

[Feathered Friend]

https://shapeyourcity.ca/14695/widgets/56976/documents/34376




https://council.vancouver.ca/20201202/documents/phea3DisplayBoards_change.PDF


https://vimeo.com/427420726

Public Hearing – December 2nd, 2020 – A Pleasant Hope Shines Through East Van’s Trees, While Rental Homes Look For A Safeway Through Vancouver’s Asphalt Transformation

Public Hearing – December 2nd, 2020
Considering the difficulties we’ve all experienced this year, Hannah and I are grateful Vancouver’s second last public hearing in 2020 should be a low-key affair. That’s despite the fact that many of these rental and social housing proposals are actually a partnership, or at least feel like they are. For instance, the first item, a six floor rental building on Kingsway, is literally next door to a similar application by the same architects that was approved earlier this year.

Item #2 already has a partner, as this six floor building is proposed to replace a storage yard for a local auto dealership. Items 3 & 4, a set of townhomes and another six floor building, are already linked too, as they will replace a vacated Safeway, and the parking lot that served it. That has driven concerns from a few neighbours that street parking will become hard to find, and those opposed to the next proposal share their pain.

Thankfully, Item #5 is the last six floor building of the night, and given the time and costs involved, we can’t help but wonder why city council feels this drawn-out process is needed for each one. Even social housing buildings like this face these difficulties, which might be why some mistakenly believed it would also cause displacement. The resulting protests have since died down, but these homes now face the challenge of responding to the Urban Design Panel’s advice.

Brightside Community Homes Foundation, the non-profit behind these homes, is facing a long night, as they’re also connected to the evenings final two items. These differ from their predecessors as together they’ll permit the construction of a 12 floor non-market housing building in Mount Pleasant. As this replaces an existing strata building, there’s no concerns about displacement either, but there has been sizable opposition from neighbours concerned about the impact to their private views.


Backlash Expectations
Item #1 - 1265-1281 Kingsway – Very Low
Expect a similar turnout to the adjacent application that was approved in September

Item #2 – 4745 -4795 Main St – Very Low
This storage lot is overflowing, with nearly 30 letters in support of there rental homes

Items #3 & 4 - 7280 Fraser St & 724 E 56th Ave – Very Low
The plan to replace this old Safeway, and its surface parking lot, hasn’t draw many comments

Item #5 – 2924 Venables St – Low
Protests against displacement have faded in light of the care given to existing residents

Items #6 & 7 - 349 E 6th Ave – Moderate
To quote a neighbour “Hard one to oppose given the social housing, but just can’t support 12 storeys”

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2020/11/30...rough-vancouvers-asphalt-transformation/

[domusile]

What ever happened with the change to C-2 zoning to allow for 6-storey rental with no RZ?

[Feathered Friend]

November 13th, 2019




November 27th, 2019


January 8th, 2020




May 25th, 2020




August 8th, 2020


November 5th, 2020

They say to enjoy the small things in life, so it’s been a great pleasure to see the renovations of the 1970s Broadway Plaza office building over the last year. It’s renewed plaza, & south facade’s updated glazing mark a sign of confidence in Vancouver’s economy.

As the first image was taken back in November 2019, it seems fitting to include one from the same month in 2020. Sharp eyes will notice the building’s north side retains its original cladding, likely because it doesn’t suffer the thermal impacts of the south sun facing exposure.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIRj5ZJBNJ3/...DQ_K5c4BiBjEwcsN-PfE2uSUiy7KgjrtX8VLPZIc

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by domusile

What ever happened with the change to C-2 zoning to allow for 6-storey rental with no RZ?

Punted to Spring 2021 if I recall and it had LOTS of new regulations attached to it. Some of our buildings shrunk by quite a bit so we didn't wait.

[s211]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

Punted to Spring 2021 if I recall and it had LOTS of new regulations attached to it. Some of our buildings shrunk by quite a bit so we didn't wait.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how and why housing remains stubbornly unaffordable.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by s211

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how and why housing remains stubbornly unaffordable.

I highly disagree and if you read the policy you might change your mind.

We just wanted to go ahead now under the current policies, the "knowns", instead of wait almost half a year to do a redesign. We would've saved 1 year without a rezoning process, as it would be waived, but waiting for the C zone changes was too costly.

More or less has to do with the Client rather than a run-of-the-mill apartment development. Our rents would be the same if we had 20 less units or what we are currently going in with.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2020/11/30...rough-vancouvers-asphalt-transformation/

Wrote in a note of support for the Mt Pleasant tower. Hopefully the misinformation surrounding that one didn't doom it.