General Vancouver Updates

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Changing City

I think you're suggesting that the 1949 structure could become a protected single storey heritage building, and the density that the existing site has could be added to the cleared site. I'm not convinced that the Salvation Army store is a strong candidate for heritage protection, but assuming it is, the developer would want even more density, so you're looking at at least six storeys, and probably more. I doubt if a developer would be keen to add an extra year or two, have to go through a public hearing, and face the anger of the west side for whom five storeys is a tower. There are others who comment here who have much more experience, but I recall a recent comment that after their recent experiences, Bonnis wouldn't want to go through the process they had to with the Hollywood Theatre development.

The problem is, the owner of the site has the right to redevelop something that isn't a heritage building. The City don't have the power to refuse the redevelopment because the existing single storey building has character. They can offer carrots, but in certain contexts like this area, there are lots of people who wouldn't like the package that would produce, and the developer would have to want to do the project. It's a bit like the Winners / Best Buy on Granville - it was a 3 FSR building with no office space on 9 FSR site - a terrible waste of density, but the City couldn't force a better outcome.

It would have been 450 feet with 9FSR. I guess we'll see that proposal in the next decade?

https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/urban-design-panel-minutes-oct-3-01.pdf