Vancouver House (1400 Howe St) | 151.5m | 52Fl | Completed

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I wonder if this one is related to that hydro vault explosion?

Takes a lot for the government to sue you for damages!

[SpongeG]

still getting press

Vancouver Skyscraper Twists Around Zoning Restrictions

Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group used limitations to its advantage with the gravity-defying Vancouver House apartment tower.

By Amelia Pollard
January 7, 2023 at 6:00 AM PST



https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/...g-tower-with-a-twist?srnd=premium-canada

[jollyburger]

Defendants

Travelers Insurance Company of Canada La Compagnie D’Assurance Travelers du Canada and HDI Global SE formerly known as HDI-Gerling Industrie Versicherung AG and HCC Specialty Underwriters Ltd. doing business as HCC Specialty Underwriters Inc. and John Doe (Company) doing business as Torus Insurance (UK) Ltd.

Plaintiff

Westbank Projects Corp. and Howe Street Property Inc.

Claim

Damages for breach of contract and an order that the defendant insurers cover a claim by the plaintiffs over damage to concrete columns and a roof slab caused by improperly placed concrete and rebar in the Vancouver House development.

https://biv.com/article/2023/03/whos-suing-whom-march-20-2023

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

https://biv.com/article/2023/03/whos-suing-whom-march-20-2023

that doesn't sound good at all. generally that stuff isnt the easiest to fix... i wonder how bad it is.

[dleung]

Is this why some units here seem to be such a steal these days?

$1100psf for a 2-bedroom corner unit:
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/25503101/3707-1480-howe-street-vancouver


Granted, the 2nd bathroom door placement is truly unfortunate, and the living room looks narrow.

[giallo]

Here's a video I made of Vancouver House


• Video Link

[officedweller]

Monzo Burger
1401 Granville Street, Vancouver (ground floor of the Vancouver House)


https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/monzo-burger-vancouver-open

[officedweller]

Walkways are open on both sides of the bridges.

Pic by me today.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Walkways are open on both sides of the bridges.

Pic by me today.

I wonder who is footing the bill for the security guards who always seem to be there when they're open.

[idunno]

Love to see that! These will be fairly popular (esp the west side access/elevator) once the Granville Connector project is complete and more people use the bridge by walking/cycling

[Vin]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I wonder who is footing the bill for the security guards who always seem to be there when they're open.

Cheaper to station security guard 24-7 than total repair or clean bills when there is rampant vandalism. You know how our City is like.

Despite that, I see some graffiti sitting on the railing.

[chrisel]

Originally Posted by Klazu

The same slide deck is gaining attention on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/lyqm7z/vancouver_house_that_big_twisty_building_by_the/

Did the slide deck get scrubbed off the forums due to the lawsuit? I can't seem to find it anywhere, including that Reddit thread.

[osirisboy]

Wtf is a slide deck

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Wtf is a slide deck

Series of slides?

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9201914&postcount=2661

[chrisel]

Ha, thanks JB. It appears my ad-blocker was preventing those from loading before.

[whatnext]

I was surprised but this is actually close to true!

FIVRE604
@FIVRE604
There are almost as many condos for sale in Vancouver House (1480 Howe) as there are condos for sale in Kitsilano.

https://twitter.com/FIVRE604/status/1721756933194231860

[jollyburger]

I hold out more home for Senakw because you'll have enough density to support an activated urban realm under and around the Burrard Street bridge.

The Tyee - A Developer Pledged $6 Million for Public Spaces. What Did Vancouver Get?

Public realm elements mentioned in the city planning department’s 2013 rezoning report and at the public hearing, included:

high-quality surface treatments, special lighting, kiosks and public seating;
street trees and landscaping for Granville Street under the bridge, and for the newly created adjoining streets;
upgrading the south side of Pacific Street with a separated bike lane, street trees and landscaping;
pedestrian-level lighting on the streets;
direct and enhanced pedestrian connection (elevators/stairs and horizontal bridge) between the upper Granville Bridge deck and Granville Street below;
pedestrian access through the terraced semi-public courtyards to Pacific Street;
and provision of infrastructure, to support public realm programming… including electricity, water, storage and accessibility to public washrooms.
In order to overcome the difficulty of using the sloped area under the Granville Bridge for special events, the developer’s submission said that “levelled outdoor rooms” would be created, connected by steeper vehicle ramps and pedestrian steps.

But after the Vancouver House development — 52 storeys, with condos costing up to $12 million — was completed, people complained the public realm under the bridge was not as beautiful as the developer’s renderings.

Indeed, many of the promised elements are missing.

There are no street trees, no landscaping and no pedestrian-level lighting on Granville, Continental and Rolston streets under the bridge and ramps. The pre-existing slope of the area under the Granville Bridge has remained, with no sign of the “levelled outdoor rooms” that had been designed to accommodate special events.

Both the public access stairs leading up from Pacific Street to the “semi-public courtyards” are blocked by locked doors. Security staff said that the stairs and courtyards are private property with no public access. They also said that the public elevators up to the bridge sidewalks have been out of service for at least six months. There are no public washrooms, but security said to use the ones in a nearby food store.

Pacific Street has been upgraded beside the development site, but it seems strange to have credited this as a Community Amenity Contribution since it was just a normal servicing requirement.

In order to properly understand what the public had received for the $6-million Community Amenity Contribution, I made a freedom of information request in June for an “itemized list with cost estimates of the public realm improvements comprising the $6 million in-kind Community Amenity Contribution….”

I clarified that I wanted whatever records the $6-million in-kind contribution figure in the city planning department’s 2013 report was based on.

The city’s Access to Information and Privacy Office responded. “Our office has received confirmation from the necessary staff with regards to your request, and have been informed that there is no pre-existing list of the Public Realm Improvements referenced in your request.”

That was astonishing.

Where did the $6-million valuation of Westbank’s promised amenity come from?

How did the city and developer know what was required to meet the rezoning requirement?

How could the city ascertain whether or not the in-kind Community Amenity Contribution had been completed?

A $6 million in-kind Community Amenity Contribution, accepted instead of a cash CAC, should be regarded as a $6 million expenditure by the city, and should be managed with a corresponding degree of care.

https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2024/09/13/We...utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial

[GenWhy?]

From the City's website:

"Get background information on CACs. Select 'show more' to get details and documents.

If you would like historical reports, email [email protected]."

I bet some of the CAC money went towards the Granville bridge bikelane upgrade? also likely a bit into the pot that collects money for social housing and childcare.

Anyone smarter than Robert know where the CAC money went?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

From the City's website:

"Get background information on CACs. Select 'show more' to get details and documents.

If you would like historical reports, email [email protected]."

I bet some of the CAC money went towards the Granville bridge bikelane upgrade? also likely a bit into the pot that collects money for social housing and childcare.

Anyone smarter than Robert know where the CAC money went?

EDIT: Wrong rezoning

It mentions a CAC of $40,225,000

Cash $24.5 million 9.5 million for childcare, 8.5 million for social housing, 2 million for active transportation in South Vancouver, 4.5 million for the VAG plaza

15.7 million for that building next to the Grosvenor project across the street

https://council.vancouver.ca/20170124/documents/p3.pdf

RE: Granville Connector funding

Both the Granville Bridge Connector and Drake Street projects are included in the 2019-2022
Capital Plan. The majority of the funding include development contributions such as Community
Amenity Contributions (CACs), City-wide Development Cost Levies (DCLs) and other developer
contribution reserves. Staff are also coordinating with TransLink to pursue additional funding
support and will explore opportunities for Federal and Provincial stimulus contributions should
opportunities arise. The multi-year project budget and funding structure for the Granville Bridge
Connector and Drake Street is outlined below:

https://council.vancouver.ca/20200916/documents/cfsc2.pdf

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

From the rezoning

It mentions a CAC of $40,225,000

Cash $24.5 million 9.5 million for childcare, 8.5 million for social housing, 2 million for active transportation in South Vancouver, 4.5 million for the VAG plaza

15.7 million for that building next to the Grosvenor project across the street

https://council.vancouver.ca/20170124/documents/p3.pdf

RE: Granville Connector funding



https://council.vancouver.ca/20200916/documents/cfsc2.pdf

Lol nice. If you don't I think I'll need to write a response opinion piece to this Tyee garbage

Where the heck is this number then?

"Where did the $6-million valuation of Westbank’s promised amenity come from?"