General Vancouver Updates

[worldwide]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Nothing really, but a new Tim Horton's coming to Commercial Dr.

Specs:
1932 sq ft.
Corner of E 1st and Commercial
Construction will start late April and finish Canada Day.

nice. its hard to find a tim hoes in this city


also. whats going on with the tower proposal on main at 33rd. anyone have a link?

[jlousa]

There's a project in the Main and 33rd area called therai? Not to famaliar with it though, you might also be thinking about the little mountain redevelopment, which will be a huge project, hopefully I can share some news about that in a few months.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by worldwide

nice. its hard to find a tim hoes in this city

There's also a new one at Broadway & Fir - across from Earl's. Seems to close early though.

[cornholio]

The old London Guard motel that got torn down on Kingsway by Nanaimo is going to get a 4 story residential building with 85 units and the bottom will be retail. There will be a one level underground parkade for for 120 or so spaces. There was no back alley behind the motel but one will be built. Nothing spectacular I guess but its yet another development that will only improve this area. I live by the way a 2 minuit walk from there so I know how bad this area really is thanks to the motels that used to be here. Now they just have to tare down that motel 2400 and maybe one day they will also get rid of the Quality Inn, though that ones not as bad as the others which are/were hooker and crack head magnets. Eldorado should also be torn down very soon.
The city of Vancouver should have more info as its not approved yet but I dont see it not being approved. Its by Thynd development.

As far as the Hills development goes there has been nothing new for a while, I havent really looked in to it but the staff at Eldorado dont know when they will close yet. Im kind of going to miss that sleezy bar, always felt really comfortable in there unlike these new pubs like all over downtown where there is no feeling of community and all the people seem really stuck up and high on themselves. The King Edward development also looks like it will be finally finished in a few months, about time.

[jlousa]

The civic strike slowed down the Hills development quite a bit, the show suite is at Georgia and Seymour (Bayparkade building) it will be opening shortly, sales will begin in the spring. It'll be a 22 storey tower on the corner of Kingsway and Naniamo, the back tower is only 9 stories, the front podium will be 7 stories and there will be townhouses along the back strech. Their will still be a neighbour pub in the new development.
The project by Thind will be two phases, the 84/85 condos overs 14CRUs will be the front half, like you mentioned they will reintroduce a back lane, on the north side of the lane will have rows of townhouses. As part of the plan they are including a passageway that will connect Kingsway to the park behing it, Brock Park, The passage will most likely connect to an existing lane that is there. I agree those two developments will really help that area.
As far as 2400 Motel goes, it's acutally owned by the city, they just extended a contract with the property mangement firm for another 5yrs though, so it doesn't appear we'll see anything soon. It really pisses me off when I hear people trying to save the motel because it's heritage, the place is a dump it ruins the neighbourhood and almost all the locals hate it, it's a dead block that offers nothing and attracts undesireables. The only ones that appear to want to save it are people that don't live anywhere near it.

Can you tell I live in the area as well.

[officedweller]

7 storey podium - that's quite tall - esp. for a non-core area. Ditto for the King Edward podium.

[vanman]

I dig the taller podiums going up these days, so long as they are not parking garages.

[cornholio]

^^^Yeah my patio/backyard faces the Kingsway back alley near the Quality Inn
I often get needles and crack pipes and used condoms under the patio and have had crack heads and hookers camping out under there. Not to mention being asked if I want a bj when I walk out my back door at 7am is rather annoying. This is all thanks to all these motels that always were around this part of Kingsway.

Didnt realize their going to have a passage way through there, personally I think thats a bad idea because it will be mostly used by all undesirables. Theres a small passage in that area a block down and all its used for is smoking crack and shooting up and for the hookers to meet their pimps in the alley.

[jlousa]

my understanding is the passage way is owned by the developer and will be used as a patio for a coffee shop (maybe the area will get a starbucks) so it's quite possible it'll be locked up night if they notice undesirable using it. It might work as intended though, once all the motels begin dissappearing the amount of undesireable will follow. Do you remember the other motel that used to be at Kingsway and duchess, it had an RV park in the back, that development turned out quite nice. Hopefully this one does too.

[Jared]

Good to hear the tower @ Nanaimo and Kingsway is still going ahead, I hadn't heard much about it recently and was beginning to think it was going to be scrapped.

[jlousa]

Some news for outside the core.
First 2 are pre-bid the last one is out for tender.

Ospal Steel Project

2 Buildings, 18 Storeys, 3 levels u/g parking, 125,000sqft, ~115 condo units,
both towers connected to the restored Ospal Steel building which will be commercial. Update May08

UBC expansion Phase 1-3, $100Million, 15 Buildings over 7Ha, 38,550M2, including DNA (day/night area) Square glass canopy sheltered area connecting Student Union building, aquatic centre, underground transit station, and future retail and student residences. Update later/08


Broadway Tech Building 5+7 (building6??)
3 Storeys, 2 level u/g parking, 164,000sqft, 82K/each, Start Mar/08 Finish 09.

[officedweller]

I gather that the Opsal Steel Building will be shifted on its site?
Renderings that I've seen (can't recall where) showed a tower at the corner of Quebec and 2nd Ave., and the existing building butts up to Quebec St.

Here it is from the Bastion Developments website (this must be old as it doesn't show 2 x 18 storeys):

[jlousa]

Not sure of the orientation, it's listed as W 2nd ave from Ontario to Quebec so it's a large site, it also mentions labelling each piece which will be stored offsite during construction of the towers before bringing them back to re-assemble, so it's quite possible they could shift it.
It is possible that only one of the towers is 18 storeys, I've found in the past they only list the taller tower, might be the case here, as ~115 units isn't very much for 2*18storeys.

[djh]

^Bastion started plans to do that with the building several years ago, when those plans first circulated (think it was 2005/2006). I think they said the wood was in really good condition and of a length and girth that you can't find any more, so they wanted to restore the whole thing (seem to remember talk of storing it under water?)
What's been the hold-up? There was a heritage issue and I think a density transfer issue. Any more details?

[officedweller]

Makes sense that if they are labelling and storing the pieces that they could shift the building. Thanks.

[vanlaw]

[QUOTE=jlousa;

Can you tell I live in the area as well.[/QUOTE]

jlousa, cornholio - we obvioulsy all live right near each other - My kitchen looks out over the demolished London Guard site. I always joke with my friends - if you look out the front you see Brock Park and mountains, you would think you were on the West Side, but if you look out the back, its pure East Side - best example of a mullet house I have ever seen. Looks like my back alley will finally be widened to become Galt St. It was always strange that Galt ends, turns to alley, then 12 lots later becomes Galt again, but I guess the hotel was there before the street.

I really hope Thind does a good job with the building - the 4th floor North facing units will have great views of downtown and the mountains. And it will be nice to see Brock Park utilized more - other than a few regular dog walkers and the odd soccer practice, the park is devoid of any activity.

[jlousa]

I'm not too far, I'm live on top of the hill right across from the 2400 Motel, one of the last remaining houses on Kingsway. It's funny how many real estate agents have knocked on my door in the past 2 years letting me know there are developers looking at buying my house. They don't get it when I tell them they're too late.

[vanlaw]

Originally Posted by jlousa

I'm not too far, I'm live on top of the hill right across from the 2400 Motel, one of the last remaining houses on Kingsway. It's funny how many real estate agents have knocked on my door in the past 2 years letting me know there are developers looking at buying my house. They don't get it when I tell them they're too late.

I could only wish I owned my house. Moved there 6 years ago and the rent seemed a little on the high side at that point. Now that market value has pretty much close to doubled in those 6 years, the rent is less than half of what mortgage would be on the house. I'm sticking around until they boot me out.

I really think that whole are is going to change for the better. People knock Kingsway, and rightly so, it looks like a shithole (no offence). But once you get a block off either way, there are some really nice little neighbourhoods. If they can build some quality projects on Kingsway proper, I think it will turn around. And you cant beat location for convenience - 20-25 minutes to downtown whether you drive, cycle or skytrain, and only a 5-10 minutes to Highway 1 if heading east.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by jlousa

AWhile a Timmys will probably do well there regardless, I think everyone can agree that the population living there is not their typical customer base.

No shit. Such a bad idea. One of the lamest Canadian corporations comes to Commercial? Expand your base in Maple Ridge, etc. where you're appreciated and you "belong".

[Rusty Gull]

Originally Posted by vanlaw

People knock Kingsway, and rightly so, it looks like a shithole (no offence). But once you get a block off either way, there are some really nice little neighbourhoods. If they can build some quality projects on Kingsway proper, I think it will turn around. And you cant beat location for convenience - 20-25 minutes to downtown whether you drive, cycle or skytrain, and only a 5-10 minutes to Highway 1 if heading east.

I always liked Kingsway. It slices right through the city, and you see a side of Vancouver you can never get downtown or in the West Side. Unlike so many other neighbourhoods, it's uniquely Vancouver, for better or worse.

If the city paid it a bit of respect, it might be our version of Santa Monica Boulevard.