Downtown Vancouver Updates

[excel]

thanks for the updates.

[jlousa]

Kevin Griffin, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, March 06, 2008
VANCOUVER - Premier Gordon Campbell announced Thursday morning several new arts and cultural initiatives totalling $209 million, including $50 million for a new home for the Vancouver Art Gallery and $9 million for the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

As well, Campbell said the province will be establishing the BC 150 Cultural Fund, a $150-million permanent endowment for arts and culture in B.C. The fund is expected to generate $8 million annually for new arts and cultural projects.

"Art is essential in communicating and preserving the history, heritage and culture that define us as a province," said Campbell. "The cultural infrastructure this investment creates will provide opportunities for British Columbians to get involved with and experience arts and culture in their community and across the province. We are recognized across the country and we want to be sure British Columbians share in the artistic treasury that is right here at home."

Speaking at the current Vancouver Art Gallery at 750 Hornby, Campbell also said that the province will contribute $9 million towards the ongoing renovation and expansion of the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

The $50 million for the VAG is expected to go towards cost of a new gallery at Georgia and Hamilton, the block to the south of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.


Umm unless my bearing are totally off, should that not read East of QE theatre and not south.

[officedweller]

Thanks for the pics.

1212 Howe looks OK.

The Coopers Park towers are OK - but the two Hotson Bakker ones in the middle (Flagship and Mariner) have too many spandrel panels. At least on the tallest tower next to the Plaza of Nations, the spandrel panels form a grid pattern. I like the Walter Francl one (closest to the bridge) the best.

For VITA, on the alley side, it looks like the slanted parkade floors may cut across the window openings - or those could be shallow office units at the windows with the parkade hidden behind if I recall.


FYI - part of the Cultrural Olympiad:

NeoGraf – Digital Graffiti
March 7th & 8th, 2008 - various downtown locations (TBA)

laser tagging, projection throw-ups, photoshopped murals; the next generation of open-source light-based writing, recoding the city bulb by bulb.

The NeoGraf project will transform the city with nondestructive laser graffiti technologies. Through the use of image and light projection, graffiti artists will ‘paint’and tag buildings in realtime without violating the property. In order to present the diversity and evolution of graffiti, the project will work with different writers and artists from around Vancouver, and invite the collaboration of NomIg and Graffiti Research Lab to propagate this open-source technology.

NeoGraf Artists:
Fri, Mar 7th - Laser Tagging - Rhek & Virus
Sat, Mar 8th - Muralling - Neal Nolan & Adam Dodd

*CHECK THIS WEBSITE ON THE DAY OF EVENT FOR LOCATIONS AND TIMES*
The newspaper mentioned the east wall of the Holiday Inn on Howe St.

http://2007.newformsfestival.com/

[jo67sh]

what will happen to the current art gallery once it moves to the new location?

the stilts project on the current art gallery site???

[vanman]

here's the rendering:

[/QUOTE]

Thanks. That's the building I was thinking of but wasn't sure.

[officedweller]

Updates to the DPB AGenda - including a revision to Atelier:

1133 Homer Street
DE411871
IBI/HB Architects
To add approximately 406 square feet to this under construction residential building on this site and reduce the number of units on the combined 15th and 16th levels from 6 to 4 units.
N/A
April 7, 2008

58 West Hastings Street - Is this a Concord site (along the lines of Smart?)
DE411789
Busby Perkins + Will Architects
To construct a new 7 storey mixed use, retail and residential, building two levels of underground parking.
Scott Barker
604-873-7166
April 21, 2008

277 Thurlow Street - Probably Harbour Green Three.
DE411944
IBI/HB Architects
To develop this site with a 32-storey residential tower containing 82 dwelling units, over four levels of underground parking for 223 vehicles
Alison Higginson
604-871-6478
May 20, 2008

1308 Seymour Street - some sort of rehab centre was formerly proposed for this site (second hand store site) a few years ago.
DE411958
NSD Architects
Affordable Housing
John Greer
604-871-6194
June 2, 2008

Also, from the March 12, 2008 UDP Agenda (along with the 58 West Hastings project):

1754-1772 Pendrell Street - I checked and this is one block east of Denman and one blok north of Davie.
DE: Rezoning
Use: Increase density from 2.20 to 3.28 FSR to develop a 34-unit, 19-storey condo tower, and to renovate and expand an existing house for 10 units of affordable rental housing.
Zoning: RM-5A to CD-1
Application Status: Rezoning
Review: First
Architect: W.T. Leung Architects Inc.
Staff: Dale Morgan and Michale Naylor

[jlousa]

Ahh you beat me to it, I have some additional info on 58 W Hastings. It is the Concord project. 7 Storeys, 2 levels u/g parking, CRU on main level. # of units undetermined. Contruction to start 2009, update June/08.

Another one we've been hearing about, (not the 40storey development next door at 2 W Hastings) anyways 18 W Hastings, 6 Storey rehabilation of hertiage B building, CRU on main level, 30 units, Start date Nov/08.

[officedweller]

Thanks -
I wonder how similar the 58 Hastings project will be to Smart (hopefully not a carbon copy).
Interesting that it's only 7 storeys. Isn't there a galvanized clad social housing building near there - right next to the old railway ROW - that is taller than 7 storeys (and still hits the lot lines)?

The site will be overshadowed by surrounding building, I think:

[leftside]

Good news for the DTES. Still waiting (hoping) to hear of some confirmation of the rumours of some Concord towers along that stretch of Hastings...

[Delirium]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Updates to the DPB AGenda

277 Thurlow Street - Probably Harbour Green Three.
DE411944
IBI/HB Architects
To develop this site with a 32-storey residential tower containing 82 dwelling units, over four levels of underground parking for 223 vehicles
Alison Higginson
604-871-6478
May 20, 2008

if that is in fact 3 harbour green it's GREAT to see that it's not another Cheng building. unfortunate though that it's only 32 stories. I thought this phase was going be taller. now it'll be the same height as 2HG. some height difference would have been nice.

i noticed that the condo planned for the richards on richards site was not approved by the urban design panel. minutes haven't been posted yet so not sure why.

[jlousa]

It is HG3, they have lowered it from the previous 34 stories to 32 although I beleive the height has not changed, interesting on the firm as I beleive JKMC is still involved with it as well.
The 1098 Richards St issues I beleive have to do with the houses they plan on relocating, we'll have to wait to see what the minutes acutally say.

[officedweller]

Good catch there on HG3 - IBI/Hancock Bruckner did the Carina & Callisto pair. Could be interesting.
I think the last tower will have to have more of a commercial look to it to blend well with the adjacent Shaw Tower and Convention Centre.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by jlousa

It is HG3, they have lowered it from the previous 34 stories to 32 although I believe the height has not changed,

Would you also know when they are planning on the final layer of "pavement" in the 1200 & 1100 block of West Cordova???. I've been swerving around the raised casings for years now.

[jlousa]

Pavement is set to for the opening of the Canada Place Way extension so I would reckon we'll stuck with what we have until 09.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Pavement is set to for the opening of the Canada Place Way extension so I would reckon we'll stuck with what we have until 09.

Oh well, can't have it all.

[nathan6969]

Originally Posted by TwoFace

Would you also know when they are planning on the final layer of "pavement" in the 1200 & 1100 block of West Cordova???. I've been swerving around the raised casings for years now.

No kidding...I don't get why they can't pave this block, the amount of property tax the city collects from that block, and I still have to drive through potholes.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by nathan6969

No kidding...I don't get why they can't pave this block, the amount of property tax the city collects from that block, and I still have to drive through potholes.

Agreed, unfortunately roads are a non-priority for the City. Try going for a bone-jarring drive down Point Gray road or any West side side street.
Maybe a SUV is the way to go.

[jlousa]

The reason is simple there is too much construction (Fairmont/HG2/HG3/VCCEP) if they paved the road last year it would've been damaged by now, so in that regard I'm glad the city is smart enough to save some money and only do it once. It's not a large timeframe to wait.

[LeftCoaster]

Merry Christmas!

As Jlousa said it will be 32 not 34 stories, but will still be right at the allowable height for the site.
The top of the Mechanical penthouse or architectural fins will be 426ft ASL
The top of the structure will be 398'4"

Harbour Green 3

[Delirium]

^ thanks! That looks pretty good actually. i like it.
and 426ft? that's taller than i expected. more than patina or capitol. nice.