Downtown Vancouver Updates

[raggedy13]

Thanks Leftcoaster. I think I quite like the looks of it as well, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the height. Can't wait to see it from some different angles.

[officedweller]

Nice! Thanks.
Based on the window grid, it looks like mullion-free glass. (Carina/Callisto style).
The crown does look "typical" and doesn't seem to have much opportunity for lighting effects, but the HG towers don't have that anyways.
With the high ceilings, anyone think they'll eventually pull a Shangri-La and a Jameson House and "insert" a floor within the permitted height?

************

The retail store that is adapting/reusing the old Capitol 6 passageway is coming along well. Glass is up on the ground level (oddly, it is placed a couple inches in front of bare concrete lintel and columns - so no opportunity to paint the bare concret in future) and the brackets are in place above for the glass panels - same system as used on the corner atrium of the Future Shop Building.

[excel]

Nice to finally see a render for HG3, looks good too!

[LeftCoaster]

Yes the windows will look very much like Carina/Callisto, little to no mullions over most of the building. Just to clarify as well the fuzzy green strips is a high quality greenish hued marble... I guess in keeping with the marble theme seen in the first 2 HG buildings.

Does anyone know where to host a photo so it does not get resized down so small? I have many more renders but they are all so large they look fuzzy and out of focus when viewed so small.

[towerguy3]

Use flickr.com. I used its resizing to resize my new Avatar of the Frankfurt roof (75 x 75 format).

[SFUVancouver]

Leftcoaster, thanks for the render!

Re: Image hosting.

www.imageshack.us

They are excellent. I host all my photos there. No resizing unless you choose to do so. No need to register either. Just copy and paste the direct link to the image once it is uploaded.

[LeftCoaster]

thanks guys! hopefuly I can get em in the right format and upload em by the end of the day.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jlousa

The city didn't have the money to proceed witht he project, so in reality there were zero units of social housing lost, at least they got $5.1 Million to go towards social housing on another site.

Forgot to reply on this one:
Concord did the same thing with the tower above the HSBC at Davie & Pacific. It was supposed to be a social housing tower, but there was no funding, and given the disruption that a future phase would have on the area (adding onto an existing podium), Concord was allowed to pay cash in lieu and build market condos on the site.

[officedweller]

1241 Homer is now live - crazy prices!

http://metroliving.ca/1241homer/index.html

[SFUVancouver]

^ $824k for a 984 sq foot 1 bedroom townhouse.

[officedweller]

And that's just so they have a suite under $1M.

[officedweller]

Vogue Theatre liquor licence (for 1029 seats) is opposed by City staff.

http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20080313/documents/csb2.pdf

SUMMARY
This application is for a 1029 seat Liquor Primary liquor license for the Vogue Theatre at 918
Granville Street. The applicants have purchased the building and intend to restore and
renovate the theatre with heritage designation and retention of the main stage. The
operation would include a variety of types of entertainment along with full food service.
The positive aspects of this application include the restoration of the theatre, retention of a
live venue facility and the possible use by non-profit arts groups.
The concerns centre on adding over 1000 new Liquor Primary seats to the Granville
Entertainment District when there is already serious street disorder issues resulting in a
negative impact on the area and Police resources stretched to the maximum.
For the above noted reasons, staff is recommending that this application not be endorsed by
Council.

[nathan6969]

Originally Posted by Delirium

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

Thats only like 30ft short of fairmont, the canyon down cordova is already impressive and its only gonna get better.

[flight_from_kamakura]

whoops, here's a dp opportunity to ask two parks questions:

1) does anyone know what the final plan for emery barnes park is? i've seen two maps and they conflict... and it's hard to get anything out of the council minutes.

2) the 'north downtown' park, on the site of lucy mae brown, on richards between robson and smythe - is this thing a go?

[phesto]

Thanks for the 3HG update. Looks pretty good. Last tower with unrestricted views on Coal Harbour? I expect we'll see some record setting prices for units in that one.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by flight_from_kamakura

whoops, here's a dp opportunity to ask two parks questions:

1) does anyone know what the final plan for emery barnes park is? i've seen two maps and they conflict... and it's hard to get anything out of the council minutes.

2) the 'north downtown' park, on the site of lucy mae brown, on richards between robson and smythe - is this thing a go?

For Emery Barnes, the plan that I've seen is a big oval lawn(?) that traverses the combined site (alley closed off and part of park). I thought expropriations were being carried out last summer on the final parcels.

For the other park, the City was running out of money from development cost levies - so it is on the backburner as far as I know. I've even read that some think it's unnecessary given that the new Yaletown Park park is a couple blcoks away.

[SpongeG]

everyone just loves lying around on jaggy stones

lol

[flight_from_kamakura]

Originally Posted by officedweller

For Emery Barnes, the plan that I've seen is a big oval lawn(?) that traverses the combined site (alley closed off and part of park). I thought expropriations were being carried out last summer on the final parcels.

For the other park, the City was running out of money from development cost levies - so it is on the backburner as far as I know. I've even read that some think it's unnecessary given that the new Yaletown Park park is a couple blcoks away.

aha, thanks office_dweller. for emery barnes, do you know if the planned size of the lot is the full 4 hectares they planned back in 2002? i mean, will the second phase lot be a mirror of the current park? greening that alley is AWESOME, though i'm a little bummed they're demolishing the deviate building (for a park though, it's definitely worth it). now, if the landscape architect could just lay off the concrete and create a double row of trees on the seymour side, it would do a lot to cut down on the exposure.

as for the lucie may brown park, do you know if the city already has control of the land? in my opinion, it'll be sad if they decide to build this out as residential, as i'm sure the area's already hit the 1.1 hectares to 1000 inhabitants ratio (hmm, though i suppose it depends on boundary measurement). on the other hand, if the city owns the land and it hasn't been kicked over to the parks board, this could be an interesting institutional site. new home for the maritime museum? new school? something else? it's a great site, and it would be a shame to see it go condo... though i suppose i could live with a nice retail wall along at the street level if that were the price of a condo. haha, and given the location, the developers would do anything the city asked to build it out, including saving/incorporating those two 1940s era low rises on the site (which would be cool, because there aren't too many of those left outside of old yaletown).

[Hed Kandi]

The Beasley - High density, heritage and preservation
Historical building on site will become a lounge but retain its original façade
Kerry Moore

Province

Sunday, March, 09, 2008



The location is the main attraction at The Beasley. The corner of Smithe and Homer is a built-in selling point, says Nic Jensen, Amacon's sales and marketing manager.

"Location is our first and best feature. The Beasley is on the border between downtown and Yaletown. It is in the centre of it all."

Jensen mentions that residents can walk to B.C. Place, GM Place, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and through Yaletown to the seawall.

"In fact," says Jensen, "the option here is your car -- you may not need it."

There is a heritage building on the site. The Homer, built in 1913, has housed apartments and a café over the years. What you see of the historical building will still be there when construction of The Beasley begins in the fall.

"We are keeping the facade but cleaning out the inside and updating it for a trendy high-end lounge and restaurant," says Jensen.

Behind and above it will soar The Beasley Residences.

The building is named for former Vancouver city planner Larry Beasley.

"It was a natural fit," says Jensen. "The Beasley promotes so much of what Larry believes in: high density, heritage preservation and a mixed-use component. And he was honoured by this gesture, which really pleased us."

The mixed-use that Jensen refers to includes the lounge and restaurant, four other commercial units on the ground floor of The Beasley, and two floors that will be set aside for office use.

Residents will enter off Homer into a large lobby with three elevators. The ground floor is home to a fully equipped gym, party room with a pool table, kitchen and dining room. A garden terrace off the party room enlarges the entertaining possibilities.

Every residential floor offers a combination of floor plans "although there is a majority of larger suites the farther up you go in the building," says Jensen. He adds that the top floors have clear views of the mountains on the North Shore and the suites have "very useable balconies."

The features inside the units are urban contemporary.

"We have two colour choices -- Robson, a traditional warm walnut tone, and Yaletown, a more modern white and black. There is engineered hardwood flooring in the living areas, heated tile floors in all the bathrooms, and the bedrooms are carpeted."

An upgrade will add the same hardwood flooring to the bedrooms.

The appliance package is all that is necessary for gracious entertaining. The kitchen features stainless- steel KitchenAid Architect Series II appliances, including a bottom-mount freezer, Ceran cooktop range with hood fan, wine-storage rack, and stainless under-counter microwave oven. The addition of a wine cooler is an upgrade, while a washer/dryer is part of the standard package. Look to the counters -- a choice of black quartz Genesis or sand-coloured stone in the kitchen, and Carrera marble in the bath -- to add a classy touch.

There will be so many windows in the building that it is already referred to as a "glass tower" that promises floods of light into the rooms. But there is an even more remarkable element to The Beasley -- a "woof-top" terrace. Yep, that's spelled correctly.

On the eighth floor, a 2,000-sq.ft. (outdoor) terrace is dedicated to dogs' physical fitness.

"Pets are part of so many people's lifestyles and we are a lifestyle building, so it only made sense to include what is already a feature in New York and San Francisco residential buildings."

The Beasley residences will start selling on March 15 , construction begins in September, and occupancy is February, 2011.

THE FACTS

The Beasley

What: The Beasley, a 33-storey condominium tower of 211 units.

Where: 888 Homer St. (at Smithe St.) Vancouver.

Developer: Amacon

Sizes: One bed, two bed, and two bed and den, from 550 sq. ft. to 1300 sq. ft.

Prices: Starting from low to mid- $400,000

Open: Presentation centre and two display suites at 1025 Seymour. Information: thebeasley.com.

© The Vancouver Province 2008

[hollywoodnorth]

they are stocking the new Rexall Drugs at International Village.....looks like it will open within the week!