Downtown Vancouver Updates

[jlousa]

Just a reminder that the Robson Square renewal open house is tomorrow at
Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Time: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: Pacific Centre Mall - Rotunda Entrance
701 West Georgia Street
Corner of Georgia and Howe Streets
Vancouver, B.C.

Some info located here

http://www.robsonsquarerenewal.gov.bc.ca/

[Hed Kandi]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Just a reminder that the Robson Square renewal open house is tomorrow at
Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Time: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: Pacific Centre Mall - Rotunda Entrance
701 West Georgia Street
Corner of Georgia and Howe Streets
Vancouver, B.C.

Some info located here

http://www.robsonsquarerenewal.gov.bc.ca/

Thanks for the update!!

[jlousa]

Attended the open house, it was pretty disappointing as everything was already know, to us at least. no models, just the exact same stuff on the website i posted. I had a chance to speak with Clive Grout though and it made it worthwhile. The Asia-Pacific Centre and the front of the Art Gallery (Georgia Side) will be a separate phase and the public consultation will be in the fall. Depending on how that goes will influence when it gets completed.
Apparently there is some rumblings that it could meet opposition. Erickson is touchy about anyone spoiling his masterpiece. He is being consulted and hopefully he stays happy with any changes.

Would be nice if some of the members attended these openhouses, something always seems to come up. I know there's a couple that do, but most seem to only express interest online.

[fever]

I walked by the Robson square open house yesterday. It was a single display board with two consultants standing in front. I tried getting info on future phases out of them, but they either didn't know or weren't saying anything. (So my feedback was that it needs a future phase)

[vanman]

Erickson is touchy about anyone spoiling his masterpiece. He is being consulted and hopefully he stays happy with any changes.

*EDIT* I was drunk when I originally posted this. I meant to add an at the end of the quote.

[jlousa]

More social housing going up, this time at 337 W. Pender, it's currently a surface parking lot, was a building that burnt to the ground about 4yrs ago.

To construct a 9 storey residential building with 95 small units with associated amenity space, ground floor retail, all over 1 level of underground parking.

This isn't one of the 12 sites either, looks like this really is the golden age for social housing.

[LeftCoaster]

Good news, that was the old blunt brothers correct?

I was wondering how long that parking lot was going to be there for, it is a very odd and awkward space for a parking lot.

[vanlaw]

Originally Posted by jlousa

More social housing going up, this time at 337 W. Pender, it's currently a surface parking lot, was a building that burnt to the ground about 4yrs ago.

To construct a 9 storey residential building with 95 small units with associated amenity space, ground floor retail, all over 1 level of underground parking.

This isn't one of the 12 sites either, looks like this really is the golden age for social housing.

Is that ther lot that is below street level accessible through the alley?

[LeftCoaster]

That's definetly the one I'm picturing, although now that I thnk about it, the site is definetly not the old blunt brothers as that was on W Hastings not W Pender IIRC.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Attended the open house, it was pretty disappointing as everything was already know, to us at least. no models, just the exact same stuff on the website i posted. I had a chance to speak with Clive Grout though and it made it worthwhile. The Asia-Pacific Centre and the front of the Art Gallery (Georgia Side) will be a separate phase and the public consultation will be in the fall. Depending on how that goes will influence when it gets completed.
Apparently there is some rumblings that it could meet opposition. Erickson is touchy about anyone spoiling his masterpiece. He is being consulted and hopefully he stays happy with any changes.

Would be nice if some of the members attended these openhouses, something always seems to come up. I know there's a couple that do, but most seem to only express interest online.

I had a guided tour of the law courts when the VAG held the Arthur Erickson retrospective:

-originally, the plan was to encourage pedestrian traffic north/south thru the complex.
-the entrances by the skating rink originally was planned to be an entrance to an underground rapid transit station that would further enhance pedestrian activity around the complex.
-the concrete is tinged slightly pink. I double checked on this, and if you look closely, esp after it rains, you can see this. Not surprisingly, this actually took some time to perfect and added a fair bit of cost to the material.

I do think that some things don't work for vancouver in 2008 (the garden paths/walkways hidden from the street). My pipe dream would have been to have robson go thru as an underpass and have a larger car-free pedestrian square where the surface street currently is.

[jlousa]

Yes it's the parking lot that is only accessible via the lane on Pender it's one story below grade. Can't remember what was in the building but I think it was a youth hostel on the upper floors.

[jlousa]

Don't think you'll ever see Robson have an underpass for traffic there as it would need to start blocks earlier to get low enough for the trolleys.

The Parks board is having an Open house regarding the Habour Green restaurant. They will have a model there. Anyways it'll be at the Coal harbour community centre on Sept 4th from 7-9pm.

[Delirium]

the renos to robson square look so underwhelming...
i can't stand those canopy things (under the Sears sign). what are their purpose anyway? i also wish they would change the light poles. they're so dated.

i think officedweller mentioned this before but they really should get rid of the hedge around the domes. looks like they're taking them out and replacing them with the same species of hedge? agreed that it's a visual barrier to seeing what's below.

[officedweller]

Yeah, if they're changing the domes, they should change those canopies to the lower level too - "Fosteritos" (i.e. Bilbao subway) would work well.

[Spring2008]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Good news, that was the old blunt brothers correct?

I was wondering how long that parking lot was going to be there for, it is a very odd and awkward space for a parking lot.

Pardon my ignorance, but when did they get rid of Blunt brothers. I remember venturing into there the first time I visited Vancouver in 04. Quite the experience.

[Hed Kandi]

The ice rink size is extremely underwhelming. If they're going to have an ice rink, atleast make it sufficient size.

It should be expanded to an NHL sized rink, which I believe is 200ft in length and about 85ft in width. This would provide some great games for minor league hockey fans, but also a larger area for recreational ice skaters.

[mr.x]

The entire revitalization project had real potential when it was first unveiled with its original plan....an enlargened rink, a glass/wood roof over the entire precinct, etc. I'm quite disappointed with what they're coming up with. I'm not exactly sure how what they have is better than what we have there today.....all I can say is that it might be marginally better.

[Hed Kandi]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

The entire revitalization project had real potential when it was first unveiled with its original plan....an enlargened rink, a glass/wood roof over the entire precinct, etc. I'm quite disappointed with what they're coming up with. I'm not exactly sure how what they have is better than what we have there today.....all I can say is that it might be marginally better.

Leave it to our elected official to make fatuous decisions.

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Yes it's the parking lot that is only accessible via the lane on Pender it's one story below grade. Can't remember what was in the building but I think it was a youth hostel on the upper floors.

was a lesbo bar on the 1st floor and residential above.

[Yume-sama]

Does anybody know what the lease rates in Downtown Vancouver are like? For example, a streetfront store on a busy street . How much $$ per square foot are they looking at?