General Vancouver Updates

[SpongeG]

the Canadian tire on grandview opens soon i think

there is huge drill bit as "art" on the site

looks ok but doesn't look like the rest is as near to open as the can tire

[fever]

Originally Posted by jlousa

More pictures regarding the SE Marine Dr Canadian Tire/Shoppers/Pet Smart/Best Buy/Bed Bath and Beyond development. I'm really looking forward to this one.
Also included are some renderings of the Murphys Yard development in SEFC. All these are courtesy of the Public Arts committee at city hall. Enjoy.

http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/civicagencies/publicart/documents/ag20081020.pdf

file's gone now and the agenda date says cancelled

[osirisboy]

ah thats why i cant open it

[jlousa]

I should've saved it. Guess the city noticed too many people peeking at it.

Edit....Looks like the meeting was cancelled so the document might come back online in a month or so.
There wasn't too much in it just some renderings or the SE Marine drive development and of Murphys Yard in SEFC (won't even break ground until mid 2010)

[jlousa]

Few updates courtesy of the city.

Looks like Vancouver will be getting 122 new taxis next year. They are also trying to make Vancouver have the lowest carbon producing taxi fleet in North America.

A few changes to the building code that makes it easier to be green, I've been really impressed with the changes council has made. We are definately one of the leaders in this dept. New Changes include height relaxations if used to provide accessible green roof, solar panels, turbines. Allowance for thicker walls (more insulation), more overhang (passive shading) and a few more.

http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20081028/documents/tt1.pdf

And way too much info to summarize regarding the Canada Line contruction, I'll post this one in that thread as well.

http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20081028/documents/tt2.pdf

[osirisboy]

thats great about the taxis. although we could use a lot more. does anyone know how many new ones we've gotten in recent years?

[jlousa]

Looks like V6A is on hold now. It's too bad as I really liked this project. Apparently they only have 38% presold.

[jlousa]

Few more goodies thanks to the city. I think we need good news on here.

Maybe someone with time can you capture the pics and details to share with everyone.

Pictures of the planned changes to the north lawn at city hall here.
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20081028/documents/a20.pdf

Also some modest changes to the GAteways of Granville St and Oak St coming in from Richmond.
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/documents/a16.pdf

And more info on the Hasting Park/PNE masterplan.
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/documents/a17.pdf


Also the Save-On at Grandview and Rupert should open in Jan/09, while the one at King Ed Village looks like it will be 8 more months but still scheduled to open.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Looks like V6A is on hold now. It's too bad as I really liked this project. Apparently they only have 38% presold.

In follow-up:

Province investigating condo developer Onni
Updated: Fri Oct. 24 2008 22:18:24

ctvbc.ca

A major developer in Metro Vancouver is being investigated by an arm of the provincial government after CTV found it was still selling condos even though construction has been halted at the project.

It's a big name developer, which has been building in Metro Vancouver for decades.

On Thursday, the Onni Group of Companies which is behind the V6A condo complex near Main and Union streets in Vancouver -- said the project has been postponed. But when CTV went to the sales center -- we discovered the units were still being offered for pre-sale -- and perspective buyers were not being told the project was on hold.

Now B.C.'s Superintendent of Real Estate is investigating.

"We have contacted the developer and asked for an update,'' said L. Jay Mitchell, B.C.'s Deputy Superintendent of Real Estate.

"We've indicated they have to make an amendment to their disclosure statement,'' she said. "We're making inquires about the deposits and the status of the project

The situation at Main and Union has not escaped the attention of NDP Housing critic Diane Thorne.

"I could hardly believe what I was seeing and hearing on television,'' she said. "It's the best example I have ever seen of the lack of consumer protection in British Columbia."

Meanwhile, any new protection for presale buyers would start with the B.C. Finance Minister Colin Hansen.

"If there's way we can strengthen the regulation and the procedures developers must follow, we are certainly willing to take a look at those and if we can do it in a way that makes sense, we will certainly be ready to do that,'' Hansen said.

Asked if he will looking into the situation at Onni, Hansen said he likely will. "I will certainly be looking into this particular example to see what lessons we can learn from it,'' he said.

As for the future of the V6A project, on Thursday, Onni's vice-president of development Beau Jarvis said he wasn't sure.

"I wouldn't say there is a timeline at this point,'' he said.

On Friday, Onni's executive vice president Chris Evans called CTV News and said that while he doesn't know when construction will resume, Onni plans on finishing the project sometime in 2010.

He declined an invitation to do an on camera interview.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson

[LeftCoaster]

The situation at Main and Union has not escaped the attention of NDP Housing critic Diane Thorne.

"I could hardly believe what I was seeing and hearing on television,'' she said. "It's the best example I have ever seen of the lack of consumer protection in British Columbia."

This is one of the best examples of partisan slandering of another government for absolutely no reason. What a joke. Is the government supposed to codgle the populace at every turn? At what point does any problem stop being a fault of the Liberals according to the NDP? Frankly if someone is stupid enough to be putting a down payment on this project when all it takes is one quick google search to find out the project is on hold, they deserve to lose their misplaced investment; after all, a fool and their money are soon parted.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

This is one of the best examples of partisan slandering of another government for absolutely no reason.

The issue here is that Onni is in "violation" of the rules as set out by the Superintendent of Insurance (Real estate governing body) and also REDMA (Real estate development marketing act).
It's bad business practice to take money from a client when your not planing on providing a product in return.

[zivan56]

Pre sales should be completely banned if there is no guarantee of time frame or completion date or a huge contingency fund by the developer. It would be like going to buy a new car and the dealer saying: "I'll give you a tiny cash discount, but the car may never come, or it may within 3 years, but nobody really knows. There are no guarantees whatsoever that we'll be in business as well."

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by zivan56

Pre sales should be completely banned if there is no guarantee of time frame or completion date or a huge contingency fund by the developer. It would be like going to buy a new car and the dealer saying: "I'll give you a tiny cash discount, but the car may never come, or it may within 3 years, but nobody really knows. There are no guarantees whatsoever that we'll be in business as well."

5 years ago pre-sales were sold at a discount to market and there was a reasonable assumption that the actual market value would also increase by occupancy.

From about 3 years ago until now pre-sales have been sold at or above market value at sales time.

If pre-sales are to survive developers will have to get pretty creative and start to sell them at a significant discount to current market value given the present global financial condition.

[vanman]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

This is one of the best examples of partisan slandering of another government for absolutely no reason. What a joke. Is the government supposed to codgle the populace at every turn? At what point does any problem stop being a fault of the Liberals according to the NDP? Frankly if someone is stupid enough to be putting a down payment on this project when all it takes is one quick google search to find out the project is on hold, they deserve to lose their misplaced investment; after all, a fool and their money are soon parted.

True, but that is the nature of politics. When Glen Clark was in power, Gordon Campbell as the leader of the oppositon slandered the NDP on a seemingly daily basis. It was annoying as hell back then too.

[AlexYVR]

Surrey's Sky Towers development fails to get financing and permits
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 | 2:43 PM ET Comments3Recommend14CBC News

Another Metro Vancouver condominium project has gone off the rails after the developer failed to secure the financing and permit to get it underway.

At 36- and 40-storeys tall, the two buildings in the Sky Towers project in Surrey were to be the tallest condos in Western Canada outside of Calgary and Vancouver.

But by Monday, the developer Young In Development headed by South Korean businessman Hee Yong Yang had failed to secure financing and building permits needed to begin construction.

That means the 880 buyers who put down deposits on pre-sales agreements now have the option of pulling out, according to Jay Mitchell, the deputy superintendent of credit unions, trusts and real estate with B.C.'s Financial Institutions Commission in Surrey.

"The purchasers should be able to contact the real estate agent and the developer and say this project is not going forward, we would like our deposits back," said Mitchell

When CBC News spoke to the developer's office, they said most buyers are not asking for their money back. But several buyers did tell CBC News they were planning to pull their deposits out.

So far no construction of the project has begun. The development manager, however, said the owner isn't giving up on the project and is looking at a joint venture with other developers.

When the units in the towers were first put on sale last November, the booming sales set a record for the most condos sold in a single weekend for a Metro Vancouver project.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/10/28/bc-sky-towers-fails.html

[mr.x]

What would Jesus do?

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

What would Jesus do?

He wouldn't have bought in the first place. He never owned property.

[jlousa]

New "to me at least" site by the city. Lots of great info on the citys olympic host site.

http://olympichostcity.vancouver.ca/

[AlexYVR]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

What would Jesus do?

He probably would have kept his eyes on the street like Jane Jacobs advised.

[jlousa]

Havent heard about this one, anyone have any insight? Sounds like good infill.


538-560 W Broadway Zoning: CD-1
Applicant Contact: Tomas Wolf Studio One Architecture
Description: To rezone this site from C-3A to CD-1 to permit an 8-storey mixed-use commercial building containing Retail use on the first and second storeys and Office use on the third through eighth storeys, over three levels of underground parking. The proposed FSR 5.04 and the proposed building height is approximately 104 ft.