Downtown Vancouver Updates

[Metro-One]

I really hope cosmo is built, it will fill in the last empty lot in that area and hopefully clean up the small garbage dump in the ravine between its location and spectrum. (right where the viaduct starts there is a 5 to 10 feet gap between the parking lot (cosmo site) and the spectrum development that is full of garbage, it disgusted me so much when i first peered over.)

[SpongeG]

ah

the ad shows it way down georgia west of the VAG

kinda throws you off its real location

[hollywoodnorth]

ya I hope Cosmo starts up soon as well. Too bad there is no street front retail in it. But what ya gonna do.

[fever]

Granville looks good without trees. I was surprised with how much brighter it is and how much more the signs stand out

[entheosfog]

Originally Posted by fever

Granville looks good without trees. I was surprised with how much brighter it is and how much more the signs stand out

hmmm, sounds interesting. I should take a look with my camera...if only the rain would let up, that is...

[fever]

Originally Posted by entheosfog

hmmm, sounds interesting. I should take a look with my camera...if only the rain would let up, that is...

No. the rain makes it better.

Fred Herzog http://www.equinoxgallery.com/works/16415.jpg or http://www.westcoastline.ca/covers/39-2_full.jpg

I hope they allow hotlinking.. And when it's dark, reflection nearly doubles the brightness

[Metro-One]

See, look at all the awesome signage down Granville, thats what i want to see more of along Granville again, it adds a great buzz to a commercial/entertainment district, and anyone who wants to live along such a street should know they have to just deal with such an atmosphere. I don't want all of Vancouver to be a buzz, just Granville street, parts of Robson and maybe areas of Gastown. (Don't change Denmen, for it is perfect how it is currently with the more relaxed sea side restaurant feel). So that way we get a little bit more of variety, it is not too far off, it is just expanding upon the current atmospheres on Granville, Robson and in Gastown.

[entheosfog]

Originally Posted by fever

No. the rain makes it better.

Fred Herzog http://www.equinoxgallery.com/works/16415.jpg or http://www.westcoastline.ca/covers/39-2_full.jpg

I hope they allow hotlinking.. And when it's dark, reflection nearly doubles the brightness

No, the rain can ruin a digital camera and I know a friend who that happened to. I'll take pics in the rain after it's stopped, but I don't want to take any chances, especially with the misty rain we've been having where everything under an umbrella will get wet.

[entheosfog]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

See, look at all the awesome signage down Granville, thats what i want to see more of along Granville again, it adds a great buzz to a commercial/entertainment district, and anyone who wants to live along such a street should know they have to just deal with such an atmosphere. I don't want all of Vancouver to be a buzz, just Granville street, parts of Robson and maybe areas of Gastown. (Don't change Denmen, for it is perfect how it is currently with the more relaxed sea side restaurant feel). So that way we get a little bit more of variety, it is not too far off, it is just expanding upon the current atmospheres on Granville, Robson and in Gastown.

I agree, I love that look of Granville.

[fever]

Yeah you're right. Digital cameras don't get along with sand either. Since last Saturday the lens on my crappy point+shoot has been stuck in the open position. It's sitting here half taken apart but I'm too afraid I might short the capacitor for the flash to take it apart completely.

In mildly on-topic news (maybe it's a General Update), the crane on the Spruce (I think that's it, the one on Broadway by Oak) came down today.

[eduardo88]

Originally Posted by fever

Yeah you're right. Digital cameras don't get along with sand either. Since last Saturday the lens on my crappy point+shoot has been stuck in the open position. It's sitting here half taken apart but I'm too afraid I might short the capacitor for the flash to take it apart completely.

In mildly on-topic news (maybe it's a General Update), the crane on the Spruce (I think that's it, the one on Broadway by Oak) came down today.

ouch...sand on the lense, it hurts just reading. at least its just a point/shoot, not a DSLR. i'd die if any of my lenses got sand on/in them.

[SpongeG]

Concord Pacific defends cutting down trees along northeast False Creek shoreline


Tree cut down on False Creek shoreline
News1130 Photo

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The trees are gone...but the outrage remains for many people living near the northeast False Creek shoreline. On Friday and Saturday, Concord Pacific crews cut down all the trees along the water from Science World to the Edgewater Casino. They may have done it without proper permits.

People who walk, run, bike or rollerblade along the False Creek seawall past the Concord Pacific sales pavilion will notice the difference immediately, as the trees that previously lined the shoreline are now reduced to stumps. That's much to the dismay of everyone we spoke with in the area.

A few concerned citizens have contacted City Hall, the Park Board, Corcord Pacific and even VANOC, looking for answers and to see if the tree cutting was done illegally. The city says no permits were issued, although it admits the trees were not on City of Vancouver property. People who confronted work crews on Saturday say they were told Concord Pacific was cutting the trees at the request of VANOC, for 'security purposes for the Olympics'.


Nov. 29: Crews removing cut-down trees
Photo courtesy Ryan McMaster

Grant Murray with Concord Pacific says they have a plan for the land and it doesn't include those natural trees. "We wanted them out of there, as it bothered our view of Olympic Village. So from our perspective, we didn't want them there. It's our property and we decided that we would remove them."

Murray says they will be re-landscaping the entire shoreline eventually and planting a whole bunch of new trees. And Murray says they've done nothing illegal. "There was nothing 'planted' about them. They grew up over the last 13-14 years that we had the Molson Indy down there, and in fact the city agreed, saying 'you can take them down anytime you feel like it...the only time you need a permit is if they get over 8 inches in diameter'."


News1130 Photo


News1130 Photo


Photo courtesy Ryan McMaster

http://www.news1130.com/news/topstory/article.jsp?content=20081201_194259_8640

[mr.x]

People will complain about anything here.....and fail to realize that it's not public land and that the site is set for major redevelopment.

[rather_draconian]

I still dislike Concord Pacific and its installation of boring vertical suburbs

[SpongeG]

you prefer sprawl?

[johnjimbc]

Well, while I agree this is not a big deal in the long run, two facts immediately stand out:

1) They aren't developing any of that land anytime soon, by their own statements recently, so it would be a little strange to argue that the trees were removed for some urgent reason. It's not like bulldozers are coming in next week to break ground or landscaping crews are slated for arrival to install new plantings next week.

2) From the looks of those pics, there are at least a few - if not several - removed trees that were over 8 inches in diameter. So, even if private land, they were supposed to get a permit.

I think the city should simply demand they produce a landscaping plan - even if temporary - and implement it in a reasonably quick timeframe.

Even as I type this, I am leaning more towards saying they acted callously so in some regards it is a big deal. If they failed to get proper permits to remove some of the trees, they ought to receive an appropriate punishment.

That is not "complaining about anything," it's just a simple fact. Whether part of a "landscaping plan" or not (nature has done quite well without a plan for some time now), the growth along the water there adds to the natural sense of false creek and does contribute to the beauty of the seawall in that area (which is a pretty dull stretch anyway without enduring a lot of hacked up stumps). It shouldn't be acceptable to just hack them all down without some permitted replacement plan.

How long do they plan to leave the site like that? Will it be like that through the Olympics? That is not an unreasonable question when the sales center says they won't be developing that stretch for several years, well beyond the Olympics.

[agrant]

So I noticed in the Sun today (section A9 fyi), today is the start of the Granville Street transformation. They will be working block by block over the next year making adjustments to sidewalks, roads, lights etc.. Look for more sidewalk space at night with lighting that's supposed to be a sort of tribute to the glory days of the street... among other things.


Regarding those trees... I look at recent photos of the area, and I count maybe 10 trees. Not a great loss for me. Concord will eat whatever fine they get. It's pocket change to them.

[johnjimbc]

I agree it's not a really big deal overall. More than anything I was put off by the Concord Pacific's comment on the matter. It just sounds like their representative was being pissy about it. He could have explained the situation without saying, "We wanted to so we did," which is essentially his statement. It just sort of rubbed me the wrong way when I first read it.

Plus, it seems like it would be a good idea as a "neighbor" and "keeper" of that part of the seawall to make nice. Explain they intend on removing the stumps, plant grass, whatever. But to just sort of snarl at any inquiry, which is how it sounds, is just bad form. It's not like they cut down trees behind a parking lot on an alley somewhere the public doesn't normally wander. It is a visible spot along a stretch of the seawall so they could at least pretend to be nice about it ; ).

Regarding Granville, what is funny to me is I was thinking last week that the street looked better, not realizing at the time since I was in a hurry that it was because all those trees were gone. They really didn't add anything along most of it. The only place they did is where they were much taller and healthier down closer to the water, and I think they retained some of those (haven't been on those blocks in the last couple of weeks).

[Hed Kandi]

Granville Street’s future begins today
Major transformation will, it is hoped, turn this outdated
ULTAN KAMPFF

Sun

Monday, December, 01, 2008



The shovel hits the ground today and a new chapter in downtown Vancouver history begins. Construction of a redesigned Granville Street — from the north end of the bridge to Cordova Street — is now underway.

Eleven blocks in the centre of the city will be transformed into what all Vancouverites hope will once again be a “ great street.”

“ Great streets” are defined by renowned urban planner Allan Jacobs, a consultant on this project, as “ wonderful, fulfilling places to be — communitybuilding places, attractive for all people.”

Of all our streets downtown, Granville has seen the most changes over the past 10 years. From its heyday as the Great White Way with its neon lights, a period as a transit-only mall, to upgrades in the 1970s that failed to bring the vibrancy and economic injection expected, Granville Street has tried to keep up with the times.

Now its time has come to once again transform itself into a marquee destination.

The redesign, managed by the City of Vancouver, designed by local firm PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc., and constructed by Victoriabased Jacob Bros. Construction, will implement the “ modified enhanced existing” design option as chosen by Vancouver city council in 2006.

This option proposes the fewest changes to the existing operation of the street. North of Smithe Street, the existing curved bus mall will be straightened to provide a consistent sidewalk width of 8.5 metres for pedestrians. South of Nelson Street, traffic patterns would remain unchanged.

The sidewalks south of Nelson will be widened by the width of the existing parking lane to provide a flex sidewalk that can be used to accommodate parked vehicles between street trees during the day.

At night, the parking spaces will be closed off and converted into more sidewalk space to accommodate the high volumes of pedestrians who come to the street for the entertainment options that are available.

Buses and authorized vehicles would continue to use the dedicated lanes north of Smithe.

A one-block civic event space will be created between Robson and Georgia. This space, characterized by both permanent and temporary installations, will be a natural — and muchneeded — location for festivals and major outdoor events.

Access to the two Granville Street rapid transit stations between Robson and Dunsmuir Streets will also be facilitated by the wider sidewalks of the civic space.

An installation of vertical lights the full length of the street will pay homage to Granville’s history as the Great White Way. It will also differentiate Granville from all other streets in the city and create a unique gateway into the downtown core that will unify the various uses and elements of the street.

Pedestrian access to all businesses will remain open during construction, which will start at Drake Street and move one block at a time northward.

It goes without saying that we encourage shoppers to continue to frequent the street and check out history in the making.

After decades of dreaming, this next chapter in the street’s history will take just one year to finish.

Construction will be complete by November 2009, in time for the opening of the two Canada Line stations on Granville Street and in time to welcome the world for the 2010 Winter Games.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that you can build a street — great or otherwise — but if you don’t nurture it, program it, plan it, clean it and engage people in it, all the shiny furniture, clean sidewalks and bright lights won’t sustain it.

Great streets, by design, lend themselves to people gathering, socializing and engaging with each other. But great streets are also purposefully programmed and well used to encourage visitors to linger and enjoy the space.

The adage “ build it and they will come” may be true, but program it, and they will stay.

Today we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to work together to ensure that when the ribbon is cut 12 months from now, a robust and welldefined management plan for the new Granville Street is in place.

Yes, it will cost money, time and dedicated staff resources to make it happen. But, if we don’t commit now, the $ 20.8 million investment in the construction of the street could be for naught.

We’re up to the challenge and open to partnering with like-minded individuals and organizations. Three hundred and sixty-four days and counting.

[Rusty Gull]

Originally Posted by agrant

So I noticed in the Sun today (section A9 fyi), today is the start of the Granville Street transformation. They will be working block by block over the next year making adjustments to sidewalks, roads, lights etc.. Look for more sidewalk space at night with lighting that's supposed to be a sort of tribute to the glory days of the street... among other things.


Regarding those trees... I look at recent photos of the area, and I count maybe 10 trees. Not a great loss for me. Concord will eat whatever fine they get. It's pocket change to them.

That's the problem. Concord is basically allowed to do whatever it wants, without following city laws. You're right: The fine means nothing to them. It's like when a white collar criminal gets slapped with a $50k fine for making $5 million in stock fraud.

Which is why this tree incident is a slap in the face to the residents of Vancouver, given how much Vancouver has given to Concord (in terms of development leeway over the years).

But look at the timing. There is a leadership vacuum in the city, with Sullivan on his way out. Concord probably felt compelled to mow down those trees before the tree-hugging Robertson and his Vision gang got into power, because they would have raised a much bigger stink that the current NPA-dominated council.