General Vancouver Updates - Page 70

SpongeG · #**1381** Posted **Oct 9, 2009, 2:48 AM**

yes thats whay i asked if its just the showroom - cause its only a very small area and a very small building - the main construction isn't starting - but usually they put teh showrooms away from the site no?

LeftCoaster · #**1382** Posted **Oct 9, 2009, 1:54 PM**

Thanks Jlousa, looks great. I always wondered who owned that spot and why it stood empty for years. The building seems like pretty standard infil, quite nice but nothing special... I do really like that courtyard in the back though.

LeftCoaster · #**1383** Posted **Oct 9, 2009, 1:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

yes but its awfully small and made of wood

It's actually against code to build a 7 storey tall building out of wood, so at the very least the taller building will have to be predominantly concrete. To add to that I would be surprised if the developer chose to go with a half and half plan, building one out of concrete and one out of wood, it just doesnt make sense economically.

officedweller · #**1384** Posted **Oct 9, 2009, 7:12 PM**

Interesting that the built form anticipates a building butted up to the east side so much (rather than stepping down a floor) - the condo buildings that are there - though leaky - aren't really that old. Are they expecting demolition?

SpongeG · #**1385** Posted **Oct 9, 2009, 10:00 PM**

ok i will drive there and take a pic

once again it is not the planned development - its a very small building made of wood in the parking lot with a blue fence

it looks like a dribve thru espresso its that small

SFUVancouver · #**1386** Posted **Oct 12, 2009, 6:35 PM**

A crane has gone up at East Hastings and Princess. The Salvation Army is building a seven or eight storey social housing and outreach building there. It will feature supportive housing that allows residents to "move up" to a new floor as they clean up, get their life together, and require less oversight and assistance. The ground floor will have a kitchen and outreach facilities and offices for the building will be on the top floor. It will be a fairly standard brick and metal panel building, and be LEED Silver if I recall correctly.

Princess St is also going to see one of the "14 sites" social housing projects go up at the intersection of Princess and Alexander. This one will be big. Eleven storeys and somewhere around 120 to 130 self-contained units of supportive housing split between those who need a lot of help and those who do not. A ground floor dining hall will be available to residents and offices and services will be on site. No word yet on funding. It is not one of the six that are beginning construction now.

I believe those six are 17th and Dunbar (37 units, mental health), First and Quebec (~100 units, urban singles), Seymour and Drake "Karis Place" (~100 units, urban singles), Pender and Abbot (~120 units, single women and mothers), Howe and Davie (~75 units, AIDS/HIV homeless), Main and National (? units, urban singles) and maybe either Hastings and Cambie (~110 units, urban singles), Expo and Pacific Blvds (~100 units, urban singles) or Howe and Helmcken (~120 units, urban singles). I'm not sure which of the last three will be part of the first six projects. Also Woodwards and its 200+ units is wrapping up, as it the Olympic Village and its 250 units.

Hed Kandi · #**1387** Posted **Oct 12, 2009, 6:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Princess St is also going to see one of the "14 sites" social housing projects go up at the intersection of Princess and Alexander. This one will be big. Eleven storeys and somewhere around 120 to 130 self-contained units of supportive housing split between those who need a lot of help and those who do not. A ground floor dining hall will be available to residents and offices and services will be on site. No word yet on funding. It is not one of the six that are beginning construction now.

I believe those six are 17th and Dunbar (37 units, mental health), First and Quebec (~100 units, urban singles), Seymour and Drake "Karis Place" (~100 units, urban singles), Pender and Abbot (~120 units, single women and mothers), Howe and Davie (~75 units, AIDS/HIV homeless), Main and National (? units, urban singles) and maybe either Hastings and Cambie (~110 units, urban singles), Expo and Pacific Blvds (~100 units, urban singles) or Howe and Helmcken (~120 units, urban singles). I'm not sure which of the last three will be part of the first six projects. Also Woodwards and its 200+ units is wrapping up, as it the Olympic Village and its 250 units.

You have GOT to be kidding me. What is the total cost of all this?

The socialist mentality in this province make me ill - to think that the homeless are living in newer residences and are more centrally located than 90% people in Vancouver is absolutely absurd.

Would it not be more logical to house the mentally ill/homeless/HIV patients in the suburbs, instead of on prime downtown real estate?

Metro-One · #**1388** Posted **Oct 12, 2009, 7:03 PM**

I support these social units, as long as they come with rules and guidelines, such as no open drug use and loitering out front, and forced to perform basic upkeep of their units. I wish more of these were for mental health, those are the people who truly need the help and care.

Also it would be nice to have these offered to only BC residents, while other are sent back to their provinces.

SFUVancouver · #**1389** Posted **Oct 12, 2009, 7:48 PM**

Well all of the "14 sites" are being designed in collaboration with the non-profit hosuing societies that will actually run them. Each suite will be self-contained, with a kitchen and bathroom, and an average area of 320 sqft. There will be wheelchair accessible units too in every building.

The non-profits that will run them will be on-site 24/7 and the buildings will have controlled entries. Each building will have supportive services on-site, including meeting rooms, offices, and shared recreational space. These are not "low-barrier" shelters and while the individual non-profits' rules may vary I do not expect drugs or alcohol to be allowed in rooms.

The buildings themselves are being designed to be robust, long-lasting, have a high level of design, and have high environmental performance. LEED Gold is required for all buildings and nearly all have solar hot-water/PV panels on the roof.

To me this is how social housing should be built. These aren't the small, dingy, forelorn social housing projects of the 70s and 80s.

Plus the equation is fairly simple: Homeless + home = not homeless.

The total budget for the first six buildings is about $160 million. I know studies by SFU and Portland State have both shown that it is cheaper to build permanent housing in which people can stay for several years than it is to operate shelters and bear increased policing, ambulatory, and emergency room costs. Plus people will be referred to these apartments by BC Housing, the City, and local health authorities after having first been cleared through short-term housing in the converted Bosman Motor Inn on Howe Street downtown. They will not be going straight from the street to these apartments.

Everything certainly won't run smoothly but I think this is the best approach yet to finally starting to catch up on demand for social housing in the city.

I certainly think the other municipalities need to step up and have their own social housing and it makes my blood boil when people from other provinces come out here and go on the dole. However the goodwill of Vancouverites to put up with street homelessness has run out and I prefer the approach of building housing to the status quo.

vanman · #**1390** Posted **Oct 12, 2009, 7:59 PM**

Quote:

I certainly think the other municipalities need to step up and have their own social housing and it makes my blood boil when people from other provinces come out here and go on the dole. However the goodwill of Vancouverites to put up with street homelessness has run out and I would prefer the approach of building housing than the status quo.

I completely agree with you.

SpongeG · #**1391** Posted **Oct 15, 2009, 9:22 AM**

does anyone know where this is suppossed to go?

http://www.newcitymarket.ca/

looks cool

Locked In · #**1392** Posted **Oct 15, 2009, 2:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

does anyone know where this is suppossed to go?

http://www.newcitymarket.ca/

looks cool

From the 'Building NCM' page:

Quote:

Building NCM

New City Market’s business plan will be complete by December 2009, and a building site will be identified in 2010. The anticipated building cost is $15 million. Our goal is to open our doors by 2014. Our Capital Campaign seeks:

A building & site ideally near Main St. & Terminal Ave. in Vancouver

...

s211 · #**1393** Posted **Oct 15, 2009, 4:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

does anyone know where this is suppossed to go?

http://www.newcitymarket.ca/

looks cool

Meh... another Granville Island Market wannabe. North America's littered with failures such as these.

djmk · #**1394** Posted **Oct 15, 2009, 4:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by s211

Meh... another Granville Island Market wannabe. North America's littered with failures such as these.

Vancouver is not your average North American City. A permanent farmers market at Main and Terminal would do quite well I think. Granville Island is 3.6 km away with serious parking and transit issues. This area would cater to Gastown, Strathcona, Commercial Drive, and up Main street.

there are plenty of hippies in these neighbourhoods that would eat this up.

flight_from_kamakura · #**1395** Posted **Oct 15, 2009, 5:59 PM**

granville island's market is brilliant. there's no way whatever that it can be considered a failure. a market at main and terminal would be great too, esp considering everything set to go up in the vicinity. you have to wonder though whether the chinatown people won't complain and try to jam up the works like they did with the woodwards market (won a partial victory there too, getting the city to move from a fresh produce/various markets idea to a nestor's).

SpongeG · #**1396** Posted **Oct 15, 2009, 7:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locked In

From the 'Building NCM' page:

thanks

so it would be at the site of where it used to be historically basically - it seems like it would replace some of the scattered farmers markets - is that the idea

urbandreamer · #**1397** Posted **Oct 21, 2009, 4:36 AM**

Don't all the Main/Drive hippies go to the organic farmer's market at Trout Lake?

EdinVan · #**1398** Posted **Oct 21, 2009, 5:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hed Kandi

You have GOT to be kidding me. What is the total cost of all this?

The socialist mentality in this province make me ill - to think that the homeless are living in newer residences and are more centrally located than 90% people in Vancouver is absolutely absurd.

Would it not be more logical to house the mentally ill/homeless/HIV patients in the suburbs, instead of on prime downtown real estate?

What kind of people do you think should be permitted to live downtown?

WarrenC12 · #**1399** Posted **Oct 21, 2009, 2:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdinVan

What kind of people do you think should be permitted to live downtown?

Anybody relying on taxpayer resources (homeless, mentally ill, etc) should be located wherever the taxpayers decide they want to pay for it. We live in a democracy.

If I were to require an expensive medical operation, and the health system told me I needed to go to Kelowna to get it (for free of course), I would.

osirisboy · #**1400** Posted **Oct 21, 2009, 3:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdinVan

What kind of people do you think should be permitted to live downtown?

people who can afford it who else?