Downtown Vancouver Updates

[leftside]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Another Henriquez partners proposal courtesy of Westbank. A definite improvement over the current parking lot that's there. Also no rezoning required as it's within current zoning guidelines with conditional approval. Hopefully we'll see the completion of Paris Block Annex shortly as well.

Notification Letter
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/66wcordova/notiltr.pdf

Was wondering what was happening with that site. Hopefully we'll also see the Greenwich project along Hastings start soon. There has been a lot of social housing developed in the area lately, so it will be nice to see a mix of market housing as well.

[trofirhen]

Although published before, it's nice to see these renderings of buildings, some now well underway, some still to come. I like most of them, but none more, at present anyway, than the Georgia. I think it's going to change the whole "chemistry" of downtown.

[flight_from_kamakura]

beautiful pics sfu, thanks for those.

[jozero]

If any photo bugs want to take some interesting mash up shots they've set up a movie quality New York subway entrance and old dirty looking magazine stand on Granville right by the Orpheum. This is July 12th in around 10am.

[SpongeG]

they are filming FRINGE on robson - i wonder if it is for that - they have the filming notice on the new A&W window

[nova9]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

they are filming FRINGE on robson - i wonder if it is for that - they have the filming notice on the new A&W window

it looks exactly like what they did when they filmed the season 2 finale.

[eduardo88]

Originally Posted by jozero

If any photo bugs want to take some interesting mash up shots they've set up a movie quality New York subway entrance and old dirty looking magazine stand on Granville right by the Orpheum. This is July 12th in around 10am.

Pic by a friend of mine, hosted on Facebook



It would be pretty cool to have something like that as an art piece...although i'm sure a bunch of people would be completely confused by it...

[simonfiction]

Not sure if I'm posting this in the right place, but can anyone tell me what these platforms are going to be for outside the Vancouver Convention Centre West?

[nova9]

I believe the beginnings of the new float plane terminal.

[SpongeG]

yah its gonna be gross like that for a long time too apparently they want to keep the current float plane place for another 3 years or something

[simonfiction]

Thanks for the info. 3 years though? Any idea why? And anyone know how it's going to look once completed?

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by simonfiction

Thanks for the info. 3 years though? Any idea why? And anyone know how it's going to look once completed?

theres a thread devoted to the convention centre - it has all the info - i think they are applying to the city and were granted a 3 year lease at the current location? something like that so they are in no rush to get this project built

[jlousa]

Some more info for those interested in the 60 W Cordova project

DE 414003

An application has been received to develop a 10-storey mixed-use building. The development site in Gastown is currently being used as a parking lot. The proposal includes a mix of affordable ownership housing including family housing and participatory owner-occupied units. In addition to 108 dwelling units there will be a retail component, an amenity area and landscaped yard.

The developer – Westbank and Vancity with Habitat for Humanity and PHS Community Services have put together a plan to achieve a new model of affordability in both, Non-Market (12 units) and Market Housing segments. Twelve non-market units will be offered at cost (no mark-up, no fees, no marketing and no profit) and will be affordable to those with annual income of not less than $26,000. Seventy percent of all units will cost less than $300,000 and more than 50% of all units will be affordable to those making $29,000 to $36,000 a year.

The proposed building form is a single central mass, with the building height of 100ft and no set backs. “The goal of the design is to contribute in a meaningful way to the conservation of the heritage character and fabric of Gastown.” The intent was to develop a modern architectural vocabulary which is sympathetic to the heritage context of Gastown, rather than to replicate any of the existing historical styles of Gastown. The proposal includes the car-free housing concept with only 19 parking stalls accessed from the rear lane. The rationale for this approach is that targeted housing groups would not need a car for everyday activates and that the priority would be more affordable housing, without parking associated cost. The project design incorporates a number of sustainable design initiatives with the goal of meeting the requirements of a LEED Silver certification. An integral part of the building façade is a public art component – painted glass spandrel panels which will glow in the evening. The energy used by LED lighting will be generated by solar collectors on the roof of the building.

The Commission is asked to review and comment the proposal and in particular to address the following:

Issues

(i) the proposed height of 100ft (the maximum height permitted is 75ft, which may be relaxed by the Development Permit Board /Director of Planning);
(ii) the scale and proportion of the streetscape façade and its compatibility with the heritage character of Gastown;
(iii) materials and detailing of the streetscape façade and its compatibility with historic materials used in Gastown; and
(iv) parking relaxation to meet affordable ownership objectives (73 required, 19 provided)

[SFUVancouver]

Cosmo (note the CPR train tunnel in the far left corner of the site)

Taken by SFUVancouver, July 14th, 2010.

The CPR tunnel

Taken by SFUVancouver, July 14th, 2010.

[SpongeG]

they are just going to fill it with dirt?

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

yah its gonna be gross like that for a long time too apparently they want to keep the current float plane place for another 3 years or something

wow what a joke. typical Vancouver...3 years? the WHOLE — Convention center was built in that amount of time! LOL

[hollywoodnorth]

the 60 W Cordova project sounds like a real winner. we will probably see a lot of similar projects in the area I think.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

they are just going to fill it with dirt?

The remains of the CPR tunnel run from this point, and continue to curve north & west under the former Greyhound site ( more recently the Olympic Live City site and possibly the future Art Gallery site) to (roughly) Cambie & Dunsmuir.

As long as the tunnel space is an empty cavity, it needs some sort of access for inspection that it is structurally sound.

With the tunnel under the new Cosmo site getting removed (up to the north shotcrete wall), I would expect this side of the tunnel to be bricked up & sealed off if it can still be accessed from the SkyTrain Dunsmuir tunnel for inspection purposes. Otherwise I wonder if it will be mostly bricked up but Cosmo will require an access door from one of their parking levels into the tunnel for inspection access?

When the the future Art Gallery site gets built, I can see the tunnel under that block being removed also, leaving just a remaining piece of tunnel under Beatty near the Armoury, and a small piece under Cambie & Dunsmuir that still is attached to the Skytrain tunnel. With such a small section under Beatty remaining that would have no easy access for inspection, I can see it being filled & packed with sand so it can maintain its structural integrity without the need for annual inspections.


And then we can start telling stories about the Ghost Tunnel to Nowhere ...

[dleung]

Originally Posted by eduardo88

Pic by a friend of mine, hosted on Facebook



It would be pretty cool to have something like that as an art piece...although i'm sure a bunch of people would be completely confused by it...

For me, what gave away the new york subway entrance as a prop was the infinity g35 on the street behind it, lol.

[SpongeG]

some pics by me of that pacific centre reno - its all open now on the one side - is the store going in there going to have its own Georgia Street Entrance? is it the location for Michael kors? its like one of the only spaces available i think