Downtown Vancouver Updates

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

The NE corner of Beach and Howe from Howe to the viaduct and from Beach to Pacific is essentially a triangle if you remove the lane. That is what I was referring to.

Any chance the design will lead to the comment (from UDP or DPB) - "it's too close to the bridge"?

+++++++++++

Hilton site this morning - pic by a co-worker from TV Towers.
May be time for someone to start a new thread.


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Yeah, I just pointed out the the two sites you mention, including the area on the northeast corner of Beach Avenue and Howe Street, which is essentially rectangular.

Correct. It's a rectangular lot from ground level view, but not from the bridge deck view.
Subtracting the eastern wedge of the block to be designated as the 'under the bridge' area leaves you with a triangular wedge of land (west of Granville and west of the Howe viaduct and west of the 'under the bridge' area) suitable for a 425' building.

[officedweller]

I think this is across the street from the other project at 601-627 Main.
Solterra developed Dolce and Vita (Symphony Place).

Solterra Acquires Site at Main & Keefer
Posted on October 25, 2011 by MVCRE



Solterra Development has purchased a redevelopment property at 539 Main Street, at the Northwest corner of Main and Keefer Streets in the Chinatown area of Vancouver. Steve Fame of Colliers International brokered the deal.

The purchase price was $6,500,000, representing a price per square foot of site area of $661. The zoning for the property is HA-1A.

http://www.simonlim.ca/2011/10/solterra-acquires-site-at-main-keefer/

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

The NE corner of Beach and Howe from Howe to the viaduct and from Beach to Pacific is essentially a triangle if you remove the lane. That is what I was referring to.

The the space east of the lane is reserved for the Under The Granville Bridge plan, which calls for a 4-storey building in that spot. Therefore, we are left with an essentially rectangular plot of land where a taller tower can be built under the city's revised General Policy on Higher Buildings.

But I understand what you mean. Thank you for sharing your information about the project. I look forward to hearing more about it in the future.

Originally Posted by jsbertram

It's a rectangular lot from ground level view, but not from the bridge deck view. Subtracting the eastern wedge of the block to be designated as the 'under the bridge' area leaves you with a triangular wedge of land (west of Granville and west of the Howe viaduct and west of the 'under the bridge' area) suitable for a 425' building.

The very opposite is true. Subtracting the 'under the bridge' area leaves you with an essentially rectangular piece of land.

But I think we are belabouring the point now.

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I think this is across the street from the other project at 601-627 Main.
Solterra developed Dolce and Vita (Symphony Place).



http://www.simonlim.ca/2011/10/solterra-acquires-site-at-main-keefer/

and the Chinatown wave continues!

[SpongeG]

front cover story from the georgia straight about how granville street is changing as an influx of residents is coming with all the projects in the adjacent areas

Granville Street’s new beat

Last month, Vancouver city council approved the Telus Garden mixed-used development, which will include a 45-storey residential tower in the block bounded by Seymour, West Georgia, Richards, and Robson streets. This will add more people to the neighbourhood. At the southern end of the strip, next door to the Yale, Rize Alliance is building a 166-unit, 23-storey tower. Across the street and behind the Best Western Hotel, Cressey Development is proceeding with a 193-unit, 32-storey development called Maddox.

That’s just the beginning. The city also plans to remove the “Granville loops”—two on-ramps connecting Pacific Street to the bridge—which will free up land for a new streetscape and new high-rises. That’s in addition to the Mark, Onni Group’s 47-storey residential tower being built behind the Yale on Seymour Street.

The executive director of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, Charles Gauthier, tells the Straight by phone that buskers on the street, including rapper Marc Stokes, have injected an urban flavour. He adds that the VIVA Vancouver program, which transformed part of the road space into a pedestrian zone this summer, also lured more people to the area. “We get a lot of inquiries from people who want to do festivals and events on Granville Street,” Gauthier says.

He sees potential for conflict in the future between new residents and what he calls the "night-life economy." However, Gauthier adds that the clubs at the southern end of the strip where much of the development will occur, such as Ginger 62 and the Morrissey, have a different energy than those north of Nelson Street.

“The corner of Robson and Granville will become increasingly powerful,” the consultant says. Then he tosses in a prediction that the Sears store will vacate this location within five years because its sales-per-square-foot ratio isn’t high enough to justify remaining in such a prime spot.

http://www.straight.com/article-523271/vancouver/granvilles-new-beat

[Denscity]

I love these kind of articles. We all know about all these projects, but it easily paints what will become.

[entheosfog]

Pantages demo, crawling along...

[officedweller]

Excavation continues at the Hilton site:

Pic by coworker today:


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[officedweller]

Also - just noticed that the neon VOGUE sign (lettering) on Granville is now red instead of white - not sure when it was changed.

[trofirhen]

That picture of the Hilton Site? Where exactly is that located, please?

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

I mentioned this in the View Cone review thread, but I'll expand a bit on it here too. The Under Granville Bridge area (City PDF here) looks like it will have some action sooner rather than later. I saw plans (almost application-ready plans by the look of it) for re-development of the commercially planned areas in the plans (under the viaducts) and the westerly triangle site that was approved for up to 425' after the view cone review. The tower looks spectacular. Unlike anything Vancouver has ever seen (of course it would have to be approved), even moreso than Jameson House, the Crystal Tower (587 howe) or Vancouver's turn. Really cool stuff. Can't really say much more than that but I don't think it wil be too long until we see a formal application.

Interesting (despite the sideways pictures) and a creative use of other barren, concrete urban space. Very good in iteslf, but I dont recall seeing the tower you spoke highly of.

.....(I'll look again; maybe it was those sideways pictures)!

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Also - just noticed that the neon VOGUE sign (lettering) on Granville is now red instead of white - not sure when it was changed.

They also added lighting around the edge of the awning and flood lighting up the facade and fixed the yellow neon tubing along the edge of the vertical sign and winged figure on top.

I believe the The Speakeasy also has a new neon sign.

[officedweller]

Cambie & Robson

*****

The Vogue sign looks much better - the lettering stands out better than it did before.

[Prometheus]

Absolutely.

Here is what it looks like now (minus the yellow neon tubing along the edge of the vertical sign and around the winged figure):


Photo by Clayton Perry Photoworks on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/claytonperry/6203014374/in/photostream/

[officedweller]

They should replace the edge of the canopy with backlit glass like the Hotel Georgia (but with an art deco design)

[Prometheus]

And the old marquee should be replaced with LED screens. It would look much better and they won't have to keep sending someone up there with a bucket of letters.

[officedweller]

That's a great idea!
It would really help promote the shows - they could even do a live simulcast to the street (when the street is closed on weekends).

[Metro-One]

Fantastic Idea! Granville is where our LED screens should be.

Also love the new lighting, looks great!

[natelox]

Jean Gang was interviewed in this month's Architectural Record and was quoted that her firm is working on the concept design stage for a residential project in Vancouver. Checking their website...

http://www.studiogang.net/work/2009/vancouverpair