General Vancouver Updates - Page 150

EastVanMark · #**2981** Posted **Jan 15, 2012, 5:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by osirisboy

well thats not necessarily true at all. back in the day I would always use the tims drive thru by my house before i headed downtown, lots of people would therby serving the local community. and they dont need to include cuts through sidewalks. they could be creative and have the cars enter and exit via the laneway.

The Terminal St. Tim Horton's could be a perfect example of what you are talking about. There is ample room for a laneway access, but the city's bizarre stance on drive thrus force customers into a difficult, cramped, parking lot. (among other things there is no room for incoming cars to access the parking lot if someone near the entrance is attempting to leave. That is why you see some regular customers backing in to their parking spots which makes leaving that much easier). This says nothing of the fact that having a drive thru has been known to account for as much as a 70% increase in business when compared to those without. But then again, since when does the city worry about businesses anyways. (unless they're condo developments)

Jebby · #**2982** Posted **Jan 15, 2012, 5:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlousa

Drive thrus do not serve the local community and only serve those passing thru the community, at least that's the theory. They also need to include driveways/sidewalk cuts and empty voids between buildings that lower the pedestrian experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

it also ties into the anti car idling bylaw - when you are stopped waiting you are supposed to turn your engine off, there is supposed to be less pollution

Those have got to be some of the most idiotic reasons for bylaws I've ever heard.

jlousa · #**2983** Posted **Jan 16, 2012, 6:06 AM**

More change for the east side coming.

Quote:

Ted Harris Paints has been a neighbourhood institution for the last 91 years, and it’s about to become a neighbourhood game-changer.

The downtrodden strip of Hastings east of Main Street is undergoing transformation. At the heart of the area, which is on the fringe of Strathcona, is the paint store, which has been closed since owner Bob Harris retired almost a year ago. He sold the building at 757 E. Hastings to Kris Rennie, who works with his father, high-profile marketer and art collector, Bob Rennie. Mr. Rennie and son will oversee its conversion into artist studio rental spaces - if the city gives them the go-ahead.

Mr. Rennie says that he and his son have no intention of developing any kind of residential space at 757 E. Hastings. That will be developer Bruno Wall’s job. Mr. Rennie’s long-time collaborator, Mr. Wall is proposing the area’s first condo development two blocks away at 955 East Hastings - another game-changer.

Source:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home...ings-redevelopment/article2301538/page1/

jlousa · #**2984** Posted **Jan 16, 2012, 6:20 AM**

Looks Commercial Dr might finally make the push north of Venables.

Quote:

Owner Daniel Boffo wants to revitalize the north end of Commercial Drive with a commercial and residential development that would incorporate a larger centre for The Kettle, which helps people with mental illness, alongside supported and market housing.

Boffo was inspired by the location and the challenge of incorporating The Kettle drop-in into the development. He compared it to the redevelopment of Woodward’s in the Downtown Eastside.

“We’re hoping we can do something similar, smaller scale obviously, for this area, and help contribute to the revitalization of The Drive.”

Source:
http://www.vancourier.com/Commercial+Drive+development+plan+includes+drop+centre/5973913/story.html

hollywoodnorth · #**2985** Posted **Jan 16, 2012, 10:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlousa

Looks Commercial Dr might finally make the push north of Venables.

Source:
http://www.vancourier.com/Commercial+Drive+development+plan+includes+drop+centre/5973913/story.html

that is some GREAT news .... awesome he was able to assemble the whole "road island" if you will. location here >> http://g.co/maps/uyj2a

woodwards style .... sounds perfect if you ask me...as its a very key site

osirisboy · #**2986** Posted **Jan 18, 2012, 11:02 PM**

I got an invitation to the Realtors VIP open house thing from Magnum today for their broadway central project. it'll be interesting to see how well these sell.

The open house is on the 26th and will be releasing prices etc then..

squeezied · #**2987** Posted **Jan 19, 2012, 12:58 AM**

which project is that?

osirisboy · #**2988** Posted **Jan 19, 2012, 1:29 AM**

strata office on broadway at cambie

officedweller · #**2989** Posted **Jan 19, 2012, 2:27 AM**

Thanks - I was wondering - it used to be called the "Neelu Bachra Centre" according to the Studio One website:

http://www.studioonearchitecture.ca/

http://www.altusinsite.com/files/filelib/spaces/645908/doc/1.pdf

jsbertram · #**2990** Posted **Jan 19, 2012, 4:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by osirisboy

strata office on broadway at cambie

Isn't that the one across from "Cross Roads" (London Drugs &tc) on Cambie @ Broadway?

osirisboy · #**2991** Posted **Jan 19, 2012, 4:20 AM**

yes. theres a map of the location in the link officedweller posted

officedweller · #**2992** Posted **Jan 19, 2012, 6:08 AM**

At one time it was slated to have a Shoppers Drug Mart in it.

phesto · #**2993** Posted **Jan 19, 2012, 3:55 PM**

PCI (Marine Gateway, Crossroads, etc) has purchased the Canadian Tire site on East Hastings. Hopefully we'll see something interesting proposed there!

jlousa · #**2994** Posted **Jan 19, 2012, 5:00 PM**

Any word on the Summit Mazda site just East of the CT? I noticed it's been on the market for at least a couple of years now.

jlousa · #**2995** Posted **Jan 20, 2012, 6:00 AM**

Guess I'll answer my own question.

Quote:

Peter and Shahram Malek, through new companies incorporated last fall, have bought a major piece of property on East Hastings for $4.9-million, an area that is mostly zoned industrial, but has seen some gentrification lately.

The property, a former Morrey Mazda car lot near the recently renovated Waldorf Hotel

Source: Globe and Mail

Interesting to see such a flurry of activity so quickly, if only someone could have predicted the surge eastward.

Here's a clue to what PCI has in store for the CT site.

Quote:

developer PCI Group has bought the old Canadian Tire store on the next block from the Maleks’ site and is planning a commercial development with a small amount of residential.

Now this next one has no specific details so I don't know if they are referring to 955 E Hastings St or if they actually mean the used car lot on the NE corner of Hastings and Clark.

Quote:

Wall Financial, which builds mostly condos, has bought a property on the north side where the zoning allows some residential.

hollywoodnorth · #**2996** Posted **Jan 20, 2012, 9:31 AM**

wow if that is true about Wall taking that NE Corner site on Clark and Hastings that's amazing! thanks for the details and again ... wow!

interesting to see the Malek's get back in the game at a site like this ... seems like a smart move.

with these being prodominently commercial projects ... what form will that take? big box with smaller CRU's? Production - Distro - Retail space? or offices? a mix of them all? I could see a Save-On or something like that doing well there .... or a Best-Buy/Future Shop maybe ....

red-paladin · #**2997** Posted **Jan 20, 2012, 4:28 PM**

Going to be interesting to see how that area looks in a few years.

leftside · #**2998** Posted **Jan 20, 2012, 7:36 PM**

I can feel the squeeze around the DTES, but would like to see a major project right in the heart of the DTES - say Main/Hastings. Another Woodwards where the Carnegie center or police station are.

The government purchasing a lot of the buildings in the DTES and developers not prepared to deal with the protests has really stalled things.

jlousa · #**2999** Posted **Jan 20, 2012, 7:52 PM**

I agree with a current stalling within the dtes, as much as it's improved, the closing of Boneta's original location, the announced closing of NOOD and the still empty Storyuem location and the old crappy Subway. The area needs another wave of life breathed into it. There does appear to be some work taking place on the Cordova side of Storyeum although I've heard no rumours of why or what, and 60 W Cordova will start being occupied in about a month.
I think the lack of Greenwich being built on the 0 blk of W. Hastings could have siginicate negative consequences for quite a while.
I still hopefully though that the Budget site and even the MacDonalds site might see activity within the next several years.

jsbertram · #**3000** Posted **Jan 21, 2012, 1:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlousa

I agree with a current stalling within the dtes, as much as it's improved, the closing of Boneta's original location, the announced closing of NOOD and the still empty Storyuem location and the old crappy Subway. The area needs another wave of life breathed into it. There does appear to be some work taking place on the Cordova side of Storyeum although I've heard no rumours of why or what, and 60 W Cordova will start being occupied in about a month.
I think the lack of Greenwich being built on the 0 blk of W. Hastings could have siginicate negative consequences for quite a while.
I still hopefully though that the Budget site and even the MacDonalds site might see activity within the next several years.

Isn't Vancouver Film School taking part of the Storyeum space?