Olympic Village & Southeast False Creek Updates Discussion

[wrenegade]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Totally agree! I was walking by yesterday and the paint color is even worse looking in person. Otherwise it's the best looking building in the area

I have to disagree with you on that one, I actually quite like the colour. I do agree it's easily the best looking building in the area (outside of the olympic village itself).

[twoNeurons]

Interesting ideas here about a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle crossing across False Creek:
http://blogs.eciad.ca/elverum/2010/03/05/design-for-bikes-bridging-false-creek/

[sacrifice333]

OV Retail Update:

- Subway - interior work ongoing. Plumbing and framing complete, next up drywall.

- Urban Fare Express - looks nearly complete. Signs on W1st for jobs! Rumour has it that June 9th could be a target. As long as they're open by June 20th they will have opened during "Spring 2012"

- London Drugs - no updates

- Vancouver Salt Co. - no updates

- Tap & Barrel (formerly Your Village Kitchen) - recent article suggests mid-June opening. Pics on Facebook & Instagram.

[Hed Kandi]

It would have been nice if S.E. False Creek featured a larger retailed component.

I culled these renderings from the Estonian forum @ SSC as an example. This is a project currently under construction in Tallinn.

[dreambrother808]

Retail can't be supported everywhere.

[s211]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

Retail can't be supported everywhere.

You've got it. Even the retail space along Marinaside here has never been fully leased to retail uses.

[officedweller]

Retail in Vancouver (other than malls) tends to be focussed on linear "shopping streets" (Robson, Granville, West 4th, Cambie, 41st - anything off the linear path doesn't do as well. Granville Island is probably the only exception and it's really mixed use.

Other cities (like Seattle or European cities) don't adhere to this linear model.

[Jebby]

I would love to see something like that for NEFC. Not going to happen, but one can dream. I'd love something in Vancouver similar to St. Katherine's docks in London.

[giallo]

Originally Posted by Hed Kandi

It would have been nice if S.E. False Creek featured a larger retailed component.

I culled these renderings from the Estonian forum @ SSC as an example. This is a project currently under construction in Tallinn.

I really like this.

[dleung]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Retail in Vancouver (other than malls) tends to be focussed on linear "shopping streets" (Robson, Granville, West 4th, Cambie, 41st - anything off the linear path doesn't do as well. Granville Island is probably the only exception and it's really mixed use.

Other cities (like Seattle or European cities) don't adhere to this linear model.

Part of it is owing to the local addiction to building strictly residential. When they include retail, they do it grudgingly and provide the bare minimum, scattered and with low ceiling heights, which doesn't add up to nearly the density/critical mass of retail needed to attract anything.

[phesto]

Originally Posted by dleung

Part of it is owing to the local addiction to building strictly residential. When they include retail, they do it grudgingly and provide the bare minimum, scattered and with low ceiling heights, which doesn't add up to nearly the density/critical mass of retail needed to attract anything.

You can fault the developers all you want, but quite simply if the value of ground floor retail met or surpassed the value of residential upon completion of the project developers would be all over building retail as it often supports values for the residential. The fact is that retail rates (or strata sales as the case may be) for retail in most areas, including SEFC, do not make it profitable to build.

For reference, Intracorp's Silver project in Metrotown pre-sold all of it's strata retail at $700 psf in less than a week. If other areas like OV could do this, you'd see much larger and more creative retail spaces.

The reality for OV is that it is going to be locally oriented. The national brands and more specialized shops will stick to higher pedestrian traffic areas like West 4th and Broadway. In the absence of these types of tenants, lease rates for CRU spaces will remain low for the SEFC area. In turn, developers will avoid building it short of being required by the City on a project by project basis.

[ablefire]

Pinnacle disappointed when they did not include any retail in their building on 2nd and Crowe.

[wrenegade]

Originally Posted by ablefire

Pinnacle disappointed

This is a very common phrase. Can be used most almost everything they do.

[SpongeG]

do we really want more dollar stores and nail salons though?

urban fare opens in about two weeks - june 8th or so

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

This is a very common phrase. Can be used most almost everything they do.

I definitely laughed out loud when I read this. Seriously... who buys their product?!!! And that's without addressing their horrible naming practices and/or marketing fails.

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

do we really want more dollar stores and nail salons though?

urban fare opens in about two weeks - june 8th or so

I've heard a rumour of June 9th, though publically they seem to be communicating "end of June". Since they updated their signage to say "Spring 2012" I give them until June 19th!

[hollywoodnorth]

the URBAN FARE now has all the dry goods stocked. they are deff on track for the June 8th opening. I had a nice peek in the store today.

the café and hot meal area will be awesome to say the least.


as for the LONDON DRUGS. in what can only be considered an act of god .... there is actual progress ..... SHOCKING I know. framing is happening in the store plus more flooring work maybe running of wired for the tills up front .... the front doors are being worked on they have changed up the doors from what was originally there (all but one).

my pics below

[sacrifice333]

Source.

[Jimbo604]

The Residences at West is having their "Selection Event June 9th. By appointment only - call today. Public Grand Opening June 10th."
Source - LiveAtWest website

1751 Manitoba Street - DE415422 (also known as 105-167 West 2nd Ave) On 2nd Ave between Columbia St and Manitoba St.

Development Application: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/1751manitoba/index.htm
UDP: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/udp/2012/Minutes/Feb22.html#1

[SFUVancouver]

Not the greatest weather today, plus I had my camera on the wrong setting, so the photos aren't the best quality. Anyway, enjoy.

SEFC as seen from Second Avenue and Cambie

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

Maynards Block as seen from Second Avenue and Cambie

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

SEFC as seen from First Avenue and the Cambie Street Bridge

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

Lots of construction in SEFC. Wall Centre False Creek, Pinnacle Living False Creek, and the supportive housing building are all going up while the finishing touches are being put on James

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

Maynards Block courtyard

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

Maynards Block's commercial retail units facing Cambie. The nice wide sidewalk is taking shape

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

Maynards Block's commercial retail units facing Second Avenue

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

Second Avenue streetscape

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

Pinnacle Living False Creek (the first one) is already experiencing some discolouration and weathering. Oh painted concrete...

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

The supportive housing building is coming along. Wall Centre False Creek is going up in the background

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

The western pair of towers of Wall Centre False Creek as seen from Second Avenue. I quite like the purple spandrel panels. We haven't seen those before

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

Pinnacle Living False Creek (the second one) is going up

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.


Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.


Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.

Wall Centre False Creek as seen from the east side of the site

Taken by SFUVancouver, June 5th, 2012.