The Ridge | 2118 West 15th Avenue | 5fl | 17.06M | Completed

[wrenegade]

Cressey has applied for a 52 unit, 5 floor (56') project, redeveloping the current Ridge Theatre and Ridge Bowling site. The project will include a ~20,000 sq. ft. Grocery store on Arbutus and 2 townhouses on 15th. The grocery store and the residential will incorporate a heat exchange system.

More details will follow (maybe Jlousa can help).

Some photos from UDP:


Untitled by Alex.Wren.Photo, on Flickr


Untitled by Alex.Wren.Photo, on Flickr


Untitled by Alex.Wren.Photo, on Flickr


Untitled by Alex.Wren.Photo, on Flickr


Untitled by Alex.Wren.Photo, on Flickr


Untitled by Alex.Wren.Photo, on Flickr


Untitled by Alex.Wren.Photo, on Flickr

Personally I think the proposal looks great. The front and back units on the 5th floor look fantastic and the design is something different from typical C-2 project. This is what 3333 Main could have or should have been.

More comments will follow when UDP finishes their comments.

[dleung]

oh look, it's one building pretending to be 4 different ones...

i'll admit this one's better than most.

[wrenegade]

Originally Posted by dleung

oh look, it's one building pretending to be 4 different ones...

UDP is tearing the project apart on that.

They feel the project needs a lot of work on many fronts. The "park" (landscaped median), the commercial entry, the lane treatment, the residential entry, the parking.

UDP rejected the project 1-9. Shocking really how they can tear apart a C-2 project like this, and the mediocrity that is 8150 Cambie sails through (even if it was their 2nd time).

[Spoolmak]

Why is this 5 floor building more important than the other hundred currently u/c

[Cypherus]

dleung and the UDP is correct. The low-rise has an identity crisis. I am trying to figure out what the hell I am looking at.

[wrenegade]

Originally Posted by Cypherus

dleung and the UDP is correct. The low-rise has an identity crisis. I am trying to figure out what the hell I am looking at.

It has its issues for sure, and being turned away will make the building more cohesive next time around for sure. I believe it is much more interesting than what is commonly seen, whether it be a C-2 site or typical point tower massing found downtown or metro town or something. Personally I would throw many designs out completely instead of trying to fix them. On the larger projects I think a lot of mediocrity slips through because UDP is trying to make the ground plain work better or the parking or the landscape or any number of small things while the project from a macro scale either doesn't work, or is so similar to so many other buildings out there in this city.

[jlousa]

I hadn't posted the details as it was somewhat expected it was going to be turned down. I certainly feel it has issues but it's not nearly as bad as a lot of c2 developments in this city. Believe the developer was right in not seeking a rezoning on this project, the public opposition would've been fierce, not that probably would've matter.
Anyways here were the details.

Notification Letter
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...icationltr.PDF

Context and Stats
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...textstatss.pdf

Site Plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...5th/sitepl.pdf

North and West Elevations
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...15th/nwele.pdf

South and East Elevations
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...5th/seelev.pdf

Landscape Plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...scapeplans.pdf

[dleung]

Why did they spend the 30-40k to build this model when the design is so unresolved?

[agrant]

That RIDGE sign will just make me depressed every time I see it.

[Hed Kandi]

Originally Posted by agrant

That RIDGE sign will just make me depressed every time I see it.

A close second NYC's 'Essex House' sign.

[easy as pie]

putting aside how bizarre and unfortunate the design is, wtf is with the sidewalks on the arbutus frontage? that's like a meter wide - isn't there some sort of law or something preventing such perversions? it's just embarrassing, like someone should be fired over that.

[bc2mb]

The 'Ridge' sign is awful... I know it's a nod to the former theatre/bowling lanes but it just looks terrible on this building.

[dleung]

^^They're trying to pull a "Woodwards", thinking that the nostalgia of keeping a stupid sign will distract laymen from seeing the project for what it is.

[officedweller]

The model pics look good - I actually like the identity crisis.
The Arbutus side looks vaguely modernist commercial like many facades on that street and the west side looks very residential.

[Jebby]

I really like this building. Much better than the typical low rise crap being built.

[SFUVancouver]

I like the proposed building; it's a big diversion from the typical C2 buildings we see go up.

With that said, it's a real shame that neither the theatre or bowling alley could be retained or rebuilt. Those are significant commercial amenities and their loss massively outweighs the gained public amenity of a narrow wedge of 'park' that is barely accessible and will see virtually no use other than as a sidewalk. I don't have a lot of confidence that an 11th hour change will be made to the project to retain or rebuild the bowling alley or theatre, but their loss should be noted as a significant strike against this project, the neighbourhood, and the city.

I do like the Ridge sign, though.

[wrenegade]

I think a bowling alley would probably be easier to work into the project than a movie theatre (especially a small-screen type), but the amount of density that would have to be granted to the project would probably be far too much for neighbourhood to accept. It would be nice if the city were able to accomodate that type of out of the box thinking though, although I don't really see the benefit for the developer. This is a C-2 project, jumping through all the hoops of a rezoning (public open houses, public hearings, CACs, LEED Gold, etc) is probably not worth it. Especially since the neighbourhood doesn't really seem accepting of 5 storeys right now.

[djh]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

I think a bowling alley would probably be easier to work into the project than a movie theatre (especially a small-screen type), but the amount of density that would have to be granted to the project would probably be far too much for neighbourhood to accept. It would be nice if the city were able to accomodate that type of out of the box thinking though, although I don't really see the benefit for the developer. This is a C-2 project, jumping through all the hoops of a rezoning (public open houses, public hearings, CACs, LEED Gold, etc) is probably not worth it. Especially since the neighbourhood doesn't really seem accepting of 5 storeys right now.

It's been done before - think 5th Avenue Cinemas on Burrard & 5th. Great success. I wish the city would allow more projects like that.
In fact, my dream would be for every neighbourhood single-screen cinema to be redeveloped into projects similar to 5th Avenue.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

I like the proposed building; it's a big diversion from the typical C2 buildings we see go up.

With that said, it's a real shame that neither the theatre or bowling alley could be retained or rebuilt. Those are significant commercial amenities and their loss massively outweighs the gained public amenity of a narrow wedge of 'park' that is barely accessible and will see virtually no use other than as a sidewalk. I don't have a lot of confidence that an 11th hour change will be made to the project to retain or rebuild the bowling alley or theatre, but their loss should be noted as a significant strike against this project, the neighbourhood, and the city.

I do like the Ridge sign, though.

Vancouver loses a little bit of its soul each time something like this goes ahead. Though I recall reading somewhere that the Hollywood might be saved?

[Coldrsx]

Sad indeed. Both are/were great destinations and gave people reason enough to hang out in their own hood. I used to bike there from my condo at UBC to meet friends from the westside.