Downtown Vancouver Updates

[djh]

Originally Posted by duener

I like the stone in this park, it gives it an urban/piazza type feel. What seems to be the problem is the way the adjacent retail (Starbucks) area doesn't flow into the park correctly. The Starbucks patio is clearly delineated with the patio raised about the rest of the ground space.

The Starbucks patio should be much larger and "spill" across into the rest of the pubic space. That would provide more animation to the park.

The measure of any urban space - and the thing that gives it any real aesthetic beauty - is the human animation. If a place looks great on an architect's pad but nobody ever goes there, it's both ugly and a failure - each one reinforcing the other and attracting more of the same.

I'd rather have a boring patch of grass that the community fills with activities than an over-engineered and over-city-planned "designated fun zone" that nobody goes to.

[Darren Tate]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Thanks Vision!

On that note, was downtown last night, and it sure is embarrassing to see garbage all over Granville and Robson at 5pm on a Thursday night.

But I guess it is not really the average persons fault, seeing how every garbage can i saw was overflowing with garbage. Maybe some evening garbage pickup is in order, and some permanent street cleaners.

But never mind, since when is proper garbage disposal have anything to do with a green agenda! I guess some of the food wrappers all over the ground were coloured green.

Yeah that's one of my pet peeves about downtown, the endlessly overflowing garbage cans with those laughable little compartments for recyclables. My other pet peeve is the squashed gum all over the sidewalks. So gross.

[SpongeG]

royal bank is, i assume, moving from homer and nelson to hornby and nelson in nelson square since its old location will be getting the old demo and redevelopment

[Built Form]

^I think you meant to say Howe and Nelson.
I just posted some pics in the thread 960/982 Howe St.

[entheosfog]

The Bay awning upgrades:

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Built Form

^I think you meant to say Howe and Nelson.
I just posted some pics in the thread 960/982 Howe St.

er yes - just a block away from its old location to the south west

[hollywoodnorth]

if combined with the office building to the west this could be an iconic redevelopment on a triangular lot at a great corner downtown. I hope what ever happens the office sf.ft is retained in the new project.

1445 West Georgia Street Listed For Sale

The property is 10,800 sq ft in size and is situated mid-block on West Georgia Street between Nicola and Broughton Streets. This represents an excellent redevelopment opportunity with potential to develop with residential to a density of 6.0 FSR (or higher with rezoning).

http://www.vancouvermarket.ca/2012/06/04/1445-west-georgia-street-listed-for-sale/

[Built Form]

Robson and Granville.




pix by Built Form

[radacal]

The Architects for 1133 Melville will be SOM in joint venture with Kasian.

[easy as pie]

Originally Posted by radacal

The Architects for 1133 Melville will be SOM in joint venture with Kasian.

wow, that's legit.

[phesto]

Wow, great news. I'm surprised they've even selected an architect already, but good choice!

Here was the previous concept that was floated around:

[Hed Kandi]

Originally Posted by easy as pie

wow, that's legit.

[VancouverPM]

Originally Posted by Delirium

Looks like Artemisia is back (helmcken/hornby). i walked by the site yesterday and crews were preparing to resume excavation.

from www.6717000.com

Its my understanding that...members of the Boffo family bought this development and site. I understand they may be altering things a bit prior to proceeding with the development

[wrenegade]

I had a conversation with James Schouw about this site (and the Thalia site), and it was my impression that Boffo and James Schouw are doing a JV for each. At the time (April-ish? I think) it was still his intention that both projects would proceed relatively the same as they were originally proposed.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

if combined with the office building to the west this could be an iconic redevelopment on a triangular lot at a great corner downtown. I hope what ever happens the office sf.ft is retained in the new project.

1445 West Georgia Street Listed For Sale

http://www.vancouvermarket.ca/2012/06/04/1445-west-georgia-street-listed-for-sale/

I like the current small office building on the triagular site - I don't think a predominantly glass tower would have as much "presence" on the corner - but it's likely to be replaced with higher density - unless there's a transfer from the corner to the midblock site and a tall tower can rise behind it.

The problem with the corner site is that it is so busy with Georgia and Pender that it's unlikely to be high-end residential (despite views straight down Georgia to the Lost Lagoon fountain, which, incidentally, would probably be bad feng shui since it's, in effect, at the end of a street) - so it's unlikely to have a high level of exterior finish.

******

Thanks for the info on 1133 Melville guys.
I had heard there was movement on that project.
The (old) render looks interesting.
Not very sculpted but few office towers are.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by radacal

The Architects for 1133 Melville will be SOM in joint venture with Kasian.

Great news if true. I'm surprised we havent heard anything new on this one, not in terms of moving towards construction but just rezoning to be ready for a possible tenant.

With MNP on the go now hopefully we see this one enter the approvals process.

[dleung]

Neat, a fake Hearst Tower. Well, it could be worse, considering stuff like the seymour/cordova proposal. Or it could have been residential...

Originally Posted by phesto

Wow, great news. I'm surprised they've even selected an architect already, but good choice!

Here was the previous concept that was floated around:

[yogiderek]

1401 Comox has been approved by council. Three dissenters, Affleck, Bell and Carr. The council chamber on June 27th had several members of WEN present who were extremely upset and have battled this project since it inception. As is quite evident on their website, WEN is totally against any added density or towers in the West End. They continue to battle every project and have called 1401 comox ground zero. Anyhow, another 22 storey building will be added to the west end.

[Darren Tate]

Originally Posted by Delirium

Looks like Artemisia is back (helmcken/hornby). i walked by the site yesterday and crews were preparing to resume excavation.

from www.6717000.com

Ew. The glorified funeral chapel is back.

[easy as pie]

i'd say it tends vastly more toward ignominy than glory... belongs in a particularly garish shenzen suburb or as the centerpiece building on an arizona scientology retreat.