Downtown Vancouver Updates

[Jimbo604]

Originally Posted by Built Form

I reported on wednesday that the former Artemisia project is back on track. ...

pix by Built Form

Well, let's hope that the re-starting of this project and the moving ahead of the Murray Hotel project will spur the development of the parking lot and 2-storey red building on the sw corner of Hornby and Helmcken. Google Street View link

[dreambrother808]

Nice to see this area moving forward. It's a bit of a dead zone right now.

[red-paladin]

1107 Seymour Street



Here’s a new Downtown South proposal that’s been in the system for a while. Now the details have been published for a proposed rezoning for a 15 storey rental building on the corner of Seymour and Helmcken Street. It’s a proposal for 81 residential units and nearly 20,000 sq ft of office on a small (75′ foot wide) corner site behind the Chateau Granville hotel. What makes this proposal unusual is that it would be a privately developed non-market housing project designed by Endall Elliot for Wall Financial. The scheme is intended to use the Community Amenity Contribution from a tower at 1300 Richards Street to subsidise the development of non-market units

From: http://changingcitybook.com/2012/08/21/1107-seymour-street/ (Posted on August 21, 2012)

[osirisboy]

ugh non-market? looks ok though

[phesto]

The lower part looks interesting; too bad it couldn't have been carried on through the rest of the tower. The upper portion is hideous.

[SpongeG]

can't remember which thread was discussion about robson street but I wonder if something like this would be good for Robson...


thedesignfiles.net

[officedweller]

Thanks for posting 1107 Seymour.
Look like the bottom responds to the height of the heritage co-op building across Seymour St.
At least the spandrel has a regularity to it.

[bulliver]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

ugh non-market? looks ok though

The folks who cook your meals, wait on you, and pour your coffee can't all ride the skytrain in from Surrey you know. Nor should they have to.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by bulliver

The folks who cook your meals, wait on you, and pour your coffee can't all ride the skytrain in from Surrey you know. Nor should they have to.

Everyone should have to live wherever they can afford to live.

Besides, I worked as a cook, waiter and coffee pourer for a number of years and lived no further from downtown than Kits or Mount Pleasant. The people I served paid me for those services, and that's where their obligations to me ended.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by bulliver

The folks who cook your meals, wait on you, and pour your coffee can't all ride the skytrain in from Surrey you know. Nor should they have to.

what on earth are you talking about?? I know people in those jobs and have also been employed in those jobs and we all lived in market housing in vancouver (mostly downtown and kits) so dont tell me those people need subsidize housing.

and why cant they take skytrain to get to their jobs???

[TwoFace]

I would think that over 50% of all market housing units automatically go into the rental pool, so if a developer build specific rental housing for his personal hold, he's just looking at LONG term income.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

can't remember which thread was discussion about robson street but I wonder if something like this would be good for Robson...


thedesignfiles.net

That looks great, too bad that will never happen in Vancouver. Sidewalks are so shit in this city.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Jebby

That looks great, too bad that will never happen in Vancouver. Sidewalks are so shit in this city.

Total agreement about Vancouver sidewalks, especially centre city. Cracked, old, patched here and there with asphalt. ugh! I could never understand why the city didn't install a program of sidewalk renovation on major streets.
It isn't as if we're talking megamillions for this kind of "infrastructure."

Take a look at what they've done on Bloor Street in midtown Toronto. It looks crisp and elegant. Why can't Vancouver get away from looking so "utilitarian" and "lacklustre" at street / sidewalk level?

People have to push for it to happen, though. It won't happen until interest groups, citizens' groups, make a hard case for it.

And anyway, some people "don't want their tax money spent that way." They'll say it takes away from the garbage collection budget or whatever ........

[officedweller]

Parkade -> Greenhouse actually under construction... it was announced last year some time.

http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/394371--downtown-parking-lot-transformed-into-urban-farm

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Take a look at what they've done on Bloor Street in midtown Toronto. It looks crisp and elegant. Why can't Vancouver get away from looking so "utilitarian" and "lacklustre" at street / sidewalk level?

Becasue people for the most part don't care. Sidewalks in every city around the world are shit. Even your beloved Paris has tons of just awful sidewlaks. The bottom line is until it becomes dangerous the average tax payer doesnt care. I know I would rather have my money spent on something far more useful.

Also for as nice as Bloor st is here, its sidewalk was horrible for years, and it is one example of a nice sidewalk in a city that has thousands worse than Vancouver's average.

Is there any mundane issue you wont find to nit pick at?

[Epicurean]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Becasue people for the most part don't care. Sidewalks in every city around the world are shit. Even your beloved Paris has tons of just awful sidewlaks. The bottom line is until it becomes dangerous the average tax payer doesnt care. I know I would rather have my money spent on something far more useful.

Also for as nice as Bloor st is here, its sidewalk was horrible for years, and it is one example of a nice sidewalk in a city that has thousands worse than Vancouver's average.

Is there any mundane issue you wont find to nit pick at?

Also, wasn't Bloor mostly (or entirely) paid for by the BIA? I don't think the city went to any great pains over it.

And yes, TO's sidewalks generally make Vancouver's look pretty good by comparison.

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Becasue people for the most part don't care. Sidewalks in every city around the world are shit. Even your beloved Paris has tons of just awful sidewlaks. The bottom line is until it becomes dangerous the average tax payer doesnt care. I know I would rather have my money spent on something far more useful.

Also for as nice as Bloor st is here, its sidewalk was horrible for years, and it is one example of a nice sidewalk in a city that has thousands worse than Vancouver's average.

Is there any mundane issue you wont find to nit pick at?

Agree...can be much worse.
• Video Link

I do think Vancouver sidewalks are just fine, spend a little time in Sao Paulo or Mexico city...or any other city in these places and you will be so greatful for the quality of sidewalks we have here. I really think we have some of the better sidewalks out there...

Having said that the city should have all developers when redeveloping a site install and improve the sidewalk at the same time, this would help and not be very expensive. I believe they might require that of new residential houses in Vancouver now.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by cornholio

Agree...can be much worse.
[>>YOUTUBE video snipped<<]

I do think Vancouver sidewalks are just fine, spend a little time in Sao Paulo or Mexico city...or any other city in these places and you will be so greatful for the quality of sidewalks we have here. I really think we have some of the better sidewalks out there...

Having said that the city should have all developers when redeveloping a site install and improve the sidewalk at the same time, this would help and not be very expensive. I believe they might require that of new residential houses in Vancouver now.

The downside is that some developers are Too F*cking Cheap to build the sidewalk properly - as shown by the sidewalk for the new London Drugs at Cambie & Broadway.

The developer used simple 12x12 concrete pavers to make their part of the sidewalk look fancy - along with nice tree plantings.

Within a year the sand base under the pavers settled, causing the pavers to become un-even and 'wobbley'. Building owners solution? Apply asphalt on top of some pavers to try and level them out, and then attach 'caution -- uneven pavement' signs to all the trees.

YUK!

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by cornholio

I do think Vancouver sidewalks are just fine, spend a little time in Sao Paulo or Mexico city...or any other city in these places and you will be so greatful for the quality of sidewalks we have here. I really think we have some of the better sidewalks out there...

I'm originally from Mexico City and spend a few months out of the year there and for the most part, Mexico City has vastly superior sidewalks than Vancouver.

[easy as pie]

^ yeah, i agree, mexico city has dream sidewalks