Downtown Vancouver Updates - Page 594

red-paladin · #**11861** Posted **Apr 6, 2015, 5:55 AM**

I like it! I know it obscures the angled concrete behind the windows, but... I like it.

mcminsen · #**11862** Posted **Apr 6, 2015, 6:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locked In

2-storey commercial building at Denman and Nelson - my photo from today:

IMG_5013 by 604 City, on Flickr

Here are some pics from today. I like this development. I do miss the fish 'n chips place that used to be there so many years ago. Can't remember the name of it.

April 5 '15, all my pics

Nelson Street side

Nelson Street Side

Denman Street side

alley side mid block

Klazu · #**11863** Posted **Apr 6, 2015, 2:05 PM**

Looks nice! I just wish there would have been a tower on top of it to bring some density to the area, but I don't think that was allowed.

osirisboy · #**11864** Posted **Apr 6, 2015, 3:24 PM**

Or at least something. At least a couple of floors of rental on top

Also. Would be nice to wrap the brick around into the lane way. It's just as visible as the front (walking along denman)

csbvan · #**11865** Posted **Apr 6, 2015, 7:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

Looks nice! I just wish there would have been a tower on top of it to bring some density to the area, but I don't think that was allowed.

Yes, I believe it is designated to be a low-rise commercial street, towers directly on Denman would defeat that purpose.

SFUVancouver · #**11866** Posted **Apr 6, 2015, 10:03 PM**

Those awnings are so shallow that I doubt a much more than a single persons' width of dry-ish ground will be present when it rains. With that said, it's a pretty nice infill commercial building.

SpongeG · #**11867** Posted **Apr 6, 2015, 10:04 PM**

looks ok

does a business like a cafe need a special permit to put out a few cafe tables outside?

logan5 · #**11868** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 2:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Here are some pics from today. I like this development. I do miss the fish 'n chips place that used to be there so many years ago. Can't remember the name of it.

April 5 '15, all my pics

Denman Street side

These useless retail suites are usually a part of residential tower project, so the developer could care less about the retail component, but here we have a building geared exclusively towards retail tenants and they still build this generic crap. The builder has made a number of small retail suites look like one big box store. This doesn't fit in with the rest of the West End at all, which is something the city supposedly cares about.

ozonemania · #**11869** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:32 AM**

This development should have had a few residential stories above it, like a 5-6 story, which I believe should have been possible with the West End development plan. I don't understand the 2-story retail thing -- are they separate retail units above? They don't generally work unless there is sufficient commercial density, which Denman is definitely not. Or are these 2 story CRUs?

I'm not really concerned about 'fitting in with the neighbourhood'. Most of the retail along Denman is for from noteworthy, except for the old theatre up the street, and some of the buildings across the street that have a house on top. Everything else is dated in a bad way, and blows.

Fish and chips place was called Mrs. Pickwicks.

This building may have been designed to attract a tenant like Shopper's Drug Mart across the street, which Shopper's was considering moving into at one time. But since then they have decided to stay in the Denman Place Mall in that mall renovation project.

Vin · #**11870** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:41 AM**

What an indecent waste of valuable land in a prime area! It's disgusting how they only allow a 2-storey tall retail building to go up in Denman. Truly sickening!

While they have a tall iconic Vancouver House butt up against a not-so-pretty Granville bridge, or hide a curvy and sexy MNP tower behind the heritage Marine Building, or bastardize some historical facades to have a Franken-skyscraper (Waterfront/The Exchange) go up, or have a casino hotel blocking awesome views of BC Place Stadium, it really disgusts me to see a prime lot like this wasted on a 2-storey crap. A tall well-designed building there would allow such great views of it from different angles around Robson/Denman/Davie.

Klazu · #**11871** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 5:18 AM**

Too bad nothing tall is planned in West End, where view cones are not an issue. Well okay, there will be some 45-50 floor towers along West Georgia which is technically West End, but something taller than the existing buildings would looke fantastic in West End as well.

logan5 · #**11872** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 5:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozonemania

I'm not really concerned about 'fitting in with the neighbourhood'. Most of the retail along Denman is for from noteworthy, except for the old theatre up the street, and some of the buildings across the street that have a house on top. Everything else is dated in a bad way, and blows.

What do you mean by "blows"? Each retail facade along Denman has it's own identity. They provide colour and character to the street. Are you suggesting that a row of these generic retail strips works just as well as what already exists along Denman or Commercial Drive?

Have a look at Union St in Chinatown. It's dead. These types of retail units do not make for a good pedestrian environment, they create dead zones.

officedweller · #**11873** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 11:24 AM**

I think the commercial retail only use is to prevent conflicts between residents and businesses. I think the same applies to Davie Village.

Vin · #**11874** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

I think the commercial retail only use is to prevent conflicts between residents and businesses. I think the same applies to Davie Village.

I think even an 8-storey retail/office or retail/ boutique hotel building would serve this site nicely.

connect2source · #**11875** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 5:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

Too bad nothing tall is planned in West End, where view cones are not an issue. Well okay, there will be some 45-50 floor towers along West Georgia which is technically West End, but something taller than the existing buildings would looke fantastic in West End as well.

I don't want to see 45-50 storey towers in the West End. Currently it's a great mix of low and mid-rise with great setbacks, tonnes of greenery and lots of light. A mix that's been successful for more than 50 years. Living in Coal Harbour, I head to the English Bay area during the dark months and love that there's so much winter light on Denman and vicinity.

Sure, the retail on Denman could use some serious improvement but why mess with current successful density mix?

As far as this retail complex is concerned, I think is a huge improvement over the shanty-town that existed before, it looks solid and perhaps a but sterile but it's the retail tenants who will give it character. Wait until it's occupied, I'm sure it will look far better than most of the current retail on Denman.

officedweller · #**11876** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 7:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vin

I think even an 8-storey retail/office or retail/ boutique hotel building would serve this site nicely.

Yeah, those uses would be more noise tolerant.

officedweller · #**11877** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 7:56 PM**

From BisNow:

Quote:

Westbank Buys 1550 Alberni St for $47M
Apr 06, 2015 Ryan Starr

1550 Alberni St has been coveted for its potential as a prime residential development property near Stanley Park and Coal Harbour. That drew Westbank Projects Corp to pay $47M to Wicklow West Holdings for the office building there. ...

https://www.bisnow.com/vancouver/news/office/westbank-buys-1550-alberni-st-for-47m-44593

Hmmm - west of the pink condo at 1500 Alberni - prime site with north views blocked except if you go really tall.
West and northwest views open ... for now.
(look at all those trees in the alley!)

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?wh...UGFuZWxUYXNrJTI0JTI0MSUyMiUzQW51bGwlN0Q=

connect2source · #**11878** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 8:34 PM**

Looks like they'll be pretty much boxed-in if the White Spot lot is ever developed. Likely some nice views to the south and west if they go tall.

officedweller · #**11879** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 8:57 PM**

The lots to the west could also be redeveloped.

I wonder how tall the north side of Robson can go?

Vin · #**11880** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 9:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

The lots to the west could also be redeveloped.

I wonder how tall the north side of Robson can go?

According to the West End Community Plan,
http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/west-end-community-plan.pdf
(See Rendering Page 22)

I don't think that area on the north side of Robson can go high. Only a few selected spots (4 or 5) on Robson can go to about 10 to 15 stories perhaps? Those are mostly around the Empire Landmark Hotel block and the intersection of Denman/Robson area.

In fact, looking at the rendering, it seems that Davie Street can go taller. The rest of the West-End (other than the YMCA neighbourhood and along Burrard/Alberni) is, unfortunately, going to be as is: would most likely continue to be run-down like it has been for the past 30 years.