Downtown Vancouver Updates

[s211]

Originally Posted by Smooth

Holy Rosary Cathedral over on Dunsmuir has church bells on Sunday already. Given that Vancouver is quite secular I am actually surprised that there isn't a coalition opposing church bells because they are "too religious". I personally enjoy the ambiance they bring to the city.

First Baptist also has a carillon which is used every Sunday also.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere: http://former.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20150513/documents/cfsc3.pdf

The feds are looking at more than doubling the square footage of Sinclair Centre to to consolidate services in one location.

How would they go about doing that without demolishing/facading at least one of the current buildings?

Also, didn't they just sign a long-term lease at Central on Main? Or would Customs stay there?

[officedweller]

Price Tags mentions it too:

https://pricetags.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/big-increase-in-density-proposed-for-sinclair-centre/

I suppose a core could be built in the current atrium space.


https://pricetags.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/big-increase-in-density-proposed-for-sinclair-centre/

Wasn't Sinclair Centre purchased by a local developer some time ago?

[officedweller]

and CKNW says the Main Post Office redevelopment is proceeding as well...

http://www.cknw.com/2015/05/07/the-future-of-the-canada-post-building-still-being-worked-out/

[s211]

Originally Posted by officedweller

and CKNW says the Main Post Office redevelopment is proceeding as well...

http://www.cknw.com/2015/05/07/the-future-of-the-canada-post-building-still-being-worked-out/

A bit of a non-story, that article.

I'm hearing a lot of frustration with the city regarding this redevelopment project. But which development project these days doesn't have the development community exasperated, I guess.

[PaperTiger]

Originally Posted by s211

A bit of a non-story, that article.

I'm hearing a lot of frustration with the city regarding this redevelopment project. But which development project these days doesn't have the development community exasperated, I guess.

... he says of the most developer friendly council in decades

I think exasperated is the normal state for developers, in my experience.

WRT Sinclair Centre, The only thing I could see working is to do a facade job on the 1936 building and keep the rest intact. It is the least impressive building of the lot, the newest and has the most issues at the ground plane, with narrow sidewalks, the weird levels with the pedestrian overpass etc. It is also the building that bits of the cornice falling off so they had to build that weird steel and chain-link thing over the sidewalk.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

WRT Sinclair Centre, The only thing I could see working is to do a facade job on the 1936 building and keep the rest intact. It is the least impressive building of the lot, the newest and has the most issues at the ground plane, with narrow sidewalks, the weird levels with the pedestrian overpass etc. It is also the building that bits of the cornice falling off so they had to build that weird steel and chain-link thing over the sidewalk.

It's also the only one that is a B heritage building and isn't federally listed. The others I assume you must keep intact.

Other than that one could do like what OD mentioned, which is building a core inside the atrium and then having a tower over the existing buildings, sort of like The Exchange.

[s211]

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

... he says of the most developer friendly council in decades

If you're a condo developer, or Westbank, I would agree with you.

For the rest of the mucky-mucks out there, the City treats/abuses those developers like a combined ATM/toilet.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Jebby

How would they go about doing that without demolishing/facading at least one of the current buildings?

Also, didn't they just sign a long-term lease at Central on Main? Or would Customs stay there?

If those are heritage buildings, would it not be difficult to rip the façades off?
Also, what COULD they add that would be complementary in design, and what would this do to the appearance of West Hastings?

[Vin]

Please just leave Sinclair Centre alone. It is the various restrictions of this city that owners want to destroy good old buildings to build something larger. There are so many shacks outside downtown to demolish in order to make way for large and tall buildings. The Class B heritage building at Sinclair Centre would be considered a gem if it exists in Metrotown, Broadway area, or pretty much anywhere outside downtown. Even smaller towns and cities would yearn for a building like that and yet we don't mind destroying such buildings as long as Chinatown or OV or Kitsilano or Cambie or Main are kept low density. Same argument goes for St Paul's hospital: the heritage portion needs to be protected at all costs!

[osirisboy]

Vin I totally agree with you on that! Also they are going to want another 700,000 sqft so that's more than one building (since they can't build anything large floor plates) I don't see how they can do that without ruining Sinclair

[red-paladin]

I certainly hope the keep all building intact in Sinclair Centre. The could do a project similar to the Exchange though. As for the restrictions and all that.. I think that's part of it. but we can't deny that there is demand for a bunch of small office buildings in this city, more than there is for large ones. I think that would still be the case even if it were easy to build large, tall ones.

[Vin]

Well, is the central post office still owned by Ottawa? They can easily propose a mixed development and include a couple of really tall towers to accommodate and centralize all their services there. Only the facade of that building fronting W. Georgia is worth preserving. The rest of the box can go as I'm sure most people don't see any heritage value there. The site is close to transit stations and the wide roads surrounding it is usually not congested to easily serve the public.

If the Feds can't afford to have Sinclair Centre anymore, they should just sell it, but the buildings have to be preserved and not bastardized to become something like "The Exchange". The centre can be converted to a really cool mall/food centre/market serving the north portion of downtown.

[city-dweller]

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

... he says of the most developer friendly council in decades

I think exasperated is the normal state for developers, in my experience.

WRT Sinclair Centre, The only thing I could see working is to do a facade job on the 1936 building and keep the rest intact. It is the least impressive building of the lot, the newest and has the most issues at the ground plane, with narrow sidewalks, the weird levels with the pedestrian overpass etc. It is also the building that bits of the cornice falling off so they had to build that weird steel and chain-link thing over the sidewalk.

They did a major upgrade to outside of that building recently. The pedestrian overpass has no covering anymore. I know the east and north sides were restored (seismically upgraded?). It would be the natural choice for gutting and adding more offices.

Here is a 1937 image:
source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Centre

[s211]

Originally Posted by Vin

Well, is the central post office still owned by Ottawa?

Nope. Sold to bcIMC.

Originally Posted by Vin

The centre can be converted to a really cool mall/food centre/market serving the north portion of downtown.

It already tried that and failed.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

I certainly hope the keep all building intact in Sinclair Centre. The could do a project similar to the Exchange though. As for the restrictions and all that.. I think that's part of it. but we can't deny that there is demand for a bunch of small office buildings in this city, more than there is for large ones. I think that would still be the case even if it were easy to build large, tall ones.

The Feds like large floor plate office buildings. Just look at Ottawa. That aside is it possible to build 700,000 in Sinclair? What is that? About 2 exchange towers? I guess one in the atrium and the other where the the 30s building is

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

I certainly hope the keep all building intact in Sinclair Centre. The could do a project similar to the Exchange though. As for the restrictions and all that.. I think that's part of it. but we can't deny that there is demand for a bunch of small office buildings in this city, more than there is for large ones. I think that would still be the case even if it were easy to build large, tall ones.

The Feds like large floor plate office buildings. Just look at Ottawa. That aside is it possible to build 700,000 in Sinclair? What is that? About 2 exchange towers?

You would think that they would just build on the site of that parkade at water and Granville. They could connect it to Sinclair

[Prometheus]

I think it inconceivable that there would be any alteration of the exteriors of any of the four heritage buildings. I think the most likely scenario is the construction of two separate towers behind the original facades of the Winch Building (1911) and the Federal Building (1936).


https://pricetags.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/big-increase-in-density-proposed-for-sinclair-centre/

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by officedweller

...

Wasn't Sinclair Centre purchased by a local developer some time ago?

Found the answer:

...
The government tried to unload the complex in 2007, signing a deal for just over $1.6 billion. While unions and opposition politicians decried the sale as a bad deal for taxpayers, it was the Musqueam First Nation that challenged the sale in court and won, putting a halt to it.
...

http://www.vancouversun.com/City+Vancouv...oric+Sinclair+Centre/11038612/story.html

[a very long weekend]

wow, well, when the feds are inevitably shot down on this one, it augers well for at least one developer in the immediate vicinity that was waiting perhaps until the next cycle - i'm thinking that parking structure across the street at 320 granville. reno the existing sinclair center and take 100% of 320 granville and you get to something like 700k square feet, right?