Quote:
Originally Posted by Klazu
When Broadway Skytrain will finally be built, will that perhaps initiate taller towers being built along the corridor? Considering the million dollar views that towers higher than 20 floor would have along the ridge, I am surprised that we haven't see any major proposals. I don't think there are any viewcones preventing taller towers along the corridor, so wy we haven't seen any?
|
I have a small ear tuned into the Vancouver development community. Putting together what I have gleaned from various sources .. it seems that the developers are working with Bob Metcalf's observation of network effects (if you add one fax machine to a universe of 1 million fax machines, then the value of the whole network goes up ... in other words, if someone out there buys a fax machine - the value of my existing fax machine goes up) without being overtly cognizant of it.
Similarly, the developers see the Evergreen line, running from Douglas College in Coquitlam to UBC on the Endowment lands as a network. That network would have downtown and airport access, the provinces largest medical centre, two universities, at least two colleges, three regional shopping centres, a bucket load of residential housing, all kinds of local retail, all kinds of recreation ... all accessible with one subway ticket.
All this not to mention the great number of start ups that could be situated along the line.
You would not really need to be anywhere else ... and you would not need a car. The ten thousand you save annually on just one car pays for a lot of condo mortgage payments. If you give up two cars at 10,000 after tax each .. that pays for about 500,000 of mortgage at 4%.
When the line is confirmed (however far it goes in section one) you will see lots of new development, not only on the new portion of the line but elsewhere along the line.
It takes some insight to acknowledge that extending the line from Arbutus to UBC will cause a great deal of development in Burnaby and Coquitlam but the network effects says that this is true.
I see 250,000 people living, working and playing on the Evergreen Line once it goes all the way to UBC.
The towers will come. It is the only way to bring in the density.