General Vancouver Updates - Page 251

mcminsen · #**5001** Posted **Dec 14, 2015, 4:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcminsen

The twin excavation for Vya and The Duke is coming right along. This is on Kingsway on the block just north of Kingsgate Mall and just up from the Independent.

Vya has a crane up now. Just one of those little ones. The excavation is well along now.

Dec.11 '15, my pics

mcminsen · #**5002** Posted **Dec 14, 2015, 4:37 AM**

And the Duke excavation immediately to the south of Vya.

Dec.11 '15, my pics

quobobo · #**5003** Posted **Dec 14, 2015, 5:05 AM**

^Thanks mcminsen, always appreciate the photos.

The condo project at Main and 7th - formerly named Focal, with rezoning approved - now has signs up saying it's called Ellsworth. IIRC this is the third branding for this site in just a few years.

csbvan · #**5004** Posted **Dec 14, 2015, 5:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by quobobo

^Thanks mcminsen, always appreciate the photos.

The condo project at Main and 7th - formerly named Focal, with rezoning approved - now has signs up saying it's called Ellsworth. IIRC this is the third branding for this site in just a few years.

Is the design staying the same?

hollywoodnorth · #**5005** Posted **Dec 14, 2015, 6:40 AM**

wow all these erections are getting me flustered! And as the saying goes size does not matter .... erections both big and small make me giddy like a school girl!

I am so happy Ellsworth is moving ahead. I just saw the sign last night as well.

quobobo · #**5006** Posted **Dec 14, 2015, 5:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by csbvan

Is the design staying the same?

Not sure but I doubt it - IIRC jlousa mentioned a while back that the developer was having issues because the design for Focal was going to be more costly to build than expected.

csbvan · #**5007** Posted **Dec 14, 2015, 5:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by quobobo

Not sure but I doubt it - IIRC jlousa mentioned a while back that the developer was having issues because the design for Focal was going to be more costly to build than expected.

Well that is too bad. I hope that they still go with an interesting, non-generic design.

mcminsen · #**5008** Posted **Dec 15, 2015, 1:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcminsen

June 12 '15, my pics

West 10th & Maple is starting to rise above ground now.

Dec.10 '15, my pics

mcminsen · #**5009** Posted **Dec 18, 2015, 4:26 AM**

For years I've often stood at a bus stop near W. 41st Ave and Dunbar and thought it's just a matter of time before the site across the street gets redeveloped. And now it seems something is happening because the Scotiabank is now closed and has this sign on it (see pic below). It has empty lots on either side of it and is on the northwest corner of the intersection of W. 41st and Dunbar.

Then a while later when I went by Dunbar and 16th Ave I see a similar Westland sign on a building on the NW corner. When I went to the website (www.westlandcorporation.com) it was down for maintenance but I also found an item from the Vancouver Sun about the people from Westland who are trying to assemble a redevelopment site there.

It'll be interesting to find out more and watch these sites.

Dec.17 '15, my pics

Prometheus · #**5010** Posted **Dec 18, 2015, 8:13 AM**

Thanks for the heads-up.

mcminsen · #**5011** Posted **Dec 19, 2015, 5:34 AM**

Over three years ago a restaurant and market burned down at 373 E. Broadway, just north of Kingsgate Mall. The empty site now has a development sign on it. After taking these pics I went one block to the north on Brunswick to check out Guelph Park, AKA Dude Chilling Park. This area around the park seems up and coming. It's so close to the major roads and future Skytrain line.

Dec.18 '15, my pics

retro_orange · #**5012** Posted **Dec 19, 2015, 9:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Over three years ago a restaurant and market burned down at 373 E. Broadway, just north of Kingsgate Mall. The empty site now has a development sign on it. After taking these pics I went one block to the north on Brunswick to check out Guelph Park, AKA Dude Chilling Park. This area around the park seems up and coming. It's so close to the major roads and future Skytrain line.

Dec.18 '15, my pics]

My hood! Im just a few blocks away from here, the new proposal is much better, the previous owner had applied to rebuild a single storey retail building and I'm glad it didn't happen, this is much more appropriate density for being on Broadway. I'm still waiting in anticipation for hopefully a restoration of the 2 100yr old apartment buildings at broadway and Prince Albert that were gutted by fire last year. The one that had the most original details intact got most damaged unfortunately.

Pic from http://www.vancouversun.com/Video+Vancou...+fire/9918186/story.html?__lsa=a84e-dfb5

mcminsen · #**5013** Posted **Dec 20, 2015, 1:59 AM**

I noticed today that the Mongolie Grill on the NE corner of Cambie/Broadway is now closed. I'll be watching this site as it seems like prime redevelopment property.

SFUVancouver · #**5014** Posted **Dec 20, 2015, 11:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcminsen

I noticed today that the Mongolie Grill on the NE corner of Cambie/Broadway is now closed. I'll be watching this site as it seems like prime redevelopment property.

Oh, interesting! This is one of those sites that has mystified by as to why it hasn't been in play for redevelopment. The Wendy's site is also confounding. Sure, they make a healthy dollar on the drive-through, which I believe is grandfathered and could not be built anew, but I'm in disbelief that it hasn't yet come up for redevelopment.

mcminsen · #**5015** Posted **Dec 21, 2015, 1:19 AM**

There was a notice up in the Mongolie Grill window saying they were closed as of Nov. 30th and they thanked their loyal customers for many years of patronage.

s211 · #**5016** Posted **Dec 21, 2015, 3:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Oh, interesting! This is one of those sites that has mystified by as to why it hasn't been in play for redevelopment.

In and of itself, it's a very thin/narrow site.

Add that it's just a stone's throw north of city hall, and you can bet that every planner wannabe with a view from city hall will crap hardcore on anything that would impede their view from the Holy of Holies, far beyond what any nearby view cone would say.

domusile · #**5017** Posted **Dec 21, 2015, 7:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by s211

In and of itself, it's a very thin/narrow site.

Add that it's just a stone's throw north of city hall, and you can bet that every planner wannabe with a view from city hall will crap hardcore on anything that would impede their view from the Holy of Holies, far beyond what any nearby view cone would say.

Totally agree with the first part, this site is super shallow (pretty sure only 50 ft deep)

urbancanadian · #**5018** Posted **Dec 21, 2015, 7:49 AM**

Thanks for the updates mcminsen. Interesting about the Mongolie Grill/Wendy's site. One of the views I wouldn't mind keeping is the view of City Hall from downtown. It's a nice building, and I always liked the nightime view of the red clock.

Klazu · #**5019** Posted **Dec 21, 2015, 8:28 AM**

The Wendy's building is clearly awaiting re-development as they still have the ages old interior style. Once it gets re-developed, I hope Wendy's will stay, as it is the one closest to my place.

mcminsen · #**5020** Posted **Dec 21, 2015, 9:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbancanadian

Thanks for the updates mcminsen. Interesting about the Mongolie Grill/Wendy's site. One of the views I wouldn't mind keeping is the view of City Hall from downtown. It's a nice building, and I always liked the nightime view of the red clock.

Good point, I agree. I'd like to have the view of City Hall preserved for the most part. If you check the pic below you can see Wendy's red roofline just below and to the left of centre. I'm not sure how high a new building on the Wendy's/Monglie Grill site could go before it would start blocking the view (north or south). Probably no higher than the office building at the NW corner of Cambie/Broadway.

I have to admit I haven't paid much attention to the NE corner of the Cambie/Broadway intersection, at least as a redevelopment site. But after looking at some Google street and map views it gets really interesting. I didn't realize how very shallow those properties are like the Mongolie Grill is sitting on. They go for three blocks (Cambie to Columbia). I don't know how they could build anything very big on them.

When I was looking at a bird's eye view of Mongolie/Wendy's I wondered if the city would agree to close the alley between them to allow a bigger and more viable redevelopment site. I got a bit of deja vu when I imagined that because that's what they did at the Spot site just south of City Hall. At that site they closed the alley that led onto Cambie and the developer is putting in a new lane on the east side of the property to create an L shaped alley through the block. Maybe that's what they could do on the Wendy's/Mongolie Grill site.

Of course, all this speculating could be for naught as maybe the Mongolie Grill is simply going to become another restaurant and there will be no changes or redeveloping for the foreseeable future.

Looking south over Cambie Bridge, Oct.24 '15, my pic