Downtown Vancouver Updates

[wrenegade]

Originally Posted by Smooth

City Land = $250M
Federal Contribution = $500M
Provincial Contribution = $500M
Total = $1.25B

Units = 2,616

Average cost per unit = $478,000

Average unit size = ~500 sq.ft.

Cost = $956/sq.ft.

...Damn

I am sorry, but that is fucking disgusting. The CoV should sell their land at market rates and buy existing apartment buildings. We are talking about "affordable housing" not "social housing" so these buildings shouldn't have to deliver any special requirements above a normal apartment building.

Hell, they could even issue Rental 100 rezoning/building permits with a first right of refusal to purchase the property if the developer wishes to sell it.

Even if the units averaged 700 sq. ft. and you took the land cost out of the equation, the hard/soft costs would be $546 per square foot. That is stupid.

[osirisboy]

Where's pivot?? They should be protesting this misuse of resources.

[VanK]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Where's pivot?? They should be protesting this misuse of resources.

Where is the Vancouver Sun and the media on this misappropriation of public funds?

[s211]

Originally Posted by VanK

Where is the Vancouver Sun and the media on this misappropriation of public funds?

Writing puff pieces on other extravagances, like that old hotel that got renovated and filled with SROs a couple of years ago. I'm pretty sure the cost per room on that complex was even higher.

[s211]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Where's pivot?? They should be protesting this misuse of resources.

Not Pivot's mandate. If anything, Pivot will be 10000% behind this kind of stuff.

Perhaps you mean the Fraser Institute?

[NewWester]

Bias: I think we have a social responsibility to help the poor receive basic needs like food, water, and shelter because I think these things are human rights.

So in that light: I think what you are seeing is the cost of not doing these things at a provincial level. We used to have a mental health apparatus and meaningful welfare in BC, and our gov't decided that wasn't a priority anymore and mothballed that infrastructure. If the Province were meaningfully invested in helping the poor we could have an integrated, more efficient solution and probably still have maintained chunks of the old infrastructure. CoV is trying to go it alone and build a new system which is dumb, but realistic if your goal is to help the poor.

I also find the notion that people would choose the poor house because its a sweet deal kind of ridiculous. Like, have you spent time around the destitute in Vancouver? I barely have and its pretty obvious how miserable a lot of their circumstances are. Despite being decently built, I hardly think the new shelters are going to be desirable places to live. Give your head a shake.

[WarrenC12]

Sorry but the back of the napkin math isn't convincing me of some vast conspiracy just yet. I'll wait until we see more details.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by NewWester

Bias: I think we have a social responsibility to help the poor receive basic needs like food, water, and shelter because I think these things are human rights.

Of course, it is the moral responsibility of all to care for their fellow man. The things is, should that be imposed or voluntary? Is charity better than government imposition?

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by s211

Not Pivot's mandate. If anything, Pivot will be 10000% behind this kind of stuff.

Perhaps you mean the Fraser Institute?

I thought part of their mandate was to stand of for the homeless etc rights and their right to housing?

If I were homeless I wouldn't give a shit where the housing was. If it was built out in boonies so they could build more units I'd rather that then not building enough units just so the ones they do build are in yaletown!?

[s211]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

I thought part of their mandate was to stand of for the homeless etc rights and their right to housing?

If I were homeless I wouldn't give a shit where the housing was. If it was built out in boonies so they could build more units I'd rather that then not building enough units just so the ones they do build are in yaletown!?

Pivot's more about "sticking it to the man" versus the reasonableness you'd hope for.

[logan5]

Looking back at our own thread on the 14 sites that were built, the very first page has 1134 Burrard at 30.4 million for 141 apartments = 216 000/unit. Land costs not included? Or something else missing?

[djh]

Couldn't the City use the same model as they did for South False Creek - the older stock buildings that are leasehold? The city can make and plan great communities around these sites, they can sell leasehold suites to future residents at lower-than-market prices, future residents can thus have lifetime ownership of a home at normal working person prices, and ultimately the city - which has an "unlimited" lifespan - keeps ownership of the land so can benefit in the long-term future if they wish to.

Or have leaseholds gone completely out of fashion?

If not leasehold as an alternative, I'd be interested to see if some of those sites could be developed into Co-Op housing, but still built to the scale and standards of modern construction.

EDIT: Corrected my accidental use of Freehold when I meant Leasehold

[officedweller]

I think you mean "leasehold" (which is a lease of the bare land). "Freehold" is outright ownership.

[NewWester]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Of course, it is the moral responsibility of all to care for their fellow man. The things is, should that be imposed or voluntary? Is charity better than government imposition?

I think this boils down to a matter of opinion. I think governments role is to be an agency of buying collective stuff society needs, and I think taking care of the poor is both a moral good and something we all end up paying for regardless (crime, medical, etc). I also think it's maybe too important to trust to like, the altruistic whim of individuals. (And I also have some reservations about the alternate politics of charity orgs whether it be the radical politics of PIVOT or the Christian mission of like, The Salvation Army.)

But I mean, ideally this should be something handled at the provincial instead of municipal level and given the amount of drug addiction and poverty in our homeless population it would ideally involve treatment as much as housing. But the Liberals are pretty clear that their priorities aren't social spending, so y'know, is what it is.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

One month later.
Dec.21 '15, my pics

An update on 308 West Hastings by Victory Square Park. Click on post link above for previous pics.



Feb.6 '16, my pics

[madog222]

^Looks much better than the rendering so far.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by nefc

Looks like the crane is going up tomorrow at the old United We Can site - that block sure is changing!

Project: Weekend Work: Crane Lift at 41 East Hastings Street
Location: E Hastings St from Carrall St to Columbia St
Start Date: 2016/02/06 Expected Completion: 2016/02/06
Status: Approved
Description: Crews will reduce traffic 1 lane on each direction on E Hastings St from Carrall St to Columbia St during crane lift from 5:30am to 6pm.

http://app.vancouver.ca/roadahead_net/#1

http://changingcitybook.com/2014/07/31/41-east-hastings-street/

Previous post here.

Feb.6 '16, my pics

[hollywoodnorth]

all these erections today I am getting giddy!

I got to see this puppy live and in the ummm flesh while he was going ummm ... up!

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Here are some pics from today. 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, my pic

I don't get down to Denman Street in the West End very often so when I was there today I was surprised to see that this new building at the corner of Denman and Nelson is still sitting empty 10 months later.


Feb.7 '16, my pic

[Metro-One]

Maybe because rents are too high and everything in Vancouver must be a luxury brand or massive chain now.

No more interesting, local, and or affordable stores and restaurants allowed anymore.