General Vancouver Updates

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by logan5

Thanks for the photos.

Three new retail buildings in a row, and all 3 have a 100% glass facade and glass canopy. They do this because it is the cheapest possible way to build something. Now that corner completely expressionless til the end of its time.

This corner used to have some visual variety and it offered its tenants the opportunity to create their own facade...

https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.264844,-1...-rlSv2hNTQeiA6g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Eventually, a row of buildings like that turn into this...

https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.2571954,-...MB3wa0f9y4Toc6A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

When you see shit like this lining the street, you really got to consider giving heritage status to those buildings that were knocked down.

Could not agree more.

The before was far more visually interesting retail strip. Not perfect by no means, but much more interesting than now.

[officedweller]

delete - duplicate

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

The Renfrew Business Centre is nearing completion...

Nov.27 '15, my pics

The Renfrew Business Centre appears to be sitting empty.


March 26 '16, my pic

[SpongeG]

it could use a starbucks

[dreambrother808]

There's one across the street.

[Metro-One]

Great looking building, I hope something occupies it sooner or later.

[logan5]

Looks like every retail suite is still for lease. That'll probly end up being a fast food row as the Skytrain station is only 60 feet away. Weird that they haven't been leased yet though.

[s211]

Originally Posted by logan5

Weird that they haven't been leased yet though.

The market speaketh?

[vanman]

The area could definitely use some midrise residential. Its baffling that there isnt any mixed use or multifamily development anywhere near Rupert or Renfrew station. Just big box stores, strip malls, and single family housing.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by vanman

The area could definitely use some midrise residential. Its baffling that there isnt any mixed use or multifamily development anywhere near Rupert or Renfrew station. Just big box stores, strip malls, and single family housing.

It's all on the Vancouver side of Boundary, right? That would explain a lot.

[vanman]

Originally Posted by Jebby

It's all on the Vancouver side of Boundary, right? That would explain a lot.

Yeah exactly. Such wasted oppurtunity.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by vanman

The area could definitely use some midrise residential. Its baffling that there isnt any mixed use or multifamily development anywhere near Rupert or Renfrew station. Just big box stores, strip malls, and single family housing.

Well, the office parks around Renfrew is a good use of the area, but Rupert is a complete waste of a station. At this point they should just close the station and save all the commuters the extra half minute by not slowing down and stopping.

Also, I'm looking at the station right now on Google maps, and the station is labeled "Repert"



That's how much nobody cares about that station.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

Also, I'm looking at the station right now on Google maps, and the station is labeled "Repert"

lol, I noticed that as well yesterday.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

Well, the office parks around Renfrew is a good use of the area, but Rupert is a complete waste of a station. At this point they should just close the station and save all the commuters the extra half minute by not slowing down and stopping.

Also, I'm looking at the station right now on Google maps, and the station is labeled "Repert"

That's how much nobody cares about that station.

I live downtown but use Rupert Station at least every week to go shopping at Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore. Also occasionally at Canadian Tire, Mark's Work Wearhouse and Save On Foods. All of them are short walk from Rupert Station. If you go there you will see the seniors with their little granny carts hauling their groceries home on the Skytrain.

But, I would agree that Rupert Station is underused overall and it would be great if they could do more development around there to take advantage of the rapid transit access.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

I live downtown but use Rupert Station at least every week to go shopping at Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore. Also occasionally at Canadian Tire, Mark's Work Wearhouse and Save On Foods. All of them are short walk from Rupert Station. If you go there you will see the seniors with their little granny carts hauling their groceries home on the Skytrain.

But, I would agree that Rupert Station is underused overall and it would be great if they could do more development around there to take advantage of the rapid transit access.

I think once the line extends out to Broadway it will become more attractive for residential.

[Large Cat]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

I live downtown but use Rupert Station at least every week to go shopping at Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore. Also occasionally at Canadian Tire, Mark's Work Wearhouse and Save On Foods. All of them are short walk from Rupert Station. If you go there you will see the seniors with their little granny carts hauling their groceries home on the Skytrain.

But, I would agree that Rupert Station is underused overall and it would be great if they could do more development around there to take advantage of the rapid transit access.

Seconding the note on groceries. You don't realize how good we have it to have Superstore next to rapid transit. If I lived anywhere along the millennium line that's where I'd do my grocery shopping.

[WugOverlord]

I remember seeing a draft/proposal for a residential lowrise at the southwest corner of Broadway and Renfrew. I think it's rental only and I can only find the buzzbuzzhome link for it right now unfortunately https://www.buzzbuzzhome.com/2894-east-broadway

I second the idea of getting some higher density residential going up at Renfrew and Rupert Stns

[BodomReaper]

Originally Posted by WugOverlord

I remember seeing a draft/proposal for a residential lowrise at the southwest corner of Broadway and Renfrew. I think it's rental only and I can only find the buzzbuzzhome link for it right now unfortunately https://www.buzzbuzzhome.com/2894-east-broadway

I second the idea of getting some higher density residential going up at Renfrew and Rupert Stns

'Higher density'. That is absolute insanity 1 block away from the station - shameful that city hall gets away with this.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by vanman

The area could definitely use some midrise residential. Its baffling that there isnt any mixed use or multifamily development anywhere near Rupert or Renfrew station. Just big box stores, strip malls, and single family housing.

When the Millennium Line was built, the Grandview corridor Renfrew and Rupert were designated for office use - to serve high tech - essentially a means of "evolving" the light industrial uses to preserve jobs (as opposed to allowing residential space).

That has since been expanded to general office uses - the Broadway Tech Park being the obvious example.

Real Canadian Superstore built the Rupert store (and the SE Marine Drive store) as "add-ons" to their warehousing operations - because at the time, City of Vancouver zoning bylaws prohibited supermarkets above a certain square footage. That's why Save-on-Foods didn't open in the City of Vancouver until recently (within the past 10 years?) when SoF moved to smaller format stores.

The Costco on Grandview would have originally opened as a Price Club warehouse store, then remained as a Costco warehouse store, and when Wal-Mart took over the lease, the zoning was probably superceded by allowances for "highway-oriented retail" along Grandview.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

I live downtown but use Rupert Station at least every week to go shopping at Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore. Also occasionally at Canadian Tire, Mark's Work Wearhouse and Save On Foods. All of them are short walk from Rupert Station. If you go there you will see the seniors with their little granny carts hauling their groceries home on the Skytrain.

But, I would agree that Rupert Station is underused overall and it would be great if they could do more development around there to take advantage of the rapid transit access.

Yeah, but do you need to?

I don't think the millions of investment that is a rapid transit station is well served by a few shoppers that could shop elsewhere. Besides, proper TOD in the area would include retail that will fill most needs.

If you are downtown, there is a Safeway at Broadway station and at Oakridge Station. And a Save On and Canadian Tire a couple blocks from City Hall Station. I don't know what you can get at the Superstore that you can't get at the Costco at Stadium, but if you need some George clothing and can't do with Kirkland, there is a Superstore in Metrotown.

Like if all those stores vanished around Rupert I don't think you would be hard pressed to find alternatives within the same kind of travel time.

I get that people in Vancouver want big box stores closer than a half hour drive to Burnaby, but there is just such a limited supply of rapid transit stations in Vancouver that it is a shame to see the area around stations not be more transit focused (and not just Rupert, but also Nanaimo and 29th Ave).

I would even take what WugOverlord linked to, at least it is something that is not just a parking lot or warehouse. And at least the empty office at Renfrew that started this discussion is a step in the right direction. It is just hard to lease that retail because the area is not thought of as a high traffic area because the city has ignored it. Without more people in the area, it is hard to justify a retail business that can't survive outside the 9 to 5 office hours because of a lack of locals.