Downtown Vancouver Updates - Page 689

jollyburger · #**13761** Posted **Jul 11, 2016, 6:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Something going on at the BC Hydro building.

July 10 '16, my pics

They've been upgrading all the floors to LEED Gold so probably just lobby renovations?

Vin · #**13762** Posted **Jul 11, 2016, 5:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIPS

I really enjoyed the junk shop that was on the ground floor. Lots of interesting things in there. At least this now confirms that they are closed for good.

Junk shop's nice but what's outside isn't nice at all.....

LeftCoaster · #**13763** Posted **Jul 11, 2016, 6:51 PM**

Don't think there is a dedicated thread for this one (yet), but Westbank's Safeway redevelopment on Davie that was mysteriously pulled is back at the DP board on July 25th.

http://development.vancouver.ca/1661davie/documents/newbddate.pdf

This one can go straight to development, as no rezoning appears necessary and it's rental so no sales, so it could go ahead very quickly.

retro_orange · #**13764** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 9:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

Yeah, the tower isn't bad-looking for its era. Here's a photo I took last summer while updating the list of Vancouver's tallest buildings on Wikipedia.

That's a great pic. Here's a render from 1966 when it was first proposed. What was built actually looks a bit better then the render, especially the tower. Looks like there was also to be a gas station at that northernmost corner.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/94207108@N02/21550970199/in/faves-45379817@N08/

trofirhen · #**13765** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 9:26 AM**

This may be Politically Incorrect, but I've always liked the size and massing of Denman Place. The inside lobby could use a total revamp, but it has a good vibe to the tower IMHO

LeftCoaster · #**13766** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 5:24 PM**

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/politically-incorrect

misterchill · #**13767** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 8:20 PM**

http://www.dezeen.com/2016/07/12/shigeru...structure-wooden-tower-vancouver-canada/

Not much information on site, height and FSR, but a pretty tantalizing image and some good info on the intent...

officedweller · #**13768** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 8:26 PM**

Great find!

Quote:

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has been commissioned to design a residential tower for Vancouver
that its developers claim will be the tallest hybrid timber structure in the world.

http://www.dezeen.com/2016/07/12/shigeru...structure-wooden-tower-vancouver-canada/

Reminder of the site - behind the Evergreen Building.

This design has huge view blocking potential
- but the taper on the north side may preserve views from the top of the neighbouring Palladio tower.

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Quote:

Japanese architect known for paper and cardboard structures to design new Coal Harbour tower
By Kenneth Chan
4:12 PM PDT, Fri April 08, 2016
...
Local real estate developer PortLiving has announced that Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has been contracted to design a luxury residential tower in downtown Vancouver’s Coal Harbour neighbourhood. No design or site location has been made public at this time, but the proponents are promising that it will set a new standard in the city for sustainability and engineering innovation; it will resonate with the growing global green architecture movement.
...

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2016/04/shigeru-ban-vancouver-coal-harbour-tower/

Press Release:
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release...ban-architects-first-project-2112555.htm

Port Living has a location at 1250 West Hastings it bought in 2014:

http://portliving.com/commercial/

It's the site behind Erickson's Evergreen Building (site of defunct project "The Views")
This quote is from 2014 - hopefully they'll go higher.

Quote:

...
But Macario (Tobi) Reyes, CEO of Vancouver-based Port Capital Group, which bought the site, said the allowable density on the land means the deal is actually close to current Coal Harbour real estate values.

The site has development permits in place for a 14-storey tower with 25 condominiums and 3,500 square feet of office space. A heritage density allocation negotiated with the City of Vancouver added 10% to the existing 5.7 floor-space-ratio (FSR) allowed on the land. “The density works out to about 6 FSR, which is the maximum we will go,” Reyes said.

This would translate into 49,500 square feet of space, equal to a buildable-per-square value of $264, still at the top end of the Vancouver market.

http://flre.ca/coal-harbour-development-site-breaks-record-sale-price/

This article, Coal Harbour land sale pushes record price by Frank O’Brien, was originally published in Business in Vancouver on October 23rd, 2014
http://flre.ca/coal-harbour-development-site-breaks-record-sale-price/

LeftCoaster · #**13769** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 8:51 PM**

Looks to be substantially taller than the adjacent Palladio, which is 83M tall. Definitely taller than I thought this site was allowed to go. Would equate to a very large FSR too given the site's small size and therefore large site coverage ratio.

The wood design sounds very promising too, I expect to see a lot more of this going forward.

jollyburger · #**13770** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 9:39 PM**

Samsung is building some temporary stage/tent in the Waterfront Station parking lot for some event.

Vin · #**13771** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 10:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by misterchill

http://www.dezeen.com/2016/07/12/shigeru...structure-wooden-tower-vancouver-canada/

Not much information on site, height and FSR, but a pretty tantalizing image and some good info on the intent...

Wow, imagine this tower to be 70 stories high.......

officedweller · #**13772** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 10:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Looks to be substantially taller than the adjacent Palladio, which is 83M tall. Definitely taller than I thought this site was allowed to go. Would equate to a very large FSR too given the site's small size and therefore large site coverage ratio.

The wood design sounds very promising too, I expect to see a lot more of this going forward.

I chalk it up to artistic licence -
there's not even any setback from the Harbourside towers for the Evergreen Building.

i.e. it's artificially far away from Palladio and closer to Harbourside.
It should be aligned with the rental tower with the gray spandrel (C-Side).

wrenegade · #**13773** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 10:49 PM**

This is Reliance's property, yes? I remember hearing Jon Stovell saying that he had an out-of-the-box idea for that site.

officedweller · #**13774** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 10:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrenegade

This is Reliance's property, yes? I remember hearing Jon Stovell saying that he had an out-of-the-box idea for that site.

It's Port Living's property.

LeftCoaster · #**13775** Posted **Jul 12, 2016, 11:02 PM**

I guess his out of the box idea was to sell it?

dleung · #**13776** Posted **Jul 13, 2016, 4:36 AM**

Yes, Ole Scheeren, BIG, Kengo Kuma, Shigeru Ban... more of this caliber of design please

phesto · #**13777** Posted **Jul 13, 2016, 7:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I guess his out of the box idea was to sell it?

Reliance Properties had a conditional deal a couple of years ago to buy the property and had worked on the previous design titled "tower x". The City shot down the idea of extra height. As a result, the deal never proceeded. Port Living subsequently bought the site a short while later in 2014.

This new rendering is certainly intriguing...the big issues for the site are tower separation from Palladio, and shadowing onto the community centre site. Perhaps the angled massing deals with both...

FYI - here is the DP application from 2007 which was proposing 14-storeys/ 151 ft. in height (limit is 300 ft). http://former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/dpboard/2007/PDF/1255WestPenderStreet-DE411500.pdf

Also, some older SSPers may remember that there was a proposal in 2005 for a 21-storey residential tower to replace the Evergreen building next door at 1285 West Pender. The idea was later shot down and the building was designated heritage and sold.

Vin · #**13778** Posted **Jul 13, 2016, 7:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by phesto

Reliance Properties had a conditional deal a couple of years ago to buy the property and had worked on the previous design titled "tower x". The City shot down the idea of extra height. As a result, the deal never proceeded. Port Living subsequently bought the site a short while later in 2014.

Yet another example of a lost opportunity due to height limits.

misterchill · #**13779** Posted **Jul 13, 2016, 7:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by phesto

This new rendering is certainly intriguing...the big issues for the site are tower separation from Palladio, and shadowing onto the community centre site. Perhaps the angled massing deals with both...

Didn't you see the rendering? It's all transparent glass, so they've solved the shadows.

mcminsen · #**13780** Posted **Jul 14, 2016, 5:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Pic by me today - Smithe awning at the Dominion Motors Building - no awnings on Seymour side yet.
Don't know why the phone camera ghosted.

Here's the Seymour side yesterday.

July 12 '16, my pics