General Vancouver Updates

[BodomReaper]

What an utter waste of one of the city's most prominent intersection. Shameful.

[VarBreStr18]

Originally Posted by officedweller

500 West Broadway
(at Cambie)

The upper storey setback (from Cambie) is likely for the City hall view cone down Cambie.

From Changing City Updates:




https://changingcitybook.com/2017/05/10/500-west-broadway/

shameful, short sighted planning if developer/city do not include transit entrance in this project !!??

[cornholio]

And they say the city is a Green. What a complete waste. Just shows the incompetence of city hall in a 2017 Vancouver. Should be a 12 story + office block bringing as much square footage to the location as possible.

[Feathered Friend]

So I went down the UDP meeting today. Side note, it was the first one I've ever attended and I found it quite interesting / informative.
Regardless of my experience, everyone will benefit as I took photos of the 500 West Broadway site.

























The site is still a family owned parcel, and is apparently being built with the idea that the building will be around for a long time. The current guidelines for the site (city hall view cone) only allow for 6 stories, but apparently modern technology actually shows a 7 story building can still fit within the guidelines. There's a set back at the corner to accommodate the high pedestrian demand and, if I heard correctly, the sidewalk will have light strips embedded. There's also an easement in place to allow for transit station expansion / maintenance. That said, there is no plan to allow for a station entrance. The project easily passed through UDP, with one member suggesting that the project shouldn't be required to supply parking given it's location. Starbucks' lease runs out in November, so this could see an early 2018 start. I should note, there were more than a few voices puzzled about why the owners of this site are pushing ahead now, when the city has indicated that a Broadway Corridor Plan is in the making.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

.... There's also an easement in place to allow for transit station expansion / maintenance. That said, there is no plan to allow for a station entrance.

..., there were more than a few voices puzzled about why the owners of this site are pushing ahead now, when the city has indicated that a Broadway Corridor Plan is in the making.

Thanks - that's a bit unfortunate, but I suppose a Broadway Line station entrance could also be located further east or west depending on platform siting.

WRT a Broadway Corridor Plan - I doubt the site would have been allowed to go really high anyways given the view cones, so why the puzzlement?
If anything, it's probably a desire to build the project before the imposition of additional requirements...

[Metro-One]

Is that where Jersey Joes is?

That sucks, it is a great outdoor patio to sit at and watch the world go by while enjoying a meal during the summer. (will any decent rooftop patios be left in the city for mid level restaurants and bars?)

And no station entrances / connections???

WTF is with Vancouver and disabling transit hubs?

Where is all of the green coolaid and looking at Europe for inspiration in these decisions?

This better not pass.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Is that where Jersey Joes is?

That sucks, it is a great outdoor patio to sit at and watch the world go by while enjoying a meal during the summer. (will any decent rooftop patios be left in the city for mid level restaurants and bars?)

And no station entrances / connections???

WTF is with Vancouver and disabling transit hubs?

Where is all of the green coolaid and looking at Europe for inspiration in these decisions?

This better not pass.

I think it's "Original Joe's".

https://www.google.ca/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!...UKEwiAgv2Vu-fTAhWHMGMKHXpJAAgQpx8IkgEwCg

[Metro-One]

Thats right, my mistake, sad to see another decent eating spot go.

Years ago Vancouver use to have far more underground / rooftop style restaurants. Now everything is being built so.... plain.

I really like / support many of the new developments, but they do need to add a little more variety is retail / dinning spaces (and not just for luxury establishments).

Seriously, given the fact that there will be essentially no integration with the Broadway Skytrain Hub, this project is a net loss for the urban fabric of Vancouver.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Thats right, my mistake, sad to see another decent eating spot go.

Years ago Vancouver use to have far more underground / rooftop style restaurants. Now everything is being built so.... plain.

I really like / support many of the new developments, but they do need to add a little more variety is retail / dinning spaces (and not just for luxury establishments).

There's a restaurant space shown on the second floor of the new development. It appears to have a small outdoor patio. Rumour has it that Original Joe's may return there.

The Canada Line tracks are quite close to the surface underneath the Cambie and Broadway junction, so it would be quite complex, and expensive, to put in an underground connection east-west under Cambie. As the intention seems to be that the two lines will be completely interconnected for transfer, it might not be thought to be a good idea to have an entrance that only serves one of the two lines. That's just a guess - but if Translink's design idea for the station required an entrance here, the City's Engineers would have requested it and it would be part of the project.

[VarBreStr18]

the whole purpose of having multiple exits is to disperse people before they come to the surface to alleviate congestion at street level. Also heaven for bit in case of emergencies.....

[Prometheus]

First, thank you to those who took the time to share their information about this development.

So, let's get this straight. This is the most prominent corner on Vancouver's busiest commercial/transporation corridor and the future site of a major rapid transit hub, where two multi-billion dollar subway lines will interchange. And a meek, low density, seven-story building is all that can be built here under current city policy?! On a site which (in a rational world) ought to be the future location of the mother of all transit-oriented developments?!

The sheer irrationality (and irresponsibility and short-sightedness) of today's city planning/redevelopment policy is atrocious, and will be a source of substantial regret in the future.

[SpongeG]

isn't the plan is to make the main station and secondary exits east of the current station.

agree though, this city has some stupid thoughts.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

isn't the plan is to make the main station and secondary exits east of the current station.

I wasn't referring to any plan or lack of plan to have a direct transit connection to this particular project. I was referring to the fact that under rational planning policy, such a building should be allowed--indeed, encouraged--to reflect and capitalize on all the current and future realities and needs of its special location by being as robust, dense and urban as economics will possibly allow.

What city policy is permitting, by contrasts, is grossly incommensurate with the vital importance of this location and falls far short of what the site will support (and needs) both now and in the future. This is just one of the latest colossal (and irrevocable) wastes and lost opportunities for Vancouver due to irrational, irresponsible and short-sighted city planning/policy.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

I wasn't referring to any plan or lack of plan to have a direct transit connection to this particular project. I was referring to the fact that under rational planning policy, such a building should be allowed--indeed, encouraged--to reflect and capitalize on all the current and future realities and needs of its special location by being as robust, dense and urban as economics will possibly allow.

What city policy is permitting, by contrasts, is grossly incommensurate with the vital importance of this location and falls far short of what the site will support (and needs) both now and in the future. This is just one of the latest colossal (and irrevocable) wastes and lost opportunities for Vancouver due to irrational, irresponsible and short-sighted city planning/policy.

council always talks about density, less cars, etc. but when you look at Downtown and Broadway you really see that they don't actually believe in that.

you've got the 2 largest employment centres in the whole GVRD and every building is kneecapped by councils policy dating back to 1989. you have Broadway and Cambie, 2 SkyTrain Lines, and you get 7 floor buildings. i get the appeal of having City Hall visible, i love the building with the clock and whatnot. but there is a point when we need to address the issues. no one will be getting out of cars and using transit if every transit development barely does anything.

Waterfront is another example, that area should be removed from the view-cones and any height/density restrictions. tell developers to make what is economically feasible. i bet they will be taller then allowed. not only does this promote jobs at a transit centre, it allows more people to have direct transit access to their job.

[SFUVancouver]

Thanks for attending the UDP meeting and sharing the photos.

Agree with the sentiment that there should be both more density and a SkyTrain station entrance on the site.

It's worth remembering that there is a future connection to the Canada Line Broadway City-Hall Station in the Crossroads development on the northwest corner of the intersection. Worst case scenario: there are two entrances to the station complex on kitty-corner locations.

[officedweller]

and as SpongeG alludes to - the City of Vancouver owns the entire block to the east of Cambie, so if the new platform is positioned to the east of Cambie, it makes sense to make use of the City-owned land for a large secondary entrance to the station.

A platform to the east of Cambie also makes sense if the Oak platform is east of Oak (to be closer to the hospitals) - but all we know about the Oak station is that there wont be an entrance in the BlueSky Properties building on the corner (so either the station is shifted east or the entrance is on the west side of Oak (former Scotiabank)).

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by officedweller

WRT a Broadway Corridor Plan - I doubt the site would have been allowed to go really high anyways given the view cones, so why the puzzlement?
If anything, it's probably a desire to build the project before the imposition of additional requirements...

Originally Posted by Prometheus

First, thank you to those who took the time to share their information about this development.

The sheer irrationality (and irresponsibility and short-sightedness) of today's city planning/redevelopment policy is atrocious, and will be a source of substantial regret in the future.

I'm always happy to pass along what I know, when I can. After all, knowledge is best spread around, not hoarded.
In my view, there's definitely an "old guard" who feel the policy is sacrosanct. That said, it also seems there are a good number of people open to the needed policy tweaks. For instance, I think there's definite support for altering the arbitrary city hall sight-line restriction.

For what it's worth, I've been told on multiple occasions that the new Broadway policy will be forward thinking and that lessons have been learned from the Cambie Corridor policy. Ultimately, it's up to the general public to make it known that support exists for those (in my view) badly needed changes, be it allowing for higher density, or altering the view cones.

Originally Posted by officedweller

and as SpongeG alludes to - the City of Vancouver owns the entire block to the east of Cambie, so if the new platform is positioned to the east of Cambie, it makes sense to make use of the City-owned land for a large secondary entrance to the station.

A platform to the east of Cambie also makes sense if the Oak platform is east of Oak (to be closer to the hospitals) - but all we know about the Oak station is that there wont be an entrance in the BlueSky Properties building on the corner (so either the station is shifted east or the entrance is on the west side of Oak (former Scotiabank)).

From what I heard, that block will be part of a long promised City Hall Campus that will unify the planning, engineering, and tech departments. Apparently it was supposed to come up before the last civic election, but was scrapped with the start of the campaign.
I've also heard support expressed for some sort of VGH / Oak St Station connection. I think early indicators of that support are shown in the 10 Ave planning document, with the desire to move the Oak St bus stops closer to VGH.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Ultimately, it's up to the general public to make it known that support exists for those (in my view) badly needed changes, be it allowing for higher density, or altering the view cones.

So Holborn should wait a while before buildings a squat mass on the Bay parkade site in case it can go tall?

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by officedweller

So Holborn should wait a while before buildings a squat mass on the Bay parkade site in case it can go tall?

I think this situation differs somewhat, in that the city seems to be vocalizing that more height may be permitted in this location in the, relatively, near future.
That said, given the history on such matters, I can't blame the parties for choosing to move ahead. Even though I would love a more prominent building here, I understand a bird in the hand and whatnot.

[Feathered Friend]

So I've heard about / found these upcoming developments on the VGH Campus.

http://phix.ca/faq/

The process of building the PHIX Innovation Hub has just started with an application for infrastructure funding from the BC and federal governments.

We hope to have the rezoning process complete by 2018. Construction is slated to start in 2018 and could take until the end of 2020 to complete.

This project is supposed to be going in the park at Heather and 10th Ave.

Apparently the Eye Care clinic and the BC Cancer lodge will be submitting redevelopment applications in the near future as well. Though nothing concrete has been proposed as far as I know.