Quote:
Originally Posted by Vanville
Thought I'd redo my Google Map image of the current proposals for the West End's Thurlow and Harwood area developments. Blusesky (BOSA) sites outlined in blue, Strand/Intracorp sites outlined in yellow. Did anyone manage to attend the open house last night for the Strand/Intracorp proposal at 1080 Burnaby?
My two cents as a long time West End resident. For years it was nice & sleepy around here, rather pleasant. Now there is a sudden rush to develop thanks to the "West End Plan". I know there are many older structures that have seen better days but they are (were) affordable. Passed by 1540 Haro the other day:
Another "renoviction" by folks who believe only the cream of the crop, so to speak, ought to live in these prime areas:
"The best and the brightest [come] here so they're right in the absolute heart -- with recreation, the financial district, the creative community."
Not everyone makes it in the creative city. "It's tough, but that's just the way it is," says Gordon. "People keep moving here and in many cases people aren't going to survive." https://thetyee.ca/News/2011/08/10/HighPriceCheapRent/
All this new development is removing many long time residents who, like me, can't afford to pay the $1500.-2000. a sq. ft. to purchase. My current rent isn't all that cheap but for the time being its doable. I currently have the pleasure of having a tower being built in front of me. With two more on the way. The noise/dust/parking issues are now nicely included in my rent. I had an amazing view, now it's going to folks who could afford the $4.5 million upper floors. ($1.4 million to "get in").
I guess most of you are not losers like me & are able to purchase these new affordable condos. Bravo. New is always sexy, I'm sure when the old Sheraton was built on Robson it was amazing. Give everything a few years & suddenly it's just not that exciting anymore. Especially when the moss starts to grow on some of these nice shiny towers (& the leaks begin). Meanwhile the traffic/parking/noise issues are only going to get worse. It's O.K. because many buyers will probably be spending much of their time overseas or will rent out to some foreign students/relatives for the time being. Sorry, had to vent as I feel I'm under attack these days. I'm not anti development, it just seems to be a massive cash grab. I just don't want to lose my 'hood & end up in Chilliwack but it may be the future. There will be two groups living downtown: the very wealthy & the very poor. Is there any room for the middle? Is it just me or is driving down Nelson just been a major PITA over the last 10 years due to all the construction. Now they are going to start on 1045 Nelson. Goodbye "ugly" viaducts I think I'm going to need a helicopter. Any beaches in Chilliwack?  |
First, I want to say I don't think anyone on here views those being displaced as "losers," I certainly don't. In my own case, if not for a fortunate set of circumstances I would have very likely ended up living in shelters/on the street and suffering with a permanent disability. I understand the stress of the idea of being forced from somewhere you call home.
That said, there's nothing (baring natural disasters) that will reverse the trend that is sweeping the Downtown Core. People with political agendas will blame the level of government they're currently opposing (as already demonstrated here), but the reality is there's too many factors contributing to the housing affordability crisis to blame it on any one factor.
Could the civic parties have allowed more density/sped up the development process? Sure. Could the provincial and federal governments provided more funding for housing? Absolutely. Did the low interest rates needed to keep the rest of the economy running do serious damage? You betcha. Does the weather/scenery/global location/policies make Vancouver extremely attractive to those outside the city/province/country? Obviously. In short, the only way to really combat this crisis is to build more density, especially with a target for government/subsidized housing for the middle class.
I hope there's some comfort for you in that, unlike Burnaby, Vancouver has made housing for renters that are displaced a priority, as demonstrated by the First Baptist project.
I don't mean to be political, but there's also an opportunity to voice your complaints to City Council as well. Let them know your situation, and how your feel stressed out with your housing security situation. I personally feel the West End Policy has a lot of right things with it, including provisions for areas required to provide 20% of the units at below market rates. One shining light in the future is The Oakridge MTC Plan, which promises a chance for real housing solutions, with the only displacement being single family homes. That plan will need all the support it can get, as I imagine there will be a lot of established home owners screaming about more density in their paradise. You can either voice your opinions and make a difference on your own or, if you want, you can even get involved with a group like Abundant Housing Vancouver.
In the end, if you find you're driven all the way out to Chilliwack, make sure to send me a message, That community may have made massive changes, but I imagine that the beaches/sandbars I knew are still there. Oh, and please do share the open house notices you get with the forum. After all, I think there's many users on here not only concerned with building tall towers, but also with insuring that they go into healthy neighbourhoods.
Prev
Linear Mode
