Downtown Vancouver Updates

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Originally Posted by Spork

"Just put it anywhere."

And so. It was done.

and the wire going to it is 100% visible to. and it isn't centred in the space, or the individual panels.

[LeftCoaster]

It looked good at night when I walked by it yesterday, the lighting was solid.

I'm assuming it will line up with an entrance way below, the conduit to the sign is unforgivable though.

[officedweller]

I thought the main entrance would have been on Robson Street - that's where the current elevator lobby is located. Presumably there'll be another sign on Robson St.

The hoarded section is where the former condo display centre entrance (to the atrium, above) was located, and there's a grade separation to the area directly under the sign. The entrance was from the left.

[Feathered Friend]

The city held an open house on this policy, both on Thursday and today, at the nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona Vancouver Library. My estimate is that about two dozen people attended today's event. My biggest fear is that these guidelines end up being very prescriptive, which would cause this area's urban environment to be boring, bland and uniform, like most agree the Cambie Corridor is. I also feel the city is missing a big opportunity to preserve the light industrial areas, and experiment with residential overbuild of those sites. Of course, I provided additional opinions on the comment sheet, but I would rather not influence anyone too much.

More info can be found at the following links:

http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/hastings-street-kiwassa-urban-design-guidelines.aspx

Information Boards:
http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/hastings-kiwassa-urban-design-guidelines.pdf

For those who are interested, the questions are:

1) Hastings Centre: What are your thoughts about the proposed guidlines for the heritage use along Hastings Centre (Carrall St to Heatley Ave)

2) Hastings East: What are your thoughts about the proposed guidelines for the local-serving mixed use along Hastings East (Heatley Ave to Clark Dr including the triangular flatiron sites)?

3) Kiwassa: What are your thoughts about the proposed guidelines for Kiwassa

4) Architectual Features: What architectual features helt create a sense of place for East Hastings St and Kiwassa

5) Neighbourhood Retail: In your opinion, what characteristics are important in defining neighbourhood-serving retail?

6) Public Space: What ideas do you have for public spaces in the Hastings Kiwassa area?

7) Other Feedback: What other feedback do you have on the proposed urban design guidelines?

Contact: [email protected]
604.873.7736

The due date for comments is October 15, 2017.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by officedweller

New pic from Changing City updates, including the base, which matches the Evergreen Building
(designed by Cornelia Oberlander, same landscape architect as the Evergreen Building.

Question: Should it match the Evergreen Building or does that erode the value/uniqueness of the Evergreen Building?

Originally Posted by mcminsen

July 23 '16, my pics

About 14 months later and the site for the Shigeru Ban building (1255 West Pender) has not really changed much, other than the building is not occupied. Click on the links in the quoted posts above to see previously posted info, renderings and pics.



Sept.23 '17, my pics

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Aug.21 '17, my pic

1688 Davie Street (former London Drugs parking lot). Approaching grade, rebar poking up above ground level now.



Sept.23 '17, my pic

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

An update on the Jervis at Jervis and Davie Streets.
July 4 '17, my pics

Originally Posted by officedweller

The Jervis
From NSDA twitter:

Originally Posted by Locked In

The Jervis - my photo from August 15:

Originally Posted by Locked In

My photos of the Jervis from today:

Sept.23 '17, my pics

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by christmas

DailyHive article:
Downtown Vancouver's Orpheum Theatre laneway is getting a 'psychedelic' makeover

http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-laneway-makeover-orpheun-theatre-more-awesome-now





So happy that this is happening. It would be better should some of the markets be facing the alley, but a step towards the right direction nonetheless.

Look at how much of a dump it is now:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.2810196,-...FZw!2e0!5s20160601T000000!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.2799912,-...ONYeuRu9LtA-c6Cu7iLAg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Looks like the transformation has started.



Sept.23 '17, my pics

[SFUVancouver]

Really gratifying to see the sustained pace of new development in the West End. Thanks for the photo updates, mcminsen.

[SpongeG]

that one next to london drugs must be the slowest project ever. thx for the pics.

[idunno]

It's super slow! I'm hoping that the two projects on the other side of the street (the Safeway site/the one next door) go a little faster. Go West End Go!

[Chikinlittle]

Painting these alleys does nothing to actually 'activate' them, other than having the odd person wander down and take a selfie. They need to create and allow commercial retail units to open up from the alleys.

Imagine, bear with me, if there were a few alleys in the city where, hold on folks, people might have be allowed to drink outside? As a place to start, what if these 'activated' alleys where special zones allowing this? Gasp. The world might not even end.

[excel]

Main issues with our allies is that they all smell horribly like urine and garbage. They also always have trucks and service cars, not to mention homeless people and used needles for a carpet. Not the best environment to enjoy a beverage. But I see what you are getting at, and if we could improve the overall environment (not just paint them) then there is a chance something along those lines could work.

[Metro-One]

Until the dumpsters are removed these alley projects are all putting lipstick on a pig.

It still amazes me the city has not figured this incredibly obvious factor out yet.

It removes their unsightliness, the smell, the visual barriers they create (making the alleys safer and less attractive for urination and shooting up) and of course removes all the negative features that come with dumpster diving.

Is there some sort of dumpster / mafia connection here that prevents this from even being talked about at city hall?

Every city I have been too in the world that has active alleyways did not have dumpsters in them.

Heck, even in Nelson I noticed that the active laneways that actually had pleasant environments and people using them as a social setting did not have dumpsters. (Dumpsters were present in alleys generally not being used as such gathering sites though).

[jollyburger]

^^^ I guess they might start by cleaning up Granville Street before they start worrying about the cleanliness of the Orpheum alley with or without dumpsters.

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Looks pretty well gutted now.

July 23 '17, my pics

My photos below - September 21st

[SpongeG]

Downtown Vancouver’s pink alley wins public space award

By Peter Meiszner - September 27, 2017


Downtown Vancouver's pink alley, Alley-Oop, has won an international award for great public spaces. Credit: HCMA Architecture + Design


Alley-Oop as seen from Granville Street near Hastings. Credit: HCMA Architecture + Design

http://urbanyvr.com/alley-oop-more-awesome-now-award

[osirisboy]

They seem to be demolishing the former immigration society building on drake

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Nothing seemed to be happening for the past year or so but now it looks like they are starting to do something with the outside.


Aug.27 '17, my pic

Looks like the old Pappas Furs building at Hamilton and West Pender got a fresh coat of paint.



Sept.27 '17, my pic

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by officedweller

The Smithe site all cleared.
Trees were just hacked down.

Pic by me today:

^^^ officedweller's pic was from August 18th.



Sept.27 '17, my pics