This was the third attempt at hosting an open house for this project. The first event was cancelled due to Vancouver Community College pulling the reservation 6 hours before it was to start. The protesters were back for this event, with the media there looking for a soundbite. The protesters had access to the PA system, and chanted/blocked the boards for the first half hour. Some would move to allow people access to the boards, but not all. The media present (CTV, City TV, and News 11:30) stuck around until the protest was over, and from what I saw made no effort to obtain any other viewpoint.
This is a VAHA project in partnership with the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation. There will be medical/clinical services on the first three floors, with social housing on the rest. While a promise was made by the mayor for 100% Shelter Rate housing, the funding to enable that is not yet in place (hence the protesters). I feel that promise was a mistake as there is a need not only for shelter rate homes, but also homes for the working poor. After all, a bachelor unit provided at 80% of the HILs rate amounts to housing for someone that work full-time earning $15 an hour.
The roof has a very interesting pattern that will be appreciated by nearby residents. A rooftop amenity was not in the cards, as there are strict height limits in the area plan and elevator access would have pushed into that. There is hope for an allowance to add in toppers (lack of a better word) that would create variation in height, and provide the impression that the project is several separate buildings rather than just one. The city is aware the alley space is a big blank wall, and is open to the idea of partnering with a group like the Mural Festival to improve it. I hope the applicants have lurkers in our little forum so they might see the discussions regarding urine splash-back wall treatments or even wall urinals.
This project was rejected by the UDP, and the model reflects changes the applicant has made to incorporate the panel's recommendations. Even though the UDP recommended resubmission, this project will not need to return the panel until after it's public hearing because it's a VAHA project.
http://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/58whastings/index.htm