The Post | 67m | 27 fl | Completed

[phesto]

There's a new model of this project in B&B Scale Models on Granville Island. Tough to get a photo of it...could only see one angle of it but looked very boxy.

[Vancity]

Originally Posted by phesto

There's a new model of this project in B&B Scale Models on Granville Island. Tough to get a photo of it...could only see one angle of it but looked very boxy.

The one in Toronto looks so much better.

[Klazu]

Why is the Toronto project having most of its terraces not facing south, rather north? Seems counter-intuitive.

[officedweller]

Terraces are a consequence of stepping - so maybe as a consequence of reducing shadowing on the street to the north.

[Feathered Friend]

Rezoning of Downtown Post Office Halted - Major Changes in Design and New Tenant Revealed

349 West Georgia
With the number of major developments proposed in Vancouver, it's easy to overlook how long some of them have gone without news. The Main Post Office, at 349 W Georgia, is one of those projects that have fallen silent, with no updates since its second version was approved at the UDP in May of 2017. When we saw rumours that Bentall Kennedy and Quadrel were planning a major revision to the proposal, we had to know more.

Hannah's first course of action was to reach out to the city, who provided a quick and informative response. They confirmed the applicant team had requested the city put the rezoning application on hold, as they were reviewing their options for the site. The contact suggested that, if she wished to learn more, she should reach out to the applicant contact, something I already had done.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/0...enant-revealed

[rofina]

Not at all a comment on on the model it self - but those towers are atrocious.

I'm guessing the big revision is removal of residential in favour of office towers. I wonder what the use would be for the old post office building it self? That thing is absolutely huge on its own.

[Max.]

So ugly! It wiil be the Worst design in Downtown Vancouver for a long time!

[GenWhy?]

There was been lots of difficulty in maintaining the existing building mind you.

[GenWhy?]

I meet with MCM on... Tuesday I think and can ask about the Post. Their model in their office is still the older design, which I lived more. My architects aren't the ones on The Post, so they're not the most informed, but I'll see what I can find. My guy did mention it's been a real headache due to the parking and structure in general (almost more like a HA project) and the costs are huge to get this going.

[GenWhy?]

Feathered Friend, just read your website's post, and yeah that all makes sense now. The Heritage and main floor components will be amazing.

[Vin]

From January:

Originally Posted by Vin

Looks like there will be a redesign of the towers on top of the Post office podium. Should see the DP design some time soon I reckon.

They had the new design since earlier this year. Taking quite a while to release it I suppose. I like it better than the terraced version as I don't think it fits the podium at all.

Overall if you folks don't like this, there is only one thing to blame: the view cones!

[officedweller]

Thanks!!

I do agree that the office blocks just seem "plucked" onto the building, but at least it's not as crowded up there as with the previous proposal.
The worst part of it is the off-centre mechanical penthouse (Georgia side).
The Post Office building has classical symmetry - and that mechanical penthouse just screws that up.
(Presumably they placed it there to be under the higher view cone limit on that corner)

The Georgia tower should be set back. The model shows it almost overhanging Georgia St. (?!)

If they are orienting the office block east-west like that
- they should look to the original expansion plan for the building for façade inspiration.

i.e. a mixture of different grids - from punched out squares to larger grids.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/herita...ver/7004562164

Excellent hypothesis...wrt [Amazon]

... I imagine that a large office building, equipped with a distribution centre, would be a good fit for a certain internet retailer...

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/0...nant-revealed/

The infrastructure in the building (driveways, ramps, etc.) would be ready made for an Amazon "last mile" distribution centre
- even if Canada Post abandoned the same uses at the facility.

That would also relieve the developer for filling large big box retail spaces, when the number of potential tenants is dwindling.

i.e. See this article on urban warehouses:

E-commerce 2.0: Last-mile Delivery and the Rise of the Urban Warehouse
https://www.naiop.org/en/Magazine/20...Warehouse.aspx

[Tetsuo]

What a boner killer

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I do agree that the office blocks just seem "plucked" onto the building, but at least it's not as crowded up there as with the previous proposal.

There's a massive gap in the middle, I wonder if they are leaving it open for long term tower potential. The City has been wavering a bit on viewcones in this part of town and if they were able to put a tall office tower in the middle down the road this could be a big win for the site.

Would explain getting rid of the residential as they don't need to worry about residential separation issues (or a noisy strata come re-zoning).

[officedweller]

That would be interesting.

I was thinking that the middle was free because the proposed parking circulation would be up the middle.

The original building is a steel frame building
- so I wonder if the new buildings on top would be steel frame (which would in theory be flexible for an addition)?

There's one building in Toronto (at University & Dundas) where they are adding a concrete condo tower structure on top of an existing steel frame office building (there's a massive concrete transfer slab sitting on top of the retrofitted/reinforced steel frame),
so concrete on top of steel frame is possible.

[SFUVancouver]

Amazon may rent the old post office in downtown Vancouver

Published on: April 17, 2018 | Last Updated: April 17, 2018 11:32 AM PDT

Amazon is looking at renting the old post office in downtown Vancouver.

Real-estate sources say the online retail giant wants to add a million square feet of office and commercial space downtown, part of an expansion that’ll see the company double its Vancouver workforce to 2,000 people by 2020.

Amazon didn’t respond to requests for comment, and leasing agent Tony Astles of Bentall Kennedy said “any discussions we do or don’t have with tenants are confidential, sorry.”

The old post office is a mammoth 686,000-square-feet structure that occupies an entire block between Georgia, Dunsmuir, Homer and Hamilton streets.

A proposed rezoning of the post office site was submitted to the city in November 2016 that would have seen three towers built on top of the existing seven-storey building. The design included a 17-storey office tower and 18- and 20-storey residential towers. The proposal was revised and resubmitted in May 2017 with three “slimmer” towers.

But a spokesperson for the City of Vancouver said “the applicant for the rezoning of the old post-office site has requested that the rezoning application be put on hold while they review their options for the site.”
[...]

http://vancouversun.com/business/com...town-vancouver

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

http://vancouversun.com/business/com...town-vancouver

Thank you for that link. Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that Amazon is coming. I'm cool with that. ... But ... what I want to know is .....
which design are they intending to use? The original "stepped tower" concept, or that grotesquely bland and utlilitarian "twin shoebox" thing?? This is a vital issue, IMO. Thank you.
BTW, in the information sent in by 'Feathered Friend' it mentioned a new major tenant. So this begs the question; is that hideous twin shoebox a "warehouse" Amazon bought?
So hold it right there!! Having Amazon in town is big-time, but does it have to be in this proposed piece of scheiss?

[mcminsen]

Here's a view of the old post office that wasn't possible until very recently.



April 15 '18, my pics

[Pinion]

.

[truenorth44]

Originally Posted by Pinion

I dunno if it's just me but your pics never show up anymore, mcminsen. Use a more robust host? Flickr or imgur.com are the usual recommendations.

I've never had a problem seeing them, FWIW.