Yes, Central still has massive vacant commercial space. A coffee shop has already failed in the Lido building, as have a few businesses along that stretch of West 2nd.
Failure in retail synergy is causing this. Can see this coming when the placement of retail was so sporadic at the planning stages of those buildings. I did push the City during their open house to have more retail around the Concert buildings, but I guess to no avail.
Retail doesn't usually fail so close to major transportation hubs and attractions. The huge gap of the "in-betweens" is what dooms these businesses.
Back in 2013:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vin
Understand that green space is needed; I myself love parks and gardens. However, there is more than enough fields in that neighbourhood, including the huge one west of OV which I never see anyone on it, the grass mound north of Science World and more future huge park and field at the northeast corner of False Creek.
For the Concert development, I would love to see at least a continuity of retail space to link Main and Quebec to the OV retail centre at the plaza. The field should be scaled back to become a park like Emery Barnes at Davie and Seymour.
I do agree about zoning-up low density areas in other parts, but it would never be large scale such as OV. I hope a new City Council in the future would be able to do something great and exciting on the east side land of OV, but I find it highly unlikely.
Retail doesn't usually fail so close to major transportation hubs and attractions. The huge gap of the "in-betweens" is what dooms these businesses.
"Synergy" isn't going to change anything. The Canada Line riders are pulled towards existing retail on 6th-Broadway, the Expo Line riders are pulled towards Chinatown or Science World, and everybody else is there to walk on the seawall - that's why OV Square and the Tap & Barrel are doing well. So a contiguous streetfront along False Creek would work fine, but West 2nd is almost entirely dependent on residents and car/bus traffic.
Vin, OV and Main Street are connected by mutiple routes including 2nd ave. The grasssy sapce, as you call it, north of Science World is chaulk full of people even at dusk on a Sunday.
Nice pictures, thanks.
Since I've been away, visiting rather infrequently, (along with travelling elsewhere,) it's great to see this district,
with understated, sleek architecture, and touches of wood, water and flowers plus a seemingly good lighting system, assuming so. Good stuff imo. Very Vancouver.
Ugh... bikes on balconies already? I don't care how much a bike costs, it doesn't get dragged through a building and then displayed on a balcony. The city's forcing developers to put those bike rooms in, so how about using them folks?
I've got two high-end bikes, one cross country and one free ride, and they live in the designated bike locker room where they should be. It's called courtesy for the rest of the people in the complex, not entitled "my bike's too special to schlep with lesser peons".
Ugh... bikes on balconies already? I don't care how much a bike costs, it doesn't get dragged through a building and then displayed on a balcony. The city's forcing developers to put those bike rooms in, so how about using them folks?
I've got two high-end bikes, one cross country and one free ride, and they live in the designated bike locker room where they should be. It's called courtesy for the rest of the people in the complex, not entitled "my bike's too special to schlep with lesser peons".
Most stratas have rules around what you can put on a balcony. That building may or may not have even had their first AGM yet. It will happen, takes time though.
Continued work on the intersection of 1st and Quebec. Ain't no streetcar fitting around that corner! I'm shocked how narrow that road is, although there is no decrease in lanes.
I should take more pictures to illustrate the use of space along Quebec too, which is very wide. Essentially it is Building<->Landscaping<->Sidewalk<->Landscaping<->Bike Lane<->Landscaping<->Road.
Continued work on the intersection of 1st and Quebec. Ain't no streetcar fitting around that corner! I'm shocked how narrow that road is, although there is no decrease in lanes.
At the open house last fall, the NEFC design team said they wanted the streetcar (north of 1st) to run in mixed traffic. Brace for impact - literally.
Handsome, Striking, Elegant and Simply Well Done – Concert’s Creek Finale Receives High Praise from Vancouver’s UDP
1151 Quebec
As Concert nears completion on their Southeast False Creek lands, it appears they saved the best for last. This large development has seen the addition of new public spaces, and a range of new housing options for all income levels. As a trade off for providing 135 below market homes, the City agreed to allow a slightly taller building along False Creek than policy would normally allow. The only condition was that it be seen as a landmark, something described as architecture with a capital A.
The original design felt plain for this location and left much to be desired. However, at a recent open house, the applicants unveiled this new sleek, dark, design which easily won the approval of the UDP.
That said, it appeared that all members of the panels struggled with the question on whether the building was a “landmark.” I think these experts generally recognized such a question is highly subjective. However, one panellist felt the proposal deserved landmark status simply because it somehow managed to meets the City’s environmental requirements, while still incorporating so many windows into the design.
Despite this, the panel felt the proposal was appropriate for its location, though city staff expressed concern over the impact on the existing views of some nearby buildings.
"one panellist felt the proposal deserved landmark status simply because it somehow managed to meets the City’s environmental requirements, while still incorporating so many windows into the design"
That says it all these days. Vancouver's building code is being taken far beyond its traditional realm of ensuring safety and instead is now being used to push whatever flavour-of-the-day Vancouver's out-of-touch planners can play with.
Higher environmental policy like the Green Buildings Policy for Rezonings is not a "flavour of the month", and are relatively easy to address - but a headache and necessary to tackle at the pre-app stage - and not as restrictive as you mention. It does add initial cost and design considerations, but the long term savings are present.
We're not that far off in concerns to higher regulation in Canada in general and it's constantly moving that way, as we catch up to Europe, and harmonize standards, which standardizes materials, technology and lowers costs. If it's about how "good" a building looks due to these policies, then that's subjective.
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it's great to see this district, 
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