General Vancouver Updates

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Arbutus Shopping Centre redevelopment.


March 1 '18, my pic

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/03/03...more-rental-homes-at-the-arbutus-centre/

^^^ Click on the links in the quoted posts above to see previous pics and discussion about the Arbutus Shopping Centre redevelopment. New photo update below.




May 17 '18, my pics

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by officedweller

New (?) renderings from GBL twitter May 16th:
Less blank wall on the east faacde (broken up with dark spandrel, and the wood cladding does not wrap to the ceiling)

Yay they listened to me!

Honestly though I am happy they addressed that awful wall, it's vastly improved this time. Do wish they would wrap the ceiling with the wood though.

Originally Posted by officedweller

Wendy's on Cambie has been listed for sale.

But what about that view cone?


http://www.vancourier.com/real-estate/we...ated-for-iconic-redevelopment-1.23306063

Ya I would not expect anything substantial at this site. Good to see the drivethrough gone though.

Strange they're not waiting for the new plan for the Broadway corridor. Perhaps they got word that the density was not being upped much and thought they'd sell and hope someone else buys the potential upzoning.

[Feathered Friend]

Keeping Norquay's Heart Beating – Coromandel Proposes a Fountain of Buildings

Once again, we've been fortunate enough that a reader has chosen to send us this pre-application flyer for an upcoming development. This one is located across from Norquay Park, where Harvey's Furniture & Appliances (valued at 23 million dollars) used to be, and where the Fountain Tire lands sold last year for 14 million dollars.

We should note that, according to the Georgia Straight, there was a pre-application open house held for the Harvey's site last year, however this new proposal will also include the Fountain Tire property. The notification card also clears up the confusion, revealing that Coromandel is still the developer of these properties.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/05/18...mandel-proposes-a-fountain-of-buildings/

[mcminsen]

Here are the current views of the four corners of Cambie and King Edward.

SE, SW, NW, NE.



May 19 '18, my pics

[Feathered Friend]

May 22nd Public Hearing – A Fishy Office Building, 42 Rental Homes in a Blizzard, and Is 10 Stories too Tall for Broadway?
It looks like Hannah and I made a pretty good assessment of the last public hearing. The Cambie Strata proposal unanimously passed without any speakers, and though the Oak St proposal had a few speakers concerned about rental displacement, it still passed unanimously. Meanwhile, the Renfrew and E 22nd project had one speaker who made sure to identify they were a nearby home owner and not a renter. They added that if the proposal was approved, it will be their business to make sure this doesn’t go up. While City Council received several letters in support, one city councillor still voted against it.

In hopes that we can keep our assessments accurate going ward, and after hearing a few comments of support, we’ve decided to keep doing these public hearing reviews. Hopefully people continue to find them interesting, and even better, choose to engage as a result. We’ve marked the projects in greatest threat with asterisks.

The First Item – 425 West 6th Avenue
What is it?:
This is a 10 story office building with 2 retail stores on the ground level, and 9 levels of office space. There will also be a total of 290 spaces of parking.

The Second Item – 2109 East Hastings
What is it?:
A 6 story building that will provide 42 rental homes.

The Third Item – 1619 – 1651 East Broadway ***
What is it?:
This is a 10 story mixed use building, with 47 rental homes, 46 strata homes, and retail on the ground level.

Email: [email protected]

More information at: https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/05/21...and-is-10-stories-too-tall-for-broadway/

[Feathered Friend]

Old Model Photos

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Some photos of the model and a bit of info from the open house.

Old Proposal Rendering

Originally Posted by officedweller

Don't think these have been posted - both market rental:

855 Kingsway

http://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/855kingsway/index.htm


http://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/855kingsway/documents/Renderings.pdf

Revised Proposal Rendering

http://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/855kingsway/documents/REVISED_Renderings_Small_000.pdf

UDP Rejection Leads to Year Long Delay for 49 Kingsway Rental Homes
855 Kingsway
It’s no secret that Vancouver has been facing a lack of housing options, as well as a staffing shortage in the city’s development and planning departments. Unfortunately, this has led to mistakes and delays, like what happened with 3070 Kingsway, a rental building in Renfrew Collingwood. That project was set back for a month due to a lack of UDP volunteers members. That said, the story behind the delay of 855 Kingsway is longer and far worse.

.

Continued at:
https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/05/22...long-delay-for-49-kingsway-rental-homes/

[officedweller]

Looks much better, especially the top level, which looked like it was clad in vinyl siding in the original version.

The chunkier vertical elements will also look better when other buildings are built on the adjacent lots. In the original version, the verticals of the "frame" would have disappeared when adjacent buildings are built.

It also moves away from the "let's add colour to make the spandrel interesting" frame of mind.

[s211]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Continued at:
https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/05/22...long-delay-for-49-kingsway-rental-homes/

"When you hear the story, it’s easy to get angry and blame city staff for these problems. However, the truth is that city staff are only human."

That might be, some of the time, but from experience I can attest to the city's planners and lawyers thinking they're gods, and acting like it too. One of the primary reasons for projects taking so long to get approved is that the planning department is broken, and much of the damage is self-inflicted. It's almost like planners have been engaging in self-mutilation caused by ideological demagoguery. I guess that's what happens after several previous heads of planning have been treated like rockstars; the rest of the system thinks they're somehow special too.

[officedweller]

Four Esso Stations for sale - 3 westside, 1 Lougheed:


http://www.collierscanada.com/24532#.WwU3z9KWxD8

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Old Model Photos


Old Proposal Rendering


Revised Proposal Rendering

http://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/855kingsway/documents/REVISED_Renderings_Small_000.pdf

.

Continued at:
https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/05/22...long-delay-for-49-kingsway-rental-homes/

Originally Posted by officedweller

Looks much better, especially the top level, which looked like it was clad in vinyl siding in the original version.

The chunkier vertical elements will also look better when other buildings are built on the adjacent lots. In the original version, the verticals of the "frame" would have disappeared when adjacent buildings are built.

It also moves away from the "let's add colour to make the spandrel interesting" frame of mind.

This building also has more classical lines than the former "North America Plastic/Fake Sweden" looking version.
This building has modernized elements of Georgian architecture in it (though without the fantail windows of course!!)
It follows a classic pattern of putting taller windows at the bottom, and shorter ones at the top.
Many new buildings in Paris are designed to fit in with the streetscape in design and height level. I could see this one going in Paris - at the right place - with no problem at all.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Four Esso Stations for sale - 3 westside, 1 Lougheed:


http://www.collierscanada.com/24532#.WwU3z9KWxD8

So does anyone know what happened with the esso on Davie? It was listed for sale last year, now nothing. Did they decide not to sell?

[domusile]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

So does anyone know what happened with the esso on Davie? It was listed for sale last year, now nothing. Did they decide not to sell?

I think Concord Pacific bought it.

[SpongeG]

yea it was on the news as it was the last gas station downtown.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Old Model Photos


Old Proposal Rendering


Revised Proposal Rendering

http://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/855kingsway/documents/REVISED_Renderings_Small_000.pdf

.

Continued at:
https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/05/22...long-delay-for-49-kingsway-rental-homes/

I like the original sleek version. The revised one is almost the same as vya at 233 Kingsway but in an awful taupe colour and less detail.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

yea it was on the news as it was the last gas station downtown.

Yeah it was on the news as being listed for sale last year when chevron closed on Georgia. But there has been nothing since. And since the media went crazy with covering it being the last gas station downtown I would've thought they would've covered it being sold to concord. Is there a source to concord buying it?

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by domusile

I think Concord Pacific bought it.

I can't find any news on this. Do you have a source?

[Tetsuo]

Theres been zero news on the sale of the two other Burrard locations, West 4th and Broadway, but I've been told they have been sold as well.

Pro-tip for Esso's, the ones still branded as On the Run and not 7/11 are the ones they've been looking at offloading.

[Feathered Friend]

Despite Making all the Right Decisions Vancouver Rental Building Forced to Undergo Further Review
815-825 Commercial Drive & 1680 Adanac Street
In a region experiencing a critical shortage of rental housing it’s a shame to see a great project held up by self defeating bureaucracy. Unfortunately, that fate will befall this Passive House rental building at Commercial and Adanac, located across the street from the long delayed Kettle Boffo redevelopment.

...However, when I asked about this project, staff indicated that the open house for this 6 story building, generated a small, but far more positive turnout...

... Overall though, the panel felt the building made “all the right decisions,” was the first step to shaping the urban space of the neighbourhood, and while it doesn’t reflect the existing character, it sets the tone for the future.

For the first time this year, the UDP Supported the project without any recommendations for the applicants. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t end there…

Read what happened next at : https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/05/27...ilding-forced-to-undergo-further-review/

[officedweller]

From Changing City Updates -

Office building for the 3 Vets site:

2200 Yukon


https://changingcitybook.com/2018/05/25/2200-yukon-street/

[rofina]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Read what happened next at : https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/05/27...ilding-forced-to-undergo-further-review/

Can anyone explain why the approval process needs to be this convoluted?

I want to be educated on the "pros" of this system before I lose my shit in an e-mail to every City staffer I can find.

This is so ridiculous it makes me rage.

This building is great!
Don't go ahead and build it!
Submit it for another review process that will take 12 months or longer.
Maybe we will ask you for more changes then...

I mean how can you defend a 2 year approval process on a non controversial, 6 story building, that even the entirely unnecessary UDP likes.

This is absurd.