Downtown Vancouver Updates

[rofina]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Sell the expensive land. Buy cheap land. Build the non market housing on that.

I'm not talking about the school,, I agree. The area should have a school. And as you said the land is limited.

I'm talking about the non market housing. But whatever. None of this matters since the city wants a mix of users in coal harbour. Which is ridiculous. And yes all those other existing non market housing I'm against as well.

And yes I'm aware that this has always been the plan. Lol that's not a reason for me to agree with it

The details of the deal not withstanding, someone needs to get the City off this idea of spreading social housing around every neighbourhood.

[SpongeG]

Speaking of land cost, I was reading an article about 30+ developments going up in Hollywood area of LA and One of them is a multi storey rental apartment building, the site is on a former gas station that sold for $7.5 million! Imagine if land was that cheap up here.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Speaking of land cost, I was reading an article about 30+ developments going up in Hollywood area of LA and One of them is a multi storey rental apartment building, the site is on a former gas station that sold for $7.5 million! Imagine if land was that cheap up here.

You want to talk about cheap land? One of the best deals in the province's history took place in 2010 when the City of Kelowna sold UBC 103 hectares for $8.8M!

https://ok.ubc.ca/about/milestones/land-to-expand/

Granted, it's ALR land, and it's beside the city dump, but still. That's insane.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Speaking of land cost, I was reading an article about 30+ developments going up in Hollywood area of LA and One of them is a multi storey rental apartment building, the site is on a former gas station that sold for $7.5 million! Imagine if land was that cheap up here.

It depends how long ago it was purchased. Solterra's vacant site at Fir and W7th was acquired in 2011 for $4,287,500.

I'm pretty certain that we're not going to see major projects or neighbourhoods going forward with no social housing. It's been a pillar of City policy for decades, and it's considered by many (including Councillors past and present) to be one of the City's greatest achievements.

[osirisboy]

It's not the role of tax payers to subsidize people's housing in areas like coal harbour when there are cheaper alternatives. I think it's one of the city's stupidest policies. we can have a mix of demographics living together without having to subsidize it.

[officedweller]

402 Dunsmuir

Pic by me today:

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

The most current one that got approved. The one that looks like a big ugly bus shelter. Besides the aesthetics. It's just one retail unit. Wasted opportunity

Technically it's two retail units, but I suppose that won't change your mind.

If you think this proposal is a bus shelter then I'd like to see those shelters. This will be the most expensive building on a square foot basis built in the City of Vancouver, by a significant margin.

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Yeah that space just screams 15 unit retail unit with better architecture. Such a shame, I cry for you.

The previous proposal managed to land 11,900 sq ft on the ground floor, more or less the maximum given required setbacks for sidewalks and SRWs. Removing 2,000 sq ft for the common area mall way entrance leaves you with 9,900 sq ft. With an 80% efficiency that leaves you 7,920 sq ft of retail space, or 528 sq ft per unit.

I urge you to build your building with 15 Freedom Mobile kiosks with "better architecture"... I'd love to see how it turns out.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

July 8 '19, my pics

Here's a walk around the back of this two tower complex (Cardero, Pendrell, Bidwell). I think the west tower may be topped off.




July 22 '19, my pics

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Technically it's two retail units, but I suppose that won't change your mind.

If you think this proposal is a bus shelter then I'd like to see those shelters. This will be the most expensive building on a square foot basis built in the City of Vancouver, by a significant margin.



The previous proposal managed to land 11,900 sq ft on the ground floor, more or less the maximum given required setbacks for sidewalks and SRWs. Removing 2,000 sq ft for the common area mall way entrance leaves you with 9,900 sq ft. With an 80% efficiency that leaves you 7,920 sq ft of retail space, or 528 sq ft per unit.

I urge you to build your building with 15 Freedom Mobile kiosks with "better architecture"... I'd love to see how it turns out.

Yes I get that's all that they are allowed to build and are constrained. That's where my issue comes from. not the developer but they City for not encouraging something more substantial here. And with four seasons leaving it would've made for a great opportunity to redo that whole stretch. And this is seriously the most expensive build per sqft? That makes it even more irritating! But all that aside. It's so friggin ugly!

Safeway buildings look great!!

[officedweller]

Thanks!
Bit of a retro colour chice for the mullions and spandrel
- but should blend into the neighbourhood.

[Tetsuo]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

I wonder why the province/vsb does not look at a building that has housing for families above a school at street level? Or for that case community centres with housing above the actual centre... Schools and community centres are very quite and all when school is not in session and or the centre is closed. Even if the housing is dedicated to single mothers with children alone this would ease the pressure off other housing supply for other categories of people. I hope they do build that school in SEFC cause there are a lot of mothers with young kids in the are and I imagine that's going to continue to be the case for the future.

The city is actually doing this with a firehall that has housing for single women/with children above it. Kerr and 54th Ave

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

The city is actually doing this with a firehall that has housing for single women/with children above it. Kerr and 54th Ave

They also put family housing over the new Library on East Hastings, and they have plans to add housing over a new replacement Firehall Downtown on Hamilton, having picked up the two buildings to the north in a CAC deal.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Yes I get that's all that they are allowed to build and are constrained. That's where my issue comes from. not the developer but they City for not encouraging something more substantial here. And with four seasons leaving it would've made for a great opportunity to redo that whole stretch. And this is seriously the most expensive build per sqft? That makes it even more irritating! But all that aside. It's so friggin ugly!

Safeway buildings look great!!

This reminds me of the old Saturday Nightlife skit: "LOWERED EXPECTATIONS",

I love the glass dome way better. At least it has character and functions as a good and bright gathering place.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Changing City

... d they have plans to add housing over a new replacement Firehall Downtown on Hamilton, having picked up the two buildings to the north in a CAC deal.

Thanks for the info.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by Changing City

They also put family housing over the new Library on East Hastings, and they have plans to add housing over a new replacement Firehall Downtown on Hamilton, having picked up the two buildings to the north in a CAC deal.

That's very interesting regarding the new firehall. What's the time line for that?

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

That's very interesting regarding the new firehall. What's the time line for that?

None stated yet. The two buildings were owned by Amacon, and are being given to the City as part of the CAC for the tower over the Northern Electric / Catholic Charities building on Robson, so it's in the rezoning report.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Vin

This reminds me of the old Saturday Nightlife skit: "LOWERED EXPECTATIONS",

I love the glass dome way better. At least it has character and functions as a good and bright gathering place.

its Saturday Night Live and that skit was from Mad TV

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

fancy

New digital signs popping up across downtown Vancouver, with more on the way
July 4, 2019 By Peter Meiszner

If you’ve been around the Vancouver Art Gallery recently, you may have noticed the installation of several new digital advertising signs.

As part of the City of Vancouver’s street furniture contract with Outfront/JCDecaux, seven of these digital signs are planned around the downtown peninsula.

Two of the first digital signs have been installed near the art gallery, one on West Georgia in front of the plaza (known as šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square), and one on Robson Street, half a block east of Burrard.



...

https://urbanyvr.com/digital-signs-downtown-vancouver

And one's getting installed now on Robson by Telus, just across from Japadog.



July 30 '19, my pic

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

And one's getting installed now on Robson by Telus, just across from Japadog.



July 30 '19, my pic

there are 7 or 8 i can think of being installed with these ones. haha. quite a few.

[rofina]

Wait - are these just for advertising?

That's brutal, if so.