The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I imagine Vancouver will get one of these new format stores

Ikea plans to open smaller stores in Toronto as consumers crave convenience

Don't ask what decade it will happen. I posted about it back in June 2015 and at the time they were only talking about opening two stores (in cities that don't have an Ikea) and it hasn't happened yet.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Vancouver has supported the change. "The split assessment model has the backing of a huge swath of policy makers: chief financial officers from Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey and West Vancouver. It’s also received support from the Lower Mainland Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade and the B.C. Chamber of Commerce. Several resolutions on the issue have received support from the Union of B.C. Municipalities." Vancouver Council lobbied for the change to occur, and also shifted more of the tax burden onto residents, and off businesses this year

Talk is cheap. If they supported the change, they could've refunded part of the insane amounts of tax money they received from small businesses back to them, or at least have a rebate programme in place. I bet they just pocket everything that comes through the doors of City Hall, raise City workers' salaries, give plenty benefits (including flex days & vacations), etc., without batting an eye.

Otherwise our city wouldn't have the problem of small businesses shutting down all over the place, in the first place.

Of course, by keeping all the tax dollars in their own coffers, they have to start punishing home owners to look good in the business community.

Other progressive cities shift their regressive city policies to attract better businesses of all types to set up shop, and do not have to worry about all these petty and frivolous issues that are easily solvable in Vancouver. Stubbornness will wither Vancouver.

[Vin]

Why our retail and other businesses —.....

The City of Vancouver’s new council logs a year of living lazily
By Kirk LaPointe | November 1, 2019, 12:00pm
https://biv.com/article/2019/11/city-vancouvers-new-council-logs-year-living-lazily

A year ago, Vancouver municipal voters sent an unambiguous message to change course. The decade-old governing Vision party was eviscerated and a diverse council and independent mayor were elected.

The era of the city’s extra-territorial activity – of trying fruitlessly to fix or fight for matters well beyond its boundaries – was presumably coming to an end. Vancouver’s government would stick to its knitting. The basics – a functional, responsive administration to deal with our streets and sewers and service – would be the priority.

Instead, municipally this has been the Year of Living Lazily.

There has been no signature initiative: no strategy for the local economy to raise the woeful average income, no magic potion to more widely and wisely develop housing those woeful incomes could afford, no focus on a much-needed arts or culture or tech development plan.

No one has been shown the door at city hall. Indeed, more have come through it to work. Nothing discernible has been cut, nothing discernible has happened – except, of course, higher taxes.

Residential and business owners were socked with rate increases more than triple inflation, and there are clear signs of double-digit increases (yes, double-digit) in the year ahead if the reign doesn’t rein in.

Same ol, same ol

However, I have to say that the City has improved on its downtown street cleeanliness, but mostly by partnering with BIA of Vancouver. I see lots more cleaners in the morning picking up litter with their carts, although the process is painfully slow. Why can't the City invest in a few small rubbish removal vehicles or street sweepers, preferably electric ones, to go on the streets and sidewalks to clear litter?

A street sweeper (Vancouver is too cheap to invest in these):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_sweeper#/media/File:Streetsweeper_CN100_Sinder.jpg

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Vin

Talk is cheap. If they supported the change, they could've refunded part of the insane amounts of tax money they received from small businesses back to them, or at least have a rebate programme in place. I bet they just pocket everything that comes through the doors of City Hall, raise City workers' salaries, give plenty benefits (including flex days & vacations), etc., without batting an eye.

Otherwise our city wouldn't have the problem of small businesses shutting down all over the place, in the first place.

Of course, by keeping all the tax dollars in their own coffers, they have to start punishing home owners to look good in the business community.

Other progressive cities shift their regressive city policies to attract better businesses of all types to set up shop, and do not have to worry about all these petty and frivolous issues that are easily solvable in Vancouver. Stubbornness will wither Vancouver.

Genius! You've come up with a solution to the problem of small businesses shutting down all over the place. All you need to do now is; a) Run for Council, b) Persuade the majority of Council members to back the idea (how hard can that be? Councillor Fry got firework sales banned in a matter of weeks). Of course, you need to decide c) what's the definition of 'a small business' and d) how much rebate/refund to give them. Oh, and e) who's going to make up the difference between what they pay now, and what they'll be paying in future. Presumably that's the other businesses (that aren't small) and home owners. You might want to raise a bit money in the process, as rebate systems cost something to operate. You also seem to want to spend more on street cleaning and policing, and probably a few other things. There. Easy, eh?

[officedweller]

More SunGiven Foods pics
From a friend of mine yesterday:



I'm thinking that the store is set back farther into the retail unit, to allow lots of produce displays areas "in front" of the store
without blocking the common areas the way that the Safeway used to do.

I'm wondering if the tile flooring below is representative of new tile to be installed elsewhere in the mall.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Genius! You've come up with a solution to the problem of small businesses shutting down all over the place. All you need to do now is; a) Run for Council, b) Persuade the majority of Council members to back the idea (how hard can that be? Councillor Fry got firework sales banned in a matter of weeks). Of course, you need to decide c) what's the definition of 'a small business' and d) how much rebate/refund to give them. Oh, and e) who's going to make up the difference between what they pay now, and what they'll be paying in future. Presumably that's the other businesses (that aren't small) and home owners. You might want to raise a bit money in the process, as rebate systems cost something to operate. You also seem to want to spend more on street cleaning and policing, and probably a few other things. There. Easy, eh?

Yah, so don't tell me they are trying hard to solve the problem when there is nothing attempted. If they can get fireworks banned in a week, they can do a heck a lot more. in the past year.

You know when people are paid the big bucks, they are obligated to go through all of the above, even if it's far from easy.

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by Vin

If they can get fireworks banned in a week, they can do a heck a lot more. in the past year.

You know when people are paid the big bucks, they are obligated to go through all of the above, even if it's far from easy.

Ah, such a blessed idealist you are. Welcome to politics. The easy wins get priority billing on the order paper.

[SpongeG]

A question about taxes.

Store — on south granville street closes shop and the store goes up for lease but sits empty for years. The taxes would have been paid by the tenant through their monthly rental cost. So now that it is sitting empty the landlord has to assume and pay those costs. But do the taxes go down because the space is empty? or do tey stay at the level they would be if the space had a tenant?

[officedweller]

Property tax would stay the same.

[SpongeG]

ok thanks

[connect2source]

Inside Brentwood's new Sporting Life, looking very forward to checking this out!

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/sporting-life-vancouver-burnaby-the-amazing-brentwood

[s211]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Property tax would stay the same.

My understanding is that after a couple of years of prolonged vacancy, one can ask for a vacancy credit of sorts.

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by s211

My understanding is that after a couple of years of prolonged vacancy, one can ask for a vacancy credit of sorts.

I always find amazing how some properties are always empty and waiting for that perfect tenant.

I saw on face book market place a small corner store 1900 ft2 has rent of 11500. How do you make any money paying that selling smokes and soft drinks

[djh]

Originally Posted by cairnstone

I always find amazing how some properties are always empty and waiting for that perfect tenant.

I saw on face book market place a small corner store 1900 ft2 has rent of 11500. How do you make any money paying that selling smokes and soft drinks

Moreso than this, if I was a South Granville landlord and had a tenant threatening to move out because of the high rent, looking around me and seeing the swath of other empty stores, wouldn't it make sense to lower the rent and keep a good tenant? Surely that would be better than losing a good tenant and dealing with the high uncertainty of finding a new tenant, and having to cover those expenses from my own pocket?!

If the provincial government doesn't quickly reassess their policy for "best and highest use" for commercial propety, more neighbourhood hubs like Granville, Broadway, Cambie, Main, Kerrisdale, Commercial...they will all be empty shells or filled with 99c pizza and weed shops (apparently the only businesses that can pay these rents).

[Vin]

Originally Posted by bluefox

Ah, such a blessed idealist you are. Welcome to politics. The easy wins get priority billing on the order paper.

Thanks for agreeing that City of Vancouver is business-busting. People need to see it more clearly.

[cairnstone]

Not just Vancouver Burnaby is the same. My rent went up hug do to taxes that were passed down to me. Decided that and the labour shortage it was easier to go back t work for the man

[Vin]

Originally Posted by cairnstone

Not just Vancouver Burnaby is the same. My rent went up hug do to taxes that were passed down to me. Decided that and the labour shortage it was easier to go back t work for the man

Well, I pay my taxes in Vancouver, and I see a lot of shuttered businesses here, so Vancouver is my top priority and primary concern.

[SpongeG]

If a place is sitting empty can the landlord just use it as a tax write off?

they know eventually, they may get a big payday when or if the site is sold for redevelopment

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by cairnstone

Not just Vancouver Burnaby is the same. My rent went up hug do to taxes that were passed down to me. Decided that and the labour shortage it was easier to go back t work for the man

Your rent can only be increased by the legal max. Not sure where taxes come in to play.

Landlords will increase rent as far as renters will pay. With a tight vacancy market, that's a lot right now.

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Your rent can only be increased by the legal max. Not sure where taxes come in to play.

Landlords will increase rent as far as renters will pay. With a tight vacancy market, that's a lot right now.

There is no legal max on commercial