Downtown Vancouver Updates

[uzi]

what project is that?

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by uzi

what project is that?

That would probably be the Stanley / New Fountain, non-market and market rental.

[jlousa]

Crane lift is for the two daycares being built on the top floor of the Gastown parkades. A ridiculous idea and location when the there is a dozen schools still on the chopping block in this city due to low enrollment and they could cheaply convert a few classrooms over instead and keep the schools open.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Crane lift is for the two daycares being built on the top floor of the Gastown parkades. A ridiculous idea and location when the there is a dozen schools still on the chopping block in this city due to low enrollment and they could cheaply convert a few classrooms over instead and keep the schools open.

Ah - I didn't realise those were as advanced. I assume the reason is because the City is responsible for providing facilities for childcare, which is needed where people work. Those top floors of the parkade are seldom filled with vehicles - if you look on the VanMap aerial photos there were only Car2Go cars parked up there. There are no empty classrooms in any of the Downtown schools - which are under the jurisdiction of the VSB, not the city. There are also hundreds more daycare age kids living Downtown in 2016 than in 2006, so the local residents need more daycares as well.

[jlousa]

Having worked with VSOCC in the past most of the downtown spaces are occupied by parents that work downtown but live outside the core. At the same time the city is trying to make Water St a "Carlite st" they are going to have a hundred parents driving in and out of that parkade during rushhour. And treking up 7 floors to get there.
We know that the schools are property of the VSB the issue has been the teachers union preventing outside staff from operating daycares spots on school grounds. If they could resolve that issue it would be a big win for parents who are already dropping off kids at the school and for taxpayers.
And the parkades top level only had car2gos and evos as the level was reserved for them before construction began. The Woodwards residents who don't have a parking spot underneath just renegotiated there parking leases and had to pay full market rates as easy park claimed there was a crunch on spaces.
Would've been nicer to see the space as public amenity space if it were deemed surplus.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Having worked with VSOCC in the past most of the downtown spaces are occupied by parents that work downtown but live outside the core. At the same time the city is trying to make Water St a "Carlite st" they are going to have a hundred parents driving in and out of that parkade during rushhour. And treking up 7 floors to get there.
We know that the schools are property of the VSB the issue has been the teachers union preventing outside staff from operating daycares spots on school grounds. If they could resolve that issue it would be a big win for parents who are already dropping off kids at the school and for taxpayers.
And the parkades top level only had car2gos and evos as the level was reserved for them before construction began. The Woodwards residents who don't have a parking spot underneath just renegotiated there parking leases and had to pay full market rates as easy park claimed there was a crunch on spaces.
Would've been nicer to see the space as public amenity space if it were deemed surplus.

Thanks for the local knowledge. I don't think the rooftops were considered surplus, I think the City was getting desperate to find places that work as childcare Downtown - and of course they own these locations. The requirements for some outdoor space make it difficult to identify big enough areas, so I can see why these were chosen.

Apparently there will be three VSB schools with rooftop childcare centres - the first (Lord Nelson Elementary) opened last month.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Thanks for the local knowledge. I don't think the rooftops were considered surplus, I think the City was getting desperate to find places that work as childcare Downtown - and of course they own these locations. The requirements for some outdoor space make it difficult to identify big enough areas, so I can see why these were chosen.

Apparently there will be three VSB schools with rooftop childcare centres - the first (Lord Nelson Elementary) opened last month.

David Lloyd George Elementary and Eric Hamber Secondary are next.

[WarrenC12]

In my experience with VSOCC it's local parents and a 1+ year waiting list. So demand is there. It's also good quality with low pricing.

But the VSB/province has definitely dropped the ball on schools. We are down 1 in coal harbour and 1 in olympic village, and possibly a high school somewhere in the area.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

In my experience with VSOCC it's local parents and a 1+ year waiting list. So demand is there. It's also good quality with low pricing.

But the VSB/province has definitely dropped the ball on schools. We are down 1 in coal harbour and 1 in olympic village, and possibly a high school somewhere in the area.

And yet we still have lightly used elementary schools on the West Side that stagger on when the money should be used elsewhere....

Even Richmond finally bit the bullet and closed Sea Island Elementary but only after it sunk to a grand total of 13 students!

[phesto]

Was this posted already?

Renderings of 601 West Pender: https://www.instagram.com/p/B48KlmABZOX/

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by phesto

Was this posted already?

Renderings of 601 West Pender: https://www.instagram.com/p/B48KlmABZOX/

No -great find! We knew Reliance had bought that parkade. There's another image on ChangingCity here.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Changing City

No -great find! We knew Reliance had bought that parkade. There's another image on ChangingCity here.

Designed by New York’s KPF Architecture. There's another image in that other post as well.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by phesto

Was this posted already?

Renderings of 601 West Pender: https://www.instagram.com/p/B48KlmABZOX/

Nice, thanks!


https://www.instagram.com/jonstovell/


https://www.instagram.com/jonstovell/


https://www.instagram.com/jonstovell/

[Doodler]

Nice looking building. Kind of sucks for those people who have offices on the east side of the Rogers Building on Pender and Granville. Looks like they are being filled in.

[rofina]

That's very nice. I like it a lot!

[Changing City]

If it's KPF's design, it's probably from their San Fransisco office that opened in 2018. In Vancouver the company designed the MNP tower, the Bosa 320 Granville office redesign, and Anthem's condo tower on West Georgia.

[jollyburger]

Daily Hive says it's already been submitted. More renderings and details on the design:

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/601-west-pender-street-vancouver-office-tower

[Prometheus]

Just to pat myself on the back, when an exoskeleton-like tower was first mentioned recently, this was one of the locations I singled out:

Originally Posted by Prometheus

What's the location?

-The parkade behind the Erickson building on the SE corner of Dunsmuir and Thurlow?
-One of the parkades on the Bentall complex?
-The parkade on the NW corner of Seymour and Pender?

As far as design, there is nothing the developer can do about city council's infernal viewcone restrictions, but the choice of a horizontal band every two floors has the unfortunate consequence of exacerbating the adverse effects of city policy even further, making the building appear even more stubby than it is.

[jollyburger]

E1



"The views across downtown have become constrained since the viewpoints were originally envisioned. Where it was anticipated that a sawtooth tower pattern below the view would leave slotted views to the mountains beyond, recent developments have left the surrounding areas mostly filled."

https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/cambie-bridge-protected-view.aspx

[Vin]

Originally Posted by rofina

That's very nice. I like it a lot!

Building itself looks nice, but you should see its relationship with the surrounding buildings: a table-topping disaster, once again.

See it here:

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/601-west-pender-street-vancouver-office-tower

When that part of the CBD is fully built-out, it will be one whole lump of inserted blocks. City planners better review the aesthetics of the skyline and change the viewcone policies before it's too late to remedy the potential ugliness.

As for the building proposed: this would be another waste of great architecture.