Olympic Village & Southeast False Creek Updates Discussion

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by zahav

What about that giant stretch from Crowe St. to the social housing building? There's Clubhouse Japananese there, then another collission place, and a place that sells weird home decor that's always "going out of business". There is a Colliers for sale sign that's been there forever that says "New Price", but not idea if it's current. Also don't know if those buildings are a bunch of different owners or the same. It is really the last eyesore stretch in the north of 2nd area and is fairly large so could be a two-tower development even. Anyone know anything about it?

I know, that "Hansen House" place is weird. It originally closed May 2015, so I thought the signs of "final lease extension" and "owner retiring" were quite funny as the latter was the reason cited for closing the first time. The space was empty for four years and then all of a sudden he's back -- yet he didn't seem to be having much luck selling his inventory. All the same, it closed end of February and Clubhouse shuttered soon after. The auto body shops on either end are both still open so I'm guessing any movement not happening is a result of their respective leases not yet being up?

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by bluefox

I know, that "Hansen House" place is weird. It originally closed May 2015, so I thought the signs of "final lease extension" and "owner retiring" were quite funny as the latter was the reason cited for closing the first time. The space was empty for four years and then all of a sudden he's back -- yet he didn't seem to be having much luck selling his inventory. All the same, it closed end of February and Clubhouse shuttered soon after. The auto body shops on either end are both still open so I'm guessing any movement not happening is a result of their respective leases not yet being up?

The lack of movement is presumably because nobody wants to buy the site to develop it - at least at the price Executive want to sell it for which is now the low, low price of $56 million. That might be why potential developers aren't lining up. The car repairers are probably on short-term leases, although they'll have a while to retire or find new locations as the site isn't pre-zoned, so that'll take a while.

[GenWhy?]

I thought new rental housing programs were being released just before summer? I thought this was just an OCP amendment rezoning but it looks like the City took a very liberal interpretation of additional floors to existing plans. As I think if it was purely based on floors this would be limited to a 16-storey building.

Looks better than the Styrofoam model he showed me.

[officedweller]

The longer the time period to redevelop that site,
the more likely something different in style will be built!

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by officedweller

The longer the time period to redevelop that site,
the more likely something different in style will be built!

It being expedited.

[officedweller]

Ah, so more of the same?

[GenWhy?]

Not like a Rental 100 rezoning at all, for instance, for this is simply adding 3 floors to the existing allowed, which is as tall as a building across the street. This is a "from scratch" neighbourhood and it's 20% tied to incomes.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Changing City

The lack of movement is presumably because nobody wants to buy the site to develop it - at least at the price Executive want to sell it for which is now the low, low price of $56 million. That might be why potential developers aren't lining up. The car repairers are probably on short-term leases, although they'll have a while to retire or find new locations as the site isn't pre-zoned, so that'll take a while.

Cumbersome and time-consuming rezoning policies, on top of limited allowed built density for the site: I'm not blaming developers for not lining up to purchase it. Seems to be the same for much of Vancouver proper.

[GenWhy?]

I hope my napkin math doesn't put their construction cost at almost the same as the selling price...

[officedweller]

W2

Pics by me yesterday

[officedweller]

1715 Cook St

Pics by me yesterday:

[officedweller]

Avenue One

Pics by me yesterday:

[BodomReaper]

Thanks for the update. Still crazy to me that this one doesn't have retail, especially with those plaza spaces ideal for patios etc.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by BodomReaper

Thanks for the update. Still crazy to me that this one doesn't have retail, especially with those plaza spaces ideal for patios etc.

There's plenty of retail along 2nd, but yes, future developments between 1st and the waterfront near the Cambie bridge should include retail.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by BodomReaper

Still crazy to me that this one doesn't have retail, especially with those plaza spaces ideal for patios etc.

Originally Posted by officedweller

Avenue One

You mean the ground level space seen in this photo is not commercial retail space? If that's true, then, yeah, that would be crazy and another disappointing loss for good city-building. I would be very surprised if that's true, though.

[zahav]

I'm surprised how "under utilized" this lot is. The building itself is quite large, but the lot has tons of open space (plazas) surprisingly so since it looks like they could've fit quite a bit more there. I like the fact there will be quite a lot of open space, but I am just surprised. I'm sure there was a reason (ie. city restriction).

And yes, if there's plazas on either side of this thing, there better be retail

[officedweller]

No retail on the concave side:

https://donurquhart.com

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by officedweller

No retail on the concave side.

But what about the convex side on 2nd Avenue?

[kaitoe]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

But what about the convex side on 2nd Avenue?

Doesn’t look like it — just an amenity room and more townhomes https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/1768cook/documents/Level1FloorPlan.pdf

[officedweller]

It's hit and miss on the north side to the west, too.
Next door is the Margeurite Ford social housing building, and farther west (past the stretch of older retail) there's live work that looks more like townhouses, until you get to Maynards Block.