Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham_Yvr
Why the negativity? This project is clearly much larger/denser than what had been there. The Safeway is significantly larger (by about a third), plus there's the addition of a Scotiabank branch and the return of the liquor store. IIRC there is still some space for lease, but don't quote me on that.
The surface parking lot between the former Safeway and Liquor store was essentially absorbed into new retail space. This, combined with the newly built retail space at 1188 Bidwell next door, along with much wider sidewalks, results in a wholly remade block that the West End has not seen until now.
It's almost surprisingly 'oversized' for the area. I said ALMOST.
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I'm not negative about the development. It's a big lot, so it can take two towers. I think adding the residential is great for the West End - especially as rental. There are three 'pockets' of development that have been developed as a result of the West End Plan. This cluster of towers is one. There's a full block with three towers up Davie (Mirabel and Jervis), and there's the block and a third with the Landmark and GWL Rental towers on Robson. There are lots of other clusters proposed, but we might be a long time before we see those built. I don't count the Butterfly, as it was around as a proposal before the Plan.
The lot next door, and the former parking lot for London Drug across the street are smaller, so they could obviously only take a single tower, but they've actually added more density than this project, as they were very underdeveloped. They're all being built at very similar densities. The old Safeway store was tired (even though it was a 1990s building), and the new one will be bigger. I'm not sure that it represents such a change that it will attract significantly more shoppers than the previous store, even if it is a third bigger. It's the same brand, and there's the existing Robson & Denman store that's not ancient, and I think is almost exactly the same size as the new one. This project is supposed to also have the relocated liquor store, so that will attract shoppers, but again there's no reason that it'll be a lot more than the liquor store that was next door before - although I think the replacement is larger. The Starbucks is Starbucks. There's one other store, and apparently it's a bank (for now) - I think there used to be three, including a hairdresser.
It'll be better having a wider sidewalk, but I don't think that's going to increase the number of people who come here. So it's good to see the West End Plan come to fruition, and add rental units, but I don't see the new retail as a huge change over what was here before - more a refresh. It's certainly not a mall!
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