Downtown Vancouver Updates - Page 992

Changing City · #**19821** Posted **Jul 22, 2021, 1:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoFace

This is not going to be your normal market rental. Good story, but I can't see Cohen wanting to be associated with what will be an ongoing news/crime story.

Westbank built 200 social housing units in Woodwards; is that an ongoing news/crime story? As they're currently building another 62 market rental units across the street from A&N on Cordova, as well as 80 social housing units to rent at shelter rates, it seems they don't share your opinion.

TwoFace · #**19822** Posted **Jul 22, 2021, 1:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

it seems they don't share your opinion.

Your like a "fake news" channel, I don't take you seriously.
https://www.areavibes.com/vancouver-bc/downtown+eastside/crime/

Changing City · #**19823** Posted **Jul 22, 2021, 2:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoFace

Your like a "fake news" channel, I don't take you seriously.
https://www.areavibes.com/vancouver-bc/downtown+eastside/crime/

That's a reliable source. "Crime data for this area is not available". Bosa are apparently going to be involved in the A&N redevelopment, and Westbank across, and down the street. There's nothing "fake" about that, and having more market rentals can't hurt the area.

TwoFace · #**19824** Posted **Jul 22, 2021, 2:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

That's a reliable source. "Crime data for this area is not available"

Read this a couple times, or until it sinks in. Cheap land is always a prime target for redevelopment.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/violent-crime-increasing-dtes-1.5273762

jollyburger · #**19825** Posted **Jul 22, 2021, 3:36 AM**

Not sure if there's anything news from the previous stories about this.

Quote:

Developer pitches downtown Vancouver rental development for essential workers
Proposed 47-storey tower in downtown Vancouver would have 104 rental units set aside for essential workers, but needs a zoning change from office to residential.

A prominent developer wants a zoning change to allow him to build a 47-storey residential tower on a commercially zoned site in downtown Vancouver that would include housing for paramedics and other essential service workers.

Reliance Properties CEO Jon Stovell said city staff had previously refused to advance a rezoning enquiry for 484 rental units where there is now a parking lot – beside the 27-storey MacMillan Bloedel Building (designed by Arthur Erickson) at the corner of Melville and Thurlow streets. Of those rental units, 104 would be offered at below-market rent for essential workers making between $39,200 and $78,500 a year.

“Our initial inquiry for our workforce housing project was almost two years ago and it never saw the light of day at city hall, even though it met key housing objectives,” Stovell said in a statement. “Council’s new policy finally gives us a path forward.”

Stovell was referring to a new approval process at the City of Vancouver that, according to Mayor Kennedy Stewart, “ensures housing and development proposals that often languish for years behind closed doors will now come before the public and councillors in a fair, open and transparent hearing — with an overall objective of clearing our existing backlog of project proposals.”

Stewart said projects that created rental, social and co-operative and supportive housing would get higher priority than condos built “for speculators.”

“These changes shift control from civil servants to council and encourage for-profit and non-profit housing developers to build more of the affordable housing we need. This is good for residents struggling with high housing costs. Good for our economy. And good for our city,” Stewart said in a statement earlier this month.

Stovell said there are already more than five million square feet of office space under development in downtown Vancouver — including five towers in various stages of design and development being completed by Reliance — and that housing for mid-income earners is in high demand in the downtown core.

Troy Clifford, president of the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., submitted a letter to support Reliance’s proposal.

“It is critical for emergency responders and front-line workers to live in the communities they serve, especially if there is a natural disaster like an earthquake, which requires immediate and co-ordinated response. In recent years, employers in downtown Vancouver have increasingly stated that housing affordability challenges have affected their ability to recruit and retain staff,” Clifford wrote in his letter.

Occupations that would qualify to rent in the proposed Reliance building include paramedics, firefighters, nurses, police officers, teachers, bus drivers, grocery clerks and construction workers.

The Vancouver Elementary School Teachers’ Association and the Vancouver Secondary Teachers’ Association recently won zoning approval to build a five-storey mixed commercial and residential building at the southwest corner of Commercial Drive and East 13th Avenue that would include 27 rental units for early-career teachers traditionally priced out of the Vancouver rental market.

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/plan-to-build-rental-housing-for-paramedics-in-vancouver

GenWhy? · #**19826** Posted **Jul 22, 2021, 4:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

Is 74 W Hastings the site on the south side, across from A&N, next to the Portland Hotel? It's under construction (as 58 W Hastings). Health Centre and a mix of market and social housing, developed by the Chinatown Foundation with BC Housing funds.

I might've got the address wrong, but it's that "Country Bar". Next to the 58 West Hastings 230 unit social housing project. I hope the building's very small CRU's do well if the A&N CRU's are open again on that street. It was supposed to start digging by summer's end...

GenWhy? · #**19827** Posted **Jul 22, 2021, 4:21 PM**

All Jon sees is big dollar signs from the top units because it'll probably be a rent average through the whole building for achieving affordability like the City allows currently. It's essentially how we are able to build these buildings with income-tied units, but this proposal is a cash grab.

Changing City · #**19828** Posted **Jul 22, 2021, 5:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

I might've got the address wrong, but it's that "Country Bar". Next to the 58 West Hastings 230 unit social housing project. I hope the building's very small CRU's do well if the A&N CRU's are open again on that street. It was supposed to start digging by summer's end...

Right. It's the Grand Union Hotel - privately owned SRO. If the City or BC Housing are looking to pick up more properties, I could see them combining it with The Loo Building next door, on the corner of Abbott, for redevelopment. (An early Chinese merchant Loo Gee Wing built them both). I don't see a private sector developer wanting to come in and have to deal with the SRO replacement. Once the big hole next door has been developed, and assuming A&N does go ahead, we might see that block change more like the 100 block, which was once almost 100% derelict, and is now pretty much 100% restored.

My fears for the Army & Navy redevelopment is that we will lose Parr & Fee's 1907 Buscombe Building facade, which was five storeys and fully glazed. It's much neglected today, but could be cleaned up and retained.

whatnext · #**19829** Posted **Jul 22, 2021, 7:38 PM**

If the city is supposedly so concerned about affordability why don't they just rezone the downtown peninsula for rental-only going forward. The NDP gave them that power. Has Vancouver even used it at all?

GenWhy? · #**19830** Posted **Jul 22, 2021, 9:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

If the city is supposedly so concerned about affordability why don't they just rezone the downtown peninsula for rental-only going forward. The NDP gave them that power. Has Vancouver even used it at all?

Staff is currently working on this but it generally would apply to the whole city in their 1-block on and off arterial zones. No land assembly would net you a 4 or 6 plex, larger assemblies would net you larger buildings but these would be "off-the-shelf" rental-only brand new District Schedules.

Sorry, not in existing area plans though.

officedweller · #**19831** Posted **Jul 23, 2021, 11:56 PM**

At Anchor Point:

Zepfancouver - are you okay?

Man dies while attempting to escape fire in downtown Vancouver highrise
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/man-dies...ape-fire-at-downtown-vancouver-apartment

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/man-dies...cape-fire-at-downtown-vancouver-apartmen

Klazu · #**19832** Posted **Jul 24, 2021, 12:50 AM**

I hope he's good. It's confusing reporting with the news talking about a high-rise...

jollyburger · #**19833** Posted **Jul 24, 2021, 1:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

I hope he's good. It's confusing reporting with the news talking about a high-rise...

I think from his YouTube videos he was in AnchorPoint 1 facing Burrard.

mcminsen · #**19834** Posted **Jul 25, 2021, 1:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Here is an update on 1290 Homer.
Feb.16 '21, my pic

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

By me today:

Homer & Drake

^^^ office dweller's post was from April 13 '21.

Some pics from today...

July 24 '21, my pics

jollyburger · #**19835** Posted **Jul 25, 2021, 3:09 AM**

I'm not a fan of the red stained wood.

csbvan · #**19836** Posted **Jul 25, 2021, 4:46 AM**

I like that. Good addition to Yaletown.

mcminsen · #**19837** Posted **Jul 25, 2021, 4:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcminsen

July 17 '21, my pics

July 24 '21, my pics

Jimbo604 · #**19838** Posted **Jul 25, 2021, 4:30 PM**

Should a park really be an engineering marvel? Thoughts, everyone?

VancouverOfTheFuture · #**19839** Posted **Jul 25, 2021, 5:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo604

Should a park really be an engineering marvel? Thoughts, everyone?

no. i don't think it will age well. it will probably be an issue with maintenance since there are so many nooks where you know people will be camping out, creating human waste, and throwing needles everywhere. this is not the kind of city where we can create things like this and people wont ruin them. not to mention all the dog owners who will leave their dogs crap everywhere.

a "park" like this isn't really a park. it is more an instagram destination which really wont do much for the average person. is it cool? yeah sure, maybe for a few mins. but that's about it.

it also seems pretty small. it looks very busy/enclosed for the area. surrounded by tall buildings + having that ramp/bridge to nowhere.

Zepfancouver · #**19840** Posted **Jul 25, 2021, 5:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo604

Should a park really be an engineering marvel? Thoughts, everyone?

Now days, retaining the general population's attention requires lots of engineering marvel. A tire roped to a tree, see-saw and slide just wont cut it anymore. Public parks are competing with the 'looking down at your phone generation'.
You can build a 100 story skyscraper and some will never notice it's there.