Downtown Vancouver Updates

[Feathered Friend]

Money Well Spent – “Grassroots Activists” Succeed In Culling West End Rental Homes

1065 Harwood St & 1332 Thurlow St /and/ 1066- 1078 Harwood St
When these twin towers were first revealed in 2017, we didn’t see much activity at their open house. Then last year, city council permitted them to switch from offering strata homes to market and non-market rental housing, and now Hannah and I swear we see the face of the group opposing them on the news nearly every day. In fairness this communication firm’s leader is paid to advocate on many subjects whether it’s culling Stanley Park’s coyotes or Surrey’s transition to local policing.

While I’m sure the volunteers on the Urban Design Panel have their own views on those subjects, thankfully their discussion was limited to these two projects who’s previous iterations had won their support. Letting history repeat, city staff again presented them together, since they’re almost identical and sit across from each other on Harwood Street. That said, both have substantially evolved from the last presentation, and were even granted a little more height, at least up until recently.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2021/11/02...ucceed-in-culling-west-end-rental-homes/

[SpongeG]

for some reason the brick makes it look very dated.

[osirisboy]

Yeah and I like it.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

it looks like the late 1970s/early 1980s to me. the curved arches, brick, window styles, balcony style/railings, etc.

though i like it quite a bit actually.

[csbvan]

Absolutely love these towers. That mid-century vibe and their sense of permanence. I wish more proposals had similar levels of quality.

[urbanight93]

Sense of permanence is exactly how i'd describe it. There's also something nostalgic about the colour scheme given 2000 onwards there was such a shift to colder hues such as whites, greys and blues

[rofina]

Originally Posted by urbanight93

Sense of permanence is exactly how i'd describe it. There's also something nostalgic about the colour scheme given 2000 onwards there was such a shift to colder hues such as whites, greys and blues

Teal and cyan is the worst thing to happen to Vancouver architecture.

[Feathered Friend]

Urban Design Panel Rewards Faux Heritage Speculators With Efforts To Illuminate Their “Crumby Neighbour”

418-496 Alexander St (450 Alexander St)
Like the Hon’s distribution centre this project will replace, I thought this Urban Design Panel meeting would deliver some good ol’ comfort for the soul. After all, at the other end of the block is the similarly-sized Roddan Lodge, and anyone who works in Railtown can tell you how badly this proposal’s 37 space daycare is needed. In fact, one of this application’s neighbours was such a passionate supporter, they actually came out to speak at this meeting.

Granted, they were the CEO of the non-profit that hoped to construct these 181 non-market homes, and occupy its ground level social enterprise space. Admittedly I was surprised to hear city staff qualify that, at one time, this would have been an extremely controversial project, as when the neighbourhood plan was approved there was a strong no tower sentiment in the community. The resulting high street walls created long, heavy shadows, which is why they were considering this alternative massing.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2021/11/05...ts-to-illuminate-their-crumby-neighbour/

[urbanight93]

Not sure if this was posted, new proposal at Thurlow and Pacific St



Looks very similar to the Livmore in Toronto (55 Gerrard St W) which incidentally is also a rental building

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1065-pacific-street-vancouver

[csbvan]

Um...

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by urbanight93

Not sure if this was posted, new proposal at Thurlow and Pacific St

Looks very similar to the Livmore in Toronto (55 Gerrard St W) which incidentally is also a rental building

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1065-pacific-street-vancouver

Wouldn't it be nice if media actually did follow up articles comparing the rents at the existing buildings with the rents charged is these brand new "affordable" rentals.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by urbanight93

Not sure if this was posted, new proposal at Thurlow and Pacific St

It'll be trashed for being out of character (too commercial looking) for the area.
... but that's not a real proposal - it's just a hypothetical created by the commercial real estate agents.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Wouldn't it be nice if media actually did follow up articles comparing the rents at the existing buildings with the rents charged is these brand new "affordable" rentals.

A new building's market units or the below-market units? The below market units rates are quite restricted and well defined.

[osirisboy]

“all renderings shown are for illustration purposes only”. I thought that was the point of renderings? Lol. But I’m sure it’ll look different by the end. No doubt a spandrel mess.

[giallo]

That Thurlow and Pacific proposal is a mess. Yuck.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

“all renderings shown are for illustration purposes only”. I thought that was the point of renderings?

... but these were commissioned and prepared for a real estate agent - not a developer.
It's not a proposal. It's an aid in visualizing what could be built - like staging a condo.
They could just as easily shown a rectangular massing diagram.

[urbanight93]

Originally Posted by officedweller

... but these were commissioned and prepared for a real estate agent - not a developer.
It's not a proposal. It's an aid in visualizing what could be built - like staging a condo.
They could just as easily shown a rectangular massing diagram.

Thanks for that, so it's a concept and no application was filed. i should've confirmed it myself.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by officedweller

... but these were commissioned and prepared for a real estate agent - not a developer.
It's not a proposal. It's an aid in visualizing what could be built - like staging a condo.
They could just as easily shown a rectangular massing diagram.

Lol. Oh I know. Just sounds silly to me. All renderings are used to illustrate. No matter if it’s an actual proposal or not

[officedweller]

Yeah, illustrate = example in this case.

[jollyburger]

305 Main



https://shapeyourcity.ca/305-main-st