Downtown Vancouver Updates

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Aug.1 '21, my pics

Originally Posted by officedweller

Richards & Smithe Park
By me today:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Smithe & Richards Park
by me today

Originally Posted by officedweller

Richards St Park
By me today.

Update part 1...




Jan.16 '22, my pics

[mcminsen]

Update part 2...




Jan.16 '22, my pics

[GenWhy?]

Very cool. Thanks!

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Yeah, units at this location would have sold for multiple million dollars each and would have funded many times more housing in DTES.

You can keep making that argument forever and never build anything for low income people.

Originally Posted by Klazu

The spin it always about "working people" but those small units will have some questionable people down on their luck in them, guaranteed. And nice choice of words about "injecting" life into Coal Harbour. Can't say I disagree about that.

Says who? These are rent controlled.

Originally Posted by Klazu

Nah, 3 years in the building and only decent people mostly of Asian origin in our building and floor. I can only assume there is a few cheating on their taxes, but no shady characters. This is Burnaby, after all.

Your innocence is charming. Your bigotry and racism, not so much.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Klazu

This is Burnaby, after all.

2018 "2 men sentenced after bust of 'massive' Burnaby fentanyl lab" (apartment in Burnaby)

2020 "https://stratcann.com/2020/12/10/burnaby-rcmp-bust-large-scale-drug-operation-connected-to-personal-designated-medical-cannabis-grow/" (house in Burnaby with licence to grow pot, with 500 additional plants and other illegal drugs)

2020 "Suspected meth lab discovered in Burnaby highrise"

2021 "Burnaby, Vancouver drug raids yield 'kilograms' of cocaine, thousands of pills and 'ghost gun'"

[GenWhy?]

The social housing in any case like other downtown strata / social housing builds, would be on site. Dollar per dollar would a likely a wash, but obviously depends on the height of the approved condo.

Not sure why you'd want to pile more social housing (especially for families) into the DTES instead of a lovely area like this with parks and schools.

[rofina]

This discussion is so interesting, and the paradox so puzzling.

Reality would seem to dictate that Coal Harbor is some of the most expensive real estate in North America, I don't think this is controversial.

Yet at the same time as above being generally accepted truth, we are somehow supposed to believe that better value for the tax payer could not be found outside this neighborhood when it comes to delivering social housing?

In other words;

Coal Harbor delivers X amount of units with Y value total.

Any other less expensive neighborhood would also provide X units with Y value total.

So we are changing one of the largest cost inputs, but somehow maintaining Y value?

[GenWhy?]

What's the largest cost input in this case you're referring to?

[rofina]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

What's the largest cost input in this case you're referring to?

Land.

The opportunity to arbitrage the land cost here strikes me as significant.

Sell the land with rezoning to higher density assumed, use proceeds to build on land of lesser value elsewhere in the City.

You are in the know, and I would be more than curious about your thoughts.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by rofina

Land.

The opportunity to arbitrage the land cost here strikes me as significant.

Sell the land with rezoning to higher density assumed, use proceeds to build on land of lesser value elsewhere in the City.

You are in the know, and I would be more than curious about your thoughts.

The site has been reserved for a school since it was bought for that purpose in 1996. The school is now needed to be built asap, and the funds are available to build it. This is the last undeveloped site in Coal Harbour, so it's not possible to find another site nearby. A theoretically higher density building would also breach policies on shading public open space. The City shouldn't apply a different policy for its own land, but continue to require it on other sites.

[rofina]

Originally Posted by Changing City

The site has been reserved for a school since it was bought for that purpose in 1996. The school is now needed to be built asap, and the funds are available to build it.

Have a private developer include a school in their proposal the same way we ask them to include social housing or other CAC contributions. Easy requirement as part of rezoning.

This is the last undeveloped site in Coal Harbour, so it's not possible to find another site nearby.

No problem, see above, podium with school in it, residential above.

A theoretically higher density building would also breach policies on shading public open space. The City shouldn't apply a different policy for its own land, but continue to require it on other sites.

Agreed. The issue here is poor city policy to begin with. I think its poor precedent to keep on building and compounding on previous poor decisions.

The Cities first and foremost responsibility is to best represent interest of the tax payer. I don't see how one can make a compelling case this is being done here.

[GenWhy?]

I'm not sure what the land price in 1996 terms would be, but I think the City's bases are covered.

I'm in development but I'm a bit of a socialist, so my bias shows at times. Strong believer in working class and working class family housing near the employment centres.

[WarrenC12]

When the city (and other levels of government) build this stuff last, it tends to look a lot worse than if the school and social housing was built during the initial phase with everything else.

Olympic Village was built out at once (except the school). Now it's badly needed. But the social housing and coops just fit right in with the neighbourhood.

Yes, building this instead of shoving everything into a cheap ghetto might sacrifice a few marginal dollars, but the idea is to build long term integrated communities.

[Vancouver_Highrise]

Quote:
Nah, 3 years in the building and only decent people mostly of Asian origin in our building and floor. I can only assume there is a few cheating on their taxes, but no shady characters. This is Burnaby, after all.

I can’t even with this response. Woefully ignorant to the real world.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by rofina

The Cities first and foremost responsibility is to best represent interest of the tax payer. I don't see how one can make a compelling case this is being done here.

You're incorrect. Vancouver's first and foremost responsibility is to best represent the interests of all residents, not just taxpayers. Sometimes that is achieved through economics, sometimes that is achieved through social policies, sometimes it is a mix of both.

[s211]

Originally Posted by rofina

Agreed. The issue here is poor city policy to begin with. I think its poor precedent to keep on building and compounding on previous poor decisions.

The Cities first and foremost responsibility is to best represent interest of the tax payer. I don't see how one can make a compelling case this is being done here.

Bingo on both counts. Defending this mistake because of "policy" sounds oh-so-bureaucratic.

[rofina]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

You're incorrect. Vancouver's first and foremost responsibility is to best represent the interests of all residents, not just taxpayers. Sometimes that is achieved through economics, sometimes that is achieved through social policies, sometimes it is a mix of both.

Who is left out by saying "tax payer" and not "all residents"?

[officedweller]

I can easily see some kid (or a drunk adult) getting stuck in that slide.

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Update part 1...

Jan.16 '22, my pics

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I can easily see some kid (or a drunk adult) getting stuck in that slide.

I'd be more worried about a kid sliding through human feces given its location.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Olympic Village was built out at once (except the school). Now it's badly needed. But the social housing and coops just fit right in with the neighbourhood.

yeah, fits right in i guess... Olympic Village Social Housing over 700 emergency calls