Downtown Vancouver Updates

[GenWhy?]

I'm just glancing at their Report to Council or their Rezoning and it looks like they just kept putting things in the SRW. Don't think I saw the words "Dedication" so I'd be pissed too if I were them. Eng Dept hasn't been the best to deal with the last 2 years.

Traffic signals should alleviate the pressure on Denman, which is a hilarious zoo.

[Feathered Friend]

002-1052 Seymour St and 550 Nelson St rezoning application

We would like your feedback on a rezoning application at 1002-1052 Seymour St and 550 Nelson St. This rezoning application proposes to change the zoning from DD (Downtown) to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) to enable the conversion of 3.99 FSR of residential use (strata) floor area to commercial use for a hotel.

https://shapeyourcity.ca/1002-1052-s...-550-nelson-st

This is something a little different, for those unaware, Onni also have their offices in this building.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Was just going to reply to a message in the 320 Granville thread about the status of the RBC Building development. Seems like there is some movement on it? From March 1, 2022

https://council.vancouver.ca/20220301/documents/a1.pdf

The sidewalk is closed today while they construct a steel frame over the path, so it looks like it will be the location of the contractors site boxes, and construction is imminent.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://shapeyourcity.ca/1002-1052-s...-550-nelson-st

This is something a little different, for those unaware, Onni also have their offices in this building.

That's interesting. It may be related to the fact that they are apparently already running the apartments as a Level Hotel, although they've never legally changed the status of the whole building. (They rezoned 20 of the units to hotel in 2019). If approved, this means they pay commercial rather than residential taxes, (which may not be very different?) and also the tourism tax that people staying in hotels are charged. Although this is a strata building, they never sold the 188 units here, but ran it as furnished rental. They are limited to have a minimum 30 night stay on the residential rental units.

[officedweller]

There was a big issue with short term rentals there because the City didn't crack down very hard on ONNI when they were in violation of the bylaws.

From 2017:

'It is illegal': City tells developer to stop short-term rentals
Onni has been warned twice to stop the practice, says City of Vancouver
Jane Armstrong · CBC News · Posted: Mar 30, 2017 7:25 PM PT | Last Updated: March 31, 2017

The City of Vancouver has again ordered a developer to stop offering short-term rental properties at a downtown Seymour Street property, threatening to escalate enforcement if it flouts this latest warning.

The city warned Onni this week to halt all short-term rentals at the property, said Kaye Krisha, the city's general manager of development, buildings and licensing.

The city also issued a similar warning last year to the developer about the same building.
...

and in 2019:

Vancouver developer allowed to turn apartments into hotel units, despite breaking rules
By Liza Yuzda
Posted Jun 4, 2019, 2:28PM PDT.Last Updated Jun 5, 2019, 4:24PM PDT.

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A Vancouver developer fined $24,000 for breaking the city’s rental rules now has license to do exactly what it was fined for.

Onni Group’s building, The Level at 1022 Seymour, now has the city’s blessing to operate as a hotel units that were supposed to be long-term rental apartments for Vancouverites.

In 2017, the city fined Onni when it was discovered suites were being rented as hotel rooms more than a year after the city had told the company to stop.

Vancouver’s director of licensing, Kathryn Holm, says the change is part of the city’s work to ensure there are enough hotel spaces downtown as they crack down on short-term rentals like Airbnb.

“This included a hotel conversion policy in the downtown and this building falls within the area that was identified.”

She says the city gave Onni a licence for 20 of The Level’s 188 suites to be used as hotel rooms. The licence was approved on January 21, 2019, with a decision that did not have to go before council but came directly from licensing. The final decision was made by the Director of Planning.

“We’re trying to balance these two objectives – one is to create this new hotel capacity that we know we need in the downtown core, and also balance that with providing homes for people that want to live and work in Vancouver,” Holm says.

[jollyburger]

Anyone know where this crane is going at Howe/Georgia? The Four Seasons?

Tower Crane Lift on Howe St and W Georgia St
Location:
Expected Schedule:
Recurring schedule as follows:
- Mar 7, 2022 - Mar 10, 2022; All days; 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- Mar 28, 2022 - Mar 30, 2022; All days; 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- Apr 4, 2022 - Apr 11, 2022; All days; 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- Apr 18, 2022 - Apr 20, 2022; All days; 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Status:Approved
Description:
Crews will complete a crane lift for a private development.

Traffic Impact: Parking lane closure and reduced travel lanes on Howe St from Dunsmuir St to W Georgia St.

http://vanmapp1.vancouver.ca/roadahe...f-da02a393a179

EDIT: The contact is from PCL so it must be for the hotel renovations.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Changing City

That's interesting. It may be related to the fact that they are apparently already running the apartments as a Level Hotel, although they've never legally changed the status of the whole building. (They rezoned 20 of the units to hotel in 2019). If approved, this means they pay commercial rather than residential taxes, (which may not be very different?) and also the tourism tax that people staying in hotels are charged. Although this is a strata building, they never sold the 188 units here, but ran it as furnished rental. They are limited to have a minimum 30 night stay on the residential rental units.

More on this here:

Duncan Wlodarczak, the chief of staff for Onni Group, told Daily Hive Urbanized all 187 units in the 20-storey, mixed-use tower have operated as an extended-stay hotel (rental) under the residential use designation since the building was completed in 2009, called Level Yaletown-Seymour.

Several years ago, the city granted approval for the initial short-term hotel use, allowing 20 units to be used for nightly stays as well, instead of only extended stays.

The new application would effectively allow for nightly stays for all units — just like a regular hotel. Extended stays can still be booked for any unit, but Level Hotels, owned by Onni, can now also fill suites on a nightly basis between extended stays to make better use of its inventory.

...

The building’s retail and office spaces within the three-level podium on the northern end of the block, fronting Nelson Street, will not see any changes. The retail spaces are currently occupied by Nero Waffles and 24 Train Express Noodle House, while the office levels are occupied by Onni’s corporate office.

...

[officedweller]

24 Train Express Noodle House
Cheap noodles downtown (in a newer building too)

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Anyone know where this crane is going at Howe/Georgia? The Four Seasons?
http://vanmapp1.vancouver.ca/roadahe...f-da02a393a179

EDIT: The contact is from PCL so it must be for the hotel renovations.

4 widely spaced weekends?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by officedweller

24 Train Express Noodle House
Cheap noodles downtown (in a newer building too)



4 widely spaced weekends?

Maybe it's just an equipment lift onto the roof or something.

[hollywoodnorth]

Looks like 625 West Hastings Street has started site prep. Construction trailers on site. And some Steel Bracing along Hastings in front of the old tower seems to be being placed. I guess they will do work on the existing tower before they start on the new one.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/625-...reet-vancouver

[Klazu]

I have been hoping for a redesign with 625 West Hastings but that doesn't seem to be in the cards then.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I have been hoping for a redesign with 625 West Hastings but that doesn't seem to be in the cards then.

what dont you like about it? i am surprised they can build so much on such a small lot, though. only 52*120

[ranvancan]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

what dont you like about it? i am surprised they can build so much on such a small lot, though. only 52*120

Could easily have built and matched the originally intended second half of the now RBC building. Completing this today could really have finally put the finishing touches on a development that ran out of money back in the day. This boring glass filler does nothing for the aesthetics of the RBC and I need not mention about the the ugliest of ugliest to it's immediate east. This city really struggles when it comes to spending and developing properly. YAWN

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by ranvancan

Could easily have built and matched the originally intended second half of the now RBC building. Completing this today could really have finally put the finishing touches on a development that ran out of money back in the day. This boring glass filler does nothing for the aesthetics of the RBC and I need not mention about the the ugliest of ugliest to it's immediate east. This city really struggles when it comes to spending and developing properly. YAWN

yeah as much as i am for historic buildings, old architecture, etc. that never would have happened. it would have cost more $$$ and given them a lot less floor space. no way that'd happen. i wish i was around to see some of the old lost buildings of Vancouver. the Birks one i would have loved to see. or the old Opera hall. or the 2nd Hotel Vancouver. though sadly, those were torn down long before i was ever born.

the article stated the only reason it is this small, is due to the view cones.

i think overall they did the best they could for achieving their goals with the constraints of the site. i am surprised they didn't acquire that small, old building to the east. it seems like that would be ripe to be included. you could almost double the size of the building if that was included.

[jollyburger]

I know this project was mentioned on the architect's website but not sure if the rendering was included at the time?



https://www.benehomes.com/#future

[GenWhy?]

I think that rendering is out of date already.

[MIPS]

So uh, this happened.


Global News

Vancouver Aquatic Centre damaged after front section of building ‘falls off’

City of Vancouver staff are assessing damage to the Vancouver Aquatic Centre that happened on Tuesday night.

A nearby resident told Global News it appears part of the front facade of the centre fell off about 9:30 p.m.

The City of Vancouver confirmed the facility is still open Wednesday but the front entrance is closed.

Patrons will be able to enter through the side entrance, off the parking lot, staff confirmed.

It is still unclear at this time exactly what happened to cause the damage to the building.

- https://globalnews.ca/news/8687269/v...centre-damage/

I wasn't aware the building was in such poor condition.

[jollyburger]

If you look at Google Maps you can see huge cracks starting to form around December 2020 in that section.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by MIPS

So uh, this happened.


Global News



I wasn't aware the building was in such poor condition.

Yikes, hopefully that will speed up its replacement (in the same location please).

[Vin]

Yikes! Not trying to be funny here, but for a while I thought that was taken in Ukraine after a missile strike.

Looking at what's inside, I call this Third World maintenance, or a lack of.