Downtown Vancouver Updates - Page 1028

jollyburger · #**20541** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 5:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

It would no doubt take a while to sort out. Buildings have burned down, but not SRO hotels, although there have been fires in old hotels in recent years, none have required demolition. The only previous example I know is the Park Hotel in the 100 block of West Pender, that burned down in 1950. The site is still vacant.

One option would be to sell the site to the City, or to BC Housing, if they were interested in buying it. Another would be to rebuild a replacement, using the insurance that the owners almost certainly will have had. A third might be to request the rooms be allowed to be removed from the SRA register. There's a base fee of $15,000 per room, so roughly a $1.4m cost here, but I don't see City Council being willing to allow that given the low-income housing crisis. They might agree to have fewer, larger self-contained rooms as a replacement; that's happened where buildings have been renovated and improved.

Didn't it just get changed from $130,000 to $230,000 to remove them from the registry?

https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/10/15/Vancouver-SRO-Purchase-Plan/

This SRO survey had 82 units at Winters

https://council.vancouver.ca/20201007/documents/pspc1a.pdf

Changing City · #**20542** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 5:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Didn't it just get changed from $130,000 to $230,000 to remove them from the registry?

https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/10/15/Vancouver-SRO-Purchase-Plan/

This SRO survey had 82 units at Winters

https://council.vancouver.ca/20201007/documents/pspc1a.pdf

I think you're right on both those - I couldn't find if the new fee for removal has actually been enacted but it is now in the SRA bylaw. There used to be 92 rooms in my ancient version of the by-law inventory, so I guess they were allowed to consolidate some (or maybe add additional bathrooms). So the owner would be looking at a bill of $18.86m to be allowed to remove all the rooms from the register.

Klazu · #**20543** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 6:07 AM**

Reddit is saying that the very same SRO had a fire that emptied the sprinkler system only on Friday, flooding Flying Pig downstairs. And now this three days later. Just SRO things, I guess, and I am sure Atira is on top of this.

VancouverOfTheFuture · #**20544** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 7:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

It would no doubt take a while to sort out. Buildings have burned down, but not SRO hotels, although there have been fires in old hotels in recent years, none have required demolition. The only previous example I know is the Park Hotel in the 100 block of West Pender, that burned down in 1950. The site is still vacant.

One option would be to sell the site to the City, or to BC Housing, if they were interested in buying it. Another would be to rebuild a replacement, using the insurance that the owners almost certainly will have had. A third might be to request the rooms be allowed to be removed from the SRA register. There's a base fee of $15,000 per room, so roughly a $1.4m cost here, but I don't see City Council being willing to allow that given the low-income housing crisis. They might agree to have fewer, larger self-contained rooms as a replacement; that's happened where buildings have been renovated and improved.

interesting. i guess we shall see what the damage was; looked like quite the fire though and it was a 4-alarm. i dont see anyone really wanting to take the insurance money and build an SRO. keep the insurance money, keep/sell the land is what i would see. could probably make a decent amount turning it into a surface parking lot for about $0 money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

Reddit is saying that the very same SRO had a fire that emptied the sprinkler system...

how does it empty the sprinkler system? these are connected to the municipal water system normally.

Klazu · #**20545** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 3:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

How does it empty the sprinkler system? these are connected to the municipal water system normally.

"Friday probably sprinkler system went off and they didn't replace the blown sprinkler head and recharge water into the system because they were going to take care of it after the weekday rolled over. Fire department put them on 24 hour fire watch till that time they got the sprinkler head fixed. Monday morning comes around and there is a devastating fire before they got their sprinkler system fixed and online. Fire department sifting through Friday's paperwork."

Yeah, not sure if above speculation is true or false.

Changing City · #**20546** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 3:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

interesting. i guess we shall see what the damage was; looked like quite the fire though and it was a 4-alarm. i dont see anyone really wanting to take the insurance money and build an SRO. keep the insurance money, keep/sell the land is what i would see. could probably make a decent amount turning it into a surface parking lot for about $0 money.

The City don't allow parking lots on vacant sites any more. That's why only part of the 105 Keefer site has parking spaces (some of the site was grandfathered for parking). So the owner would be paying taxes for a vacant lot, with no income. They could install a temporary park, or another temporary use, but that just reduces the taxes.

SRAs don't have to have all (or even any) rooms at welfare rate rents; each building that gets renovated or replaced has a new Housing Agreement which ensures continued non-market rental that's still viable for the owner and affordable for the greatest number of tenants.

MIPS · #**20547** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 7:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

"Friday probably sprinkler system went off and they didn't replace the blown sprinkler head and recharge water into the system because they were going to take care of it after the weekday rolled over. Fire department put them on 24 hour fire watch till that time they got the sprinkler head fixed. Monday morning comes around and there is a devastating fire before they got their sprinkler system fixed and online. Fire department sifting through Friday's paperwork."

Yeah, not sure if above speculation is true or false.

CBC confirms that a fire set the sprinklers off as recently as last week.

Quote:

Abbott said there was a fire inside an SRO resident's room in the building as recently as last Friday, which activated the sprinkler system.

"It was tenant related," Abbott told CBC's The Early Edition on Tuesday. "Fires and floods are not particularly unusual in the building, given who we house."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c...e-residents-accounted-for-2022-1.6416974

hollywoodnorth · #**20548** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 8:16 PM**

Quote:
Abbott said there was a fire inside an SRO resident's room in the building as recently as last Friday, which activated the sprinkler system.

"It was tenant related," Abbott told CBC's The Early Edition on Tuesday. "Fires and floods are not particularly UNUSUAL in the building, given who we house."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...2022-1.6416974

wow gotta love them making excuses for these people from day 1.

jollyburger · #**20549** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 8:23 PM**

Just give the strata a few million and settle it

Quote:

Vancouver penthouse owner can't keep amenity space to himself as city refuses to amend permit
Developer Concord Pacific applied to the City of Vancouver to amend the development permit so its president and CEO, Terry Hui, could have sole use of The Erickson's 6,000-square-foot space

The City of Vancouver has refused an application by developer Concord Pacific to amend a permit so its president and CEO, Terry Hui, can keep a massive amenity space for his sole use in a Yaletown luxury condo where he owns the penthouse.

Article content
The Erickson building strata has been wrangling with Hui since 2017 over who gets to use a 6,000-square-foot space on the second-floor of the 17-storey building on northern False Creek’s seawall.

In October 2021, after the strata attempted to follow a city directive for the space to be accessible to all residents in the building, Concord applied to the city to amend the permit in Hui’s favour.

Concord’s lawyer said then it would also “pay for it” and was “confident that the issue will be resolved in that fashion.”

The original development permit submitted by Concord and approved by the city for The Erickson in 2005 showed the vast area on the second floor as a common amenity area.

But when the strata plan was later filed with the land title office after the building was finished in 2010, the same space was shown as designated for the sole use of the penthouse owner, who has always been Hui. This plan also showed a private elevator that could run from the parkade to the penthouse, with a stop on this second-floor, which has a reception area and spaces for a theatre and other rooms.

Article content
Concord’s application for an amendment last Fall and then the city’s review of it, which took over six months, is interesting for the scrutiny it placed on the city’s negotiations and agreements with major developers such as Concord that own significant parcels of land across the city.

“On behalf of all the residents, I can say that we are very pleased that the city did the right thing and refused the developer’s application to amend the development permit for the unfinished second floor of The Erickson,” said Michael Farmer, president of the strata council.

The next step, he said, is for the city to “take steps to enforce the development permit it issued, and help (the) strata council return the previously approved amenity space to the strata.”

Article content
It’s not clear, however, if that will necessarily happen.

“Before the communication from the city arrived, our clients were in the midst of a legal review of the issue and process. Now that they have the city’s suggestion that they go to the Board of Variance, they will consider following that suggestion,” said Concord’s lawyer Hein Poulus.

The board hears appeals on decisions about development.

https://vancouversun.com/business/local-...t-in-favour-of-penthouse-owner-terry-hui

logan5 · #**20550** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 9:52 PM**

Considering all the damage to people and their homes and businesses, and an irreplaceable historic building gone forever, you'd hope this wasn't caused because somebody wanted to wait to replace a sprinkler head. Something that is very easy to do. Judging by the fire though, it doesn't look like any sprinkler went off.

Vin · #**20551** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 10:03 PM**

Vancouver mayor calls for end of privately run SROs after Gastown fire

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/mayor-end-privately-run-sro-fire

The mayor must be kidding himself to think that the kind of dwellers would not try to burn a building down if it is run by the government.

Well, that's how we ruin our dwindling stock of heritage buildings in the first place; by turning them into SROs.

Vin · #**20552** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 10:25 PM**

So long, another heritage building killed off by Vancouver's lack protection.....RIP.

Gastown SRO to be demolished after devastating fire (PHOTOS)

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/gastown-fire

VancouverOfTheFuture · #**20553** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 11:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vin

Vancouver mayor calls for end of privately run SROs after Gastown fire

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/mayor-end-privately-run-sro-fire

The mayor must be kidding himself to think that the kind of dwellers would not try to burn a building down if it is run by the government.

Well, that's how we ruin our dwindling stock of heritage buildings in the first place; by turning them into SROs.

it is always the same with the NDP. doesnt matter if theyre municipal, provincial, federal. just spend spend spend, tax tax tax, throw away, throw away throw away.

maintaining these will be nearly impossible in anyone's hands. the people they house steal anything not bolted down, bolted down, or bolted inside of the walls/floors/ceilings. it doesnt matter who owns it.

last report i saw said CoV needed to raise taxes like 8%/yr for the next few years. better make that 12% at this rate.

SpongeG · #**20554** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 11:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

Reddit is saying that the very same SRO had a fire that emptied the sprinkler system only on Friday, flooding Flying Pig downstairs. And now this three days later. Just SRO things, I guess, and I am sure Atira is on top of this.

they mentioned that in the news report I saw. Someone on Monday yelled Fire and at first staff thought it was a joke cause they had just had a fire on Friday and then they realized it was actually a real one.

whatnext · #**20555** Posted **Apr 13, 2022, 1:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Just give the strata a few million and settle it

]

Which when you read about it is exactly what Terry Hui thinks he can get away with. Just throw some money at it to get what you want. Typical arrogance of the very wealthy.

Vin · #**20556** Posted **Apr 13, 2022, 8:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

they mentioned that in the news report I saw. Someone on Monday yelled Fire and at first staff thought it was a joke cause they had just had a fire on Friday and then they realized it was actually a real one.

Yes I can attest to that. I was actually there after dinner at Steamworks after work, then took a stroll along Water Street and the fire alarms went off. I could smell smoke then, although I thought it was from the building where Water Street Cafe is housed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

it is always the same with the NDP. doesnt matter if theyre municipal, provincial, federal. just spend spend spend, tax tax tax, throw away, throw away throw away.

maintaining these will be nearly impossible in anyone's hands. the people they house steal anything not bolted down, bolted down, or bolted inside of the walls/floors/ceilings. it doesnt matter who owns it.

last report i saw said CoV needed to raise taxes like 8%/yr for the next few years. better make that 12% at this rate.

No worries! Our province grows money on trees and owns lots of golden geese. Folks will pay the taxes at 15% with a smile, while those who can't will live down the alleyway, also with a smile while being high on Fentanyl.