Downtown Vancouver Updates

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

It's weird the south corner of that lightwell on the Rogers building has a lip blocking some of the light coming in for venting.

Could be a chimney.

Originally Posted by Changing City

Here's 1931



[both images VPL]

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Could be a chimney.

Yeah same position as the Seymour Building chimney but just not enclosed.

[officedweller]

New mural in the West End:

“A tale of creation": Mural painted by Indigenous artist unveiled in Vancouver


Photo: Brother Jopa
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-mural-indigenous-artist


Photo: Brother Jopa
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-mural-indigenous-artist

[jollyburger]

302 Water St (DP-2021-01001) development application

Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership has applied to the City of Vancouver for permission to add to, alter and change the use of an existing Heritage Class B Building including:

A two-storey addition, for a total of six-storeys, plus roof deck
A proposed FSR of 5.93
A proposed Floor Area of 14,826 sq.ft. (1,377 m²)
A proposed Height of approximately 81.7 ft. (24.9 m)
Restaurant use at grade and Hotel use from level one to six

https://shapeyourcity.ca/302-water-st

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

302 Water St (DP-2021-01001) development application



https://shapeyourcity.ca/302-water-st

Interesting! At one time, ages ago, I heard through the rumour mill that Ace Hotels was in final negotiations to purchase this building and convert it to become a boutique hotel with the city's largest rooftop bar/lounge. This was before the Olympics and Ace was still a new brand and only just opened their then-flagship property in Portland OR. Again, rumour mill, the owner pulled out the rug from Ace at the very end of negotiations and tried to apply an 'Olympic premium' on top of the agreed sell price and Ace walked away.

Could have been a nice addition to the city's hotel stock and the vibe of the immediate area had it gone through. They've moved on as a brand from buying old buildings and just renoing them to doing new-build. Check out their new property in Toronto. I haven't been in person, but the place looks distinct and pretty cool!

[Changing City]

Clearly the development industry haven't been heeding Vin's prognostications of how nobody will ever develop again in the DTES. Hot on the heels of the Gastown hotel project we have a new 32 unit rental project for West Hastings.

[csbvan]

Great looking and contextual fit. Happy to see more rental housing in the area. Hopefully the lot next to it starts to move forward soon as well.

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Clearly the development industry haven't been heeding Vin's prognostications of how nobody will ever develop again in the DTES.

I don't think developers will abandon any of Vancouver's neighborhoods until the real estate market as a whole cools. There's a reason why gentrification happens: opportunity and economics.

The DTES has a lot of aging stock that is ripe to be replaced (the opportunity) and is perhaps the only area in the city where its reputation has made the land cost less prohibitive (the economics). So if anything, a lot in the DTES is an opportunity while a lot on Broadway or in the West End may not provide any excess value for a developer to capture.

[officedweller]

Sandman Inn


Pics by me Sat, Oct 8th:

[logan5]

Originally Posted by FarmerHaight

I don't think developers will abandon any of Vancouver's neighborhoods until the real estate market as a whole cools. There's a reason why gentrification happens: opportunity and economics.

The DTES has a lot of aging stock that is ripe to be replaced (the opportunity) and is perhaps the only area in the city where its reputation has made the land cost less prohibitive (the economics). So if anything, a lot in the DTES is an opportunity while a lot on Broadway or in the West End may not provide any excess value for a developer to capture.

At this point I am hoping for some major amendments to the DTES Plan, because the economics aren't there. The streets are a mess, so what private developeer would possibly want to build all the required social/below market housing (60%), and be left with 40% market housing that nobody in their right mind would want live in given how terrible that neighbourhood is.

Reduce the amount of social housing and increase the amount of market housing to include strata, as well as rental. The best way to rehabilitate that neighbourhood is to bring in lots of new residents.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by logan5

At this point I am hoping for some major amendments to the DTES Plan, because the economics aren't there. The streets are a mess, so what private developeer would possibly want to build all the required social/below market housing (60%), and be left with 40% market housing that nobody in their right mind would want live in given how terrible that neighbourhood is.

Reduce the amount of social housing and increase the amount of market housing to include strata, as well as rental. The best way to rehabilitate that neighbourhood is to bring in lots of new residents.

Yes, nobody in their right mind would develop in the DTES without some massive government handout.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Yes, nobody in their right mind would develop in the DTES without some massive government handout.

So the developer of the proposed 32 unit rental building at 55 W Hastings isn't in their right mind? It's market rental - no government handouts involved.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by Changing City

So the developer of the proposed 32 unit rental building at 55 W Hastings isn't in their right mind? It's market rental - no government handouts involved.

The Oppenheimer district is where the real challenge is, and there has been very little develoment here for obvious reasons. The East Hastings stretch is having an adverse affect on the surrounding areas, such as Gastown, Victory Square, etc. With no social housing requirement, at least we are seeinhg some new rental housing at 55 West Hastings.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by logan5

The Oppenheimer district is where the real challenge is, and there has been very little develoment here for obvious reasons. The East Hastings stretch is having an adverse affect on the surrounding areas, such as Gastown, Victory Square, etc. With no social housing requirement, at least we are seeinhg some new rental housing at 55 West Hastings.

There's actually a fair bit of development underway in Oppenheimer - as much as I can remember. There's one market / non-market rental building nearly completed on the 100 block of Main Street, and two others in the 300 block for social housing submitted with funding committed, one with a theatre, and one for Vancouver Native Housing. Lookout's building on Powell Street is starting construction. The Aboriginal Lands Trust project is offering low cost home ownership opportunities, and the First United redevelopment with housing as well as a new church and kitchens is starting construction. The L'uma / Raincity building replacing an old SRO at 52 E Hastings is under construction as well, and so is the new Salvation Army building on Cordova.

In terms of recent completions, there's a new non-market building recently opened by the Union Gospel Mission, and a BC Housing / City of Vancouver building completed last year, replacing the non-market Roddan Lodge. The same block has a TL Housing Solution project approved with family housing and childcare built in. There were other significant non-market buildings completed nearby in the past few years.

There are several other smaller non-market projects near Oppenheimer Park that don't seem to have obtained BC Housing funding, but the city have acquired 323 Alexander to locate more temporary modular housing for now, with longer term plans for a permanent development, just as is intended on the Powell Street temporary modular site.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Changing City

There's actually a fair bit of development underway in Oppenheimer - as much as I can remember. There's one market / non-market rental building nearly completed on the 100 block of Main Street, and two others in the 300 block for social housing submitted with funding committed, one with a theatre, and one for Vancouver Native Housing. Lookout's building on Powell Street is starting construction. The Aboriginal Lands Trust project is offering low cost home ownership opportunities, and the First United redevelopment with housing as well as a new church and kitchens is starting construction. The L'uma / Raincity building replacing an old SRO at 52 E Hastings is under construction as well, and so is the new Salvation Army building on Cordova.

In terms of recent completions, there's a new non-market building recently opened by the Union Gospel Mission, and a BC Housing / City of Vancouver building completed last year, replacing the non-market Roddan Lodge. The same block has a TL Housing Solution project approved with family housing and childcare built in. There were other significant non-market buildings completed nearby in the past few years.

There are several other smaller non-market projects near Oppenheimer Park that don't seem to have obtained BC Housing funding, but the city have acquired 323 Alexander to locate more temporary modular housing for now, with longer term plans for a permanent development, just as is intended on the Powell Street temporary modular site.

sounds like the majority these are all basically government funded projects to house the existing vagrants who will not help to improve the area. i wouldnt call that development. i would call it government housing projects.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Changing City

So the developer of the proposed 32 unit rental building at 55 W Hastings isn't in their right mind? It's market rental - no government handouts involved.

A block from Woodwards isn't ground zero for the problem.

I'd never live there, but I'm curious to see the rents they charge.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

A block from Woodwards isn't ground zero for the problem.

I'd never live there, but I'm curious to see the rents they charge.

It may not be ground zero, but it's in the fallout zone. It's the same block as The Burns Block, Abbott Mansions and The Grand Union, both SROs with residents with typical DTES issues. There's a shelter in the boarded-up Army & Navy building on the same block, and there's also a big non-market building being developed by the Chinatown Foundation with the City and BC Housing under construction that will have a significant health centre in the lower floors.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Changing City

It may not be ground zero, but it's in the fallout zone. It's the same block as The Burns Block, Abbott Mansions and The Grand Union, both SROs with residents with typical DTES issues. There's a shelter in the boarded-up Army & Navy building on the same block, and there's also a big non-market building being developed by the Chinatown Foundation with the City and BC Housing under construction that will have a significant health centre in the lower floors.

But it isn't in the "tents in your front door" area, is it? You live in the area so I'm not sure why you'd try and minimize the problem. You know what some buildings are having to spend to keep clean/secure from theft.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Changing City

It may not be ground zero, but it's in the fallout zone. It's the same block as The Burns Block, Abbott Mansions and The Grand Union, both SROs with residents with typical DTES issues. There's a shelter in the boarded-up Army & Navy building on the same block, and there's also a big non-market building being developed by the Chinatown Foundation with the City and BC Housing under construction that will have a significant health centre in the lower floors.

Yeah, I still said I'd never live there.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by whatnext

But it isn't in the "tents in your front door" area, is it? You live in the area so I'm not sure why you'd try and minimize the problem. You know what some buildings are having to spend to keep clean/secure from theft.

People have been camping on that block. There were more before the construction site started, but the hoarding makes it impossible to camp now. WTF are you talking about? I'm acknowledging the problem SROs (and behaviours that come with the area) and noting that nevertheless developers are proposing market rental units. That's all.