Downtown Vancouver Updates

[chowhou]

I thought heritage designations were about "enshrining the heritage of the city" not "don't tear your property down, I like looking at it". Never surprised by the hypocricy though.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by chowhou

I thought heritage designations were about "enshrining the heritage of the city" not "don't tear your property down, I like looking at it". Never surprised by the hypocricy though.

You should apply for a position as an Urban Planner for the City of Rome or Athens

[Metro-One]

So that Canadian population clock keeps going up by the thousands every day, and we are already in a major housing shortage, so what has this year been so quiet so far for new building starts? It really seems I haven’t seen a major known project move forward to selling / clearing for a while now, yet news seems to keep flowing from Ottawa, Toronto, etc… on the Canadian thread for proposals and starts.

What’s the excuse this time?

Not summer vacation, not the new year, not an election cycle…

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

So that Canadian population clock keeps going up by the thousands every day, and we are already in a major housing shortage, so what has this year been so quiet so far for new building starts? It really seems I haven’t seen a major known project move forward to selling / clearing for a while now, yet news seems to keep flowing from Ottawa, Toronto, etc… on the Canadian thread for proposals and starts.

What’s the excuse this time?

Not summer vacation, not the new year, not an election cycle…

CMHC data shows Housing starts in Metro Vancouver were 7,118 in Q1 of 2023, compared to 4,308 in Q1 of 2022.

Downtown probably won't see that many sales, because the developers (in the West End particulary) have moved several projects to rental.

The Block on Robson has site prep and demolition, the 39 storey Richards social housing project and several DTES non-market buildings are excavating their parking, and so is Bosa's Fifteen Fifteen on Georgia, and Burrard Place 2, and Onni's 424 W Pender rental.

Much more development activity in Vancouver is outside Downtown now.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

So that Canadian population clock keeps going up by the thousands every day, and we are already in a major housing shortage, so what has this year been so quiet so far for new building starts? It really seems I haven’t seen a major known project move forward to selling / clearing for a while now, yet news seems to keep flowing from Ottawa, Toronto, etc… on the Canadian thread for proposals and starts.

What’s the excuse this time?

Not summer vacation, not the new year, not an election cycle…

Downtown Vancouver specifically?

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by madog222

Downtown Vancouver specifically?

Kind of, there are just so many downtown proposals I know of that just seem to have not moved at all in years now.

Also wondering when things like the next phase of Lougheed Centre will move, the countless taller projects in Surrey, Metro King, all the major Coquitlam proposals, etc...

[madog222]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Kind of, there are just so many downtown proposals I know of that just seem to have not moved at all in years now.

Also wondering when things like the next phase of Lougheed Centre will move, the countless taller projects in Surrey, Metro King, all the major Coquitlam proposals, etc...

Yeah there hasn't been much news on all the proposals along Alberni near Bidwell.
Curv could start soon but who knows.
Fifteen Fifteen and 2 Burrard Place are excavating.

Metro King is now called Citizen, site was cleared in January, still in rezoning.

Lougheed phase 2 is still in rezoning, same with Pinnacle there.

Pine & Glen in Coquitlam should be starting sometime soon, site is clear and I believe a sales centre was being built.
The larger projects over there (Tri-City Central, Translink site beside Coquitlam stn, Coronation Park, Coronation Heights) are still a few years away.

No idea on Surrey projects.


But to get back to your original remark on population growth absorption, there have been lots of project starts without standout height or architecture.

[Jougho]

Keeping Vancouver in mind, this is worth a read.

https://citywatchla.com/index.php/cw/los...iC3sJob7Cxnal6Wn3F9EsR4i2qQaNeX-GyUWuN6g

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Jougho

Keeping Vancouver in mind, this is worth a read.

https://citywatchla.com/index.php/cw/los...iC3sJob7Cxnal6Wn3F9EsR4i2qQaNeX-GyUWuN6g

I'm not sure that an article about LA YIMBY's (on a website that took it's name from our longer established anti-change anti-development group) has much to do with Downtown Vancouver. Not surprisingly, our group also dislikes our YIMBYs.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

So that Canadian population clock keeps going up by the thousands every day, and we are already in a major housing shortage, so what has this year been so quiet so far for new building starts? It really seems I haven’t seen a major known project move forward to selling / clearing for a while now, yet news seems to keep flowing from Ottawa, Toronto, etc… on the Canadian thread for proposals and starts.

What’s the excuse this time?

Not summer vacation, not the new year, not an election cycle…

I did comment a year or two ago that the downtown market is pretty much dead after the last round of major developments, which were often watered down versions of our real potential. We already missed all the good opportunities that would have sustained momentum a long time ago. Watch our city on the decline while others grow from now on, that's what I can say. A miracle can still happen but it would take a lot of courage or will from those in charge. So far I haven't really seen a lot of that yet.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by Vin

I did comment a year or two ago that the downtown market is pretty much dead after the last round of major developments, which were often watered down versions of our real potential. We already missed all the good opportunities that would have sustained momentum a long time ago. Watch our city on the decline while others grow from now on, that's what I can say. A miracle can still happen but it would take a lot of courage or will from those in charge. So far I haven't really seen a lot of that yet.

Looks like lots of product on the market if you need a place to live ..https://www.rebgv.org/content/rebgv-org/market-watch/summary-of-homes-listed-and-sold.html

[mcj]

Originally Posted by madog222

But to get back to your original remark on population growth absorption, there have been lots of project starts without standout height or architecture.

Which are the affordable options over significant height/architecture proposals, the significant height/architecture options represent the health of the luxury segment of the market over anything else.

[officedweller]

Yaletown Park

Painting continues at Yaletown Park (after a hiatus to work on a different side, I assume).

Pic by me today.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Vin

I did comment a year or two ago that the downtown market is pretty much dead after the last round of major developments, which were often watered down versions of our real potential. We already missed all the good opportunities that would have sustained momentum a long time ago. Watch our city on the decline while others grow from now on, that's what I can say. A miracle can still happen but it would take a lot of courage or will from those in charge. So far I haven't really seen a lot of that yet.

Was that before or after your beloved Daily Hive said "With a population density of 18,837 residents per sq km, downtown Vancouver is the densest city centre of all primary downtown areas in Canada’s census metropolitan areas (CMAs), according to newly released Statistics Canada data."?

[madog222]

-wrong thread-

[officedweller]

Rec Room

Pic by me tonight:

[logan5]

How long have they been building that damn Rec Room anyways.

[madog222]

Three years ago:

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

The entire frontage of the future Rec Room on Granville has been fenced off with plywood, taking up most of the sidewalk in evident readiness for construction. So excited to see that finally moving forward.

[officedweller]

But that's pre-Covid and opening another entertainment venue probably wasn't top of mind when all their theatres were also empty and losing loads of cash.

[officedweller]

Yaletown Park

Pic by me today - painting looking good.