Sen̓áḵw (Squamish Nation) | 11 Towers | 171m | 58fl | 4M sqft | U/C

[giallo]

“It puts the power in Victoria’s hands, where in fact the local communities are getting cut out more and more,” he said. “We’re starting to live in a very undemocratic world.”

I'm pretty sure they were elected into office.

If you don't like their policy of housing people, then vote for the 'F You, Got Mine' party next go around

[seamusmcduff]

And also, the democratic process around the Kits site was extensive. Just because they don't like the result doesn't make it undemocratic. What would be undemocratic is cancelling the project after it followed all the proper channels and was approved, simply because a few neighbours don't like it.

[Migrant_Coconut]

"This is an OUTRAGE - how could the government and First Nations reshape the land around us without our permission?!"

[whatnext]

These figures were in a BIV article about the lawsuit so I assume the transit hub is a definite given.

...The 250-page agreement spells out how Senakw will connect to the city’s water and storm sewers, sidewalks, roads, bike lanes and public transit, and who pays for what. An appendix lists $48.43 million of costs estimated for 15 street, bike lane, sewer and seawall projects, mostly paid by the Squamish Nation. Of that, $15 million is the estimate to build a transit hub on the bridge...

https://biv.com/article/2023/04/lawyer-c...ouncil-keeping-senakw-services-agreement

[om604]

I did not manage to take a photo, but Green Infrastructure Partners (GIP) appear to be excavating/shoring alongside Bel Pacific. Wondering if GIP was contracted for the District Energy Plant?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by om604

I did not manage to take a photo, but Green Infrastructure Partners (GIP) appear to be excavating/shoring alongside Bel Pacific. Wondering if GIP was contracted for the District Energy Plant?

Pagnotta seems to be working on the project as well from the Senakw careers page. Also involved with the Oakridge project.

www.pagnotta.ca

[Zepfancouver]

Today





Panorama






• Video Link

[whatnext]

Well, that was predictable:

Shayne Ramsay gone from Squamish Nation company behind Senakw towers
Provincial government report found former CEO of BC Housing broke conflict of interest rules
By Bob Mackin | May 12, 2023, 1:22pm

The former CEO of BC Housing is gone from the Squamish Nation company involved in building rental towers around the Burrard Bridge, just four days after a provincial government report found Shayne Ramsay broke conflict of interest rules.

Ramsay announced his retirement from BC Housing after 22 years last August but resurfaced in September with Nch’kay Development Corporation as its executive vice-president. After the Ernst and Young forensic audit report was released Monday, the Squamish Nation referred queries to Nch’kay, which did not respond until 12:29 p.m. Friday with a nine-word email: “Shayne Ramsey [sic] is no longer with Nch’ḵay̓ Development Corporation.”....

....The damning report for the Office of the Comptroller General found Ramsay subverted conflict of interest rules and shifted contracts and funding to his wife, Atira Women’s Resource Society CEO Janice Abbott, without a competitive process. Ramsay had agreed in writing in 2010 to a conflict of interest protocol to manage the business side of his relationship with Abbott.

Abbott is also in her second three-year term on the board of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC), which gave a $1.4 billion loan last September to Senakw. ...

https://biv.com/article/2023/05/shayne-ramsay-gone-squamish-nation-company-behind-senakw-towers

[jollyburger]

General
Gate 1 on West 1st and Fir Street remains the primary entrance to the site for construction traffic.
Site Preparation
Temporary waterline partially installed. Final connection to water main expected to now occur in May.
Archaeological shovel and machine testing completed on the Phase 2 area of site.
Topsoil removal on the Phase 2 area commencing.
Excavation
Bulk excavation for Phase 1 continues.
Shoring wall and soil anchor installation continues.
Detailed excavation for footings and elevator pits commences.
Construction
Mud slab and crane footings for tower 3 being poured.
Erection of the crane for tower 3 to commence mid-May.
Vanier Park Lane
Additional temporary works for BC Hydro power will continue in May.

Cranes soon

[GenWhy?]

It's always amazing how quickly we can build without parkades.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

It's always amazing how quickly we can build without parkades.

We can watch this project vs. the one with 10 parkade levels downtown.

[mcj]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

It's always amazing how quickly we can build without parkades.

And without development permits. Not to mention the fact that other MST projects off reserve land, Heather Lands and Jericho Lands specifically, are still in rezoning hell.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by mcj

And without development permits. Not to mention the fact that other MST projects off reserve land, Heather Lands and Jericho Lands specifically, are still in rezoning hell.

Heather and Jericho are FN partnerships with the Federal government aren't they? The Feds should be using their power to stomp on the city (I say this as a resident). Steamroll the NIMBYs. The proposals I've seen for both parcels are reasonable.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Heather and Jericho are FN partnerships with the Federal government aren't they? The Feds should be using their power to stomp on the city (I say this as a resident). Steamroll the NIMBYs. The proposals I've seen for both parcels are reasonable.

I assume property ownership there would be by way of lease?

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by mcj

And without development permits. Not to mention the fact that other MST projects off reserve land, Heather Lands and Jericho Lands specifically, are still in rezoning hell.

It is a very good way to look at where and when long-winded community planning negotiations take place. Both Heather and Jericho required community input on "options", rather than just "here's the plan and we'll continue to negotiate with the City on how much money we'll have to give them," which in all cases would work much better. Heather should have been dictated by existing form of development policies (tower separation, podium heights, tower heights and setbacks, % of commercial and community space per residential density, etc). Would likely shave off 2 years.

Heather's rezoning was approved last year and it's enacted, so I imagine they're quite far along. if you got rid of the policy statement / vision statement bull, they'd likely be in the ground too.

EDIT: Heather St is yet to be enacted. Which makes more sense.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by TwoFace

I assume property ownership there would be by way of lease?

The WST [sic] projects are being developed in partnership with major developers. Negrin said it is important for First Nations that they remain the owners of the land, so deals struck with developers are on a long-term lease basis.

“What we’ve done with partners is we’ve done a 99-year lease, so the land never leaves the nations,” Negrin said. “Any project that we’re doing is free-hold [sic].”

https://www.westerninvestor.com/british-...vancouver-residential-developers-5416666

Sounds like they're keeping all their properties as leasehold.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by chowhou

https://www.westerninvestor.com/british-...vancouver-residential-developers-5416666

Sounds like they're keeping all their properties as leasehold.

Got it ... thanks

[mcj]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

It is a very good way to look at where and when long-winded community planning negotiations take place. Both Heather and Jericho required community input on "options", rather than just "here's the plan and we'll continue to negotiate with the City on how much money we'll have to give them," which in all cases would work much better. Heather should have been dictated by existing form of development policies (tower separation, podium heights, tower heights and setbacks, % of commercial and community space per residential density, etc). Would likely shave off 2 years.

Heather's rezoning was approved last year and it's enacted, so I imagine they're quite far along. if you got rid of the policy statement / vision statement bull, they'd likely be in the ground too.

EDIT: Heather St is yet to be enacted. Which makes more sense.

Ultimately it was just a counter point to illustrate that, yeah while removing a few levels of underground parking does make things a bit quicker, the couple months it saves in construction timelines pales in comparison to the years long process we make other similar projects go through.

This project was first proposed in May 2019, and shovels were in the ground in Sept 2022. If we could pursue these timelines for other major projects, it really wouldn't matter how much parking they include.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by mcj

Ultimately it was just a counter point to illustrate that, yeah while removing a few levels of underground parking does make things a bit quicker, the couple months it saves in construction timelines pales in comparison to the years long process we make other similar projects go through.

This project was first proposed in May 2019, and shovels were in the ground in Sept 2022. If we could pursue these timelines for other major projects, it really wouldn't matter how much parking they include.

Oh absolutely. This project illustrates the ideal plan, approvaal time, and shovels in the ground timeline.

Was just mentioning earlier that construction speed, in general, is so much quicker without a deep parkade. Starting geo, and soil testing to getting your crane base in this speed is so tasty.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by mcj

This project was first proposed in May 2019, and shovels were in the ground in Sept 2022. If we could pursue these timelines for other major projects, it really wouldn't matter how much parking they include.

No COVID would probably shave a year off that timeline too.