The Ultimate Vancouver Rumour Thread!

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by TwoFace

How about TheBay finally decides to turn their building in condos as promised and moves into the Nordstrom space.

No existing policy would allow The Bay to convert to condos. They're suggesting a million square foot office building on top. It would make sense for them to consider moving into the Nordstrom space while they develop behind their facade, but there's nothing in it for CF, who would have to replace them once they move back across the street a few years later. It wouldn't involve a Crystal Tower, in that scenario.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by Changing City

No existing policy would allow The Bay to convert to condos. They're suggesting a million square foot office building on top. It would make sense for them to consider moving into the Nordstrom space while they develop behind their facade, but there's nothing in it for CF, who would have to replace them once they move back across the street a few years later. It wouldn't involve a Crystal Tower, in that scenario.

They need to do what they did in Victoria with great success, nobody needs any more office space. Sell the place.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by TwoFace

They need to do what they did in Victoria with great success, nobody needs any more office space. Sell the place.

You replied to a post saying that is not possible. Regardless, relatively speaking Victoria is a world away.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by madog222

You replied to a post saying that is not possible. Regardless, relatively speaking Victoria is a world away.

Everything is possible.

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by TwoFace

Everything is possible.

Lol. Spoken like someone who has never dealt with City of Vancouver Planning. No, you could not convert The Bay into condos, unless a major policy change for the downtown occurred. That would take years. Even if they updated or replaced the DODP (they should), they'd still be very unlikely to allow residential at the Bay site.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by csbvan

Lol. Spoken like someone who has never dealt with City of Vancouver Planning. No, you could not convert The Bay into condos, unless a major policy change for the downtown occurred. That would take years. Even if they updated or replaced the DODP (they should), they'd still be very unlikely to allow residential at the Bay site.

You lack imagination. Perfect candidate for Spot zoning

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by TwoFace

You lack imagination. Perfect candidate for Spot zoning

the business district is small enough as it is. it cannot allow residential in it. once it happens, it will never go back.

[LowerLonsdaleMike]

I started thinking about the Sinclair Centre today and realized that 2024 will be the year that they might realize more news about what that site will eventually evolve into with 1.1million sq ft of office space added and some sort of tower(s) built. Anyone have any inside knowledge of what could be coming down the pipe? I know this is a stretch, but that site would be perfect for Vancouver's new tallest.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by LowerLonsdaleMike

I started thinking about the Sinclair Centre today and realized that 2024 will be the year that they might realize more news about what that site will eventually evolve into with 1.1million sq ft of office space added and some sort of tower(s) built. Anyone have any inside knowledge of what could be coming down the pipe? I know this is a stretch, but that site would be perfect for Vancouver's new tallest.

A feasibility study showed one tower on the NE corner with ~15000sqft footprint so it very well could be the next tallest in the city if the view cone restriction is bypassed one way or another.

https://www.localpractice.ca/sinclair-centre-redevelopment

[logan5]

Originally Posted by madog222

A feasibility study showed one tower on the NE corner with ~15000sqft footprint so it very well could be the next tallest in the city if the view cone restriction is bypassed one way or another.

https://www.localpractice.ca/sinclair-centre-redevelopment

The City will probly view this as a major heritage retention project, which falls in line with what Mayor Sim said earlier about allowing certain projects to breach the viewcone height limits, given certain conditions. Sim said that the tallest buildings in the Metro belong in Vancouver. This is the perfect opportunity to build something in the 900’ plus range.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by logan5

The City will probly view this as a major heritage retention project, which falls in line with what Mayor Sim said earlier about allowing certain projects to breach the viewcone height limits, given certain conditions. Sim said that the tallest buildings in the Metro belong in Vancouver. This is the perfect opportunity to build something in the 900’ plus range.

I believe they aren't required to follow city regulations, or get a CoV development permit for that matter, as it's federally owned land. Ten years ago they did say they would be respecting the view cone limits but I doubt that is still the case.

The tower cross section in the feasibility study page is quite telling in only showing the top 30 odd storeys of an obviously taller tower.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by madog222

I believe they aren't required to follow city regulations, or get a CoV development permit for that matter, as it's federally owned land.

they do not need to. i dont think they got a DP for the changes to Seaforth Armoury.

they do not need to follow any city building regulations and/or rules.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by madog222

A feasibility study showed one tower on the NE corner with ~15000sqft footprint so it very well could be the next tallest in the city if the view cone restriction is bypassed one way or another.

https://www.localpractice.ca/sinclair-centre-redevelopment

If that sketch is to scale, the floorplates would be more like 22,500 sf. A narrow tower wouldn't make as much sense as they're supposedly aiming at a very green building. (I'm not sure how that could possibly be like the Crystal Tower, which even with highly efficient triple glazing would seem to be unnecessarily expensive and difficult to make net zero, or better).

[jollyburger]

But everything on Sinclair Centre points at a tall timber type project as well.

And it seems like Sinclair Centre will proceed as a municipal rezoning:

Sinclair Centre • Commercial and office space Enhanced Rezoning Pending

https://council.vancouver.ca/20230530/documents/ub1.pdf

It's only like 30 or so floors from this rendering:

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

It's only like 30 or so floors from this rendering:

that looks ugly. i hope it doesnt destroy the heritage aspects of the existing 4 buildings.

[jollyburger]

Seems like part of the facade on the bottom right is gone.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Seems like part of the facade on the bottom right is gone.

That's the 1930's Federal Warehouse Building. Unlike the other three buildings, it's only a 'B' on the Heritage Register (the others are 'A'), and unlike the other three buildings it is not a designated Federal Heritage Building. So if anything was likely to be redeveloped on the site, that's the one.

The 2015 City Council agreement was that height could be increased to a total of 29 storeys, or 22 storeys on top of the existing seven-storey Federal Office Building. That's what it looks like the scheme consists of. So no 'tallest', in fact nothing taller than the viewcone over the site. If it's mass timber, it would be taller than the current tallest mass timber building in the world, in Milwaukee.

[jollyburger]

Totally missed these from a previous page:

[Metro-One]

Oh no, that's ugly as hell and super top heavy.

cut that floor plate in half, double stack the remaining half, and have the tower tapper towards the top.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Or just have it all one style; enough with the split-personality architecture, it rarely turns out well.