Woodwards District | 121m & 96m | 40fl & 31fl | Completed

[agrant]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Woodwards growing behind the wonderfully restored Flack Block. Just look at that entranceway.


Taken by SFUVancouver, May 13th, 2008.

That's an amazing looking building. The stone work is something we don't see a lot here.

[djh]

Yeah, the Flack Block is a great building, and the heritage restoration has done a wonderful job. But, as I mentioned in another thread when this project was announced a few years ago, the problem with a lot of those gorgeous Gastown buildings is not the building's architecture, it's the low-end tenants that go in and deface the building with really ugly hoardings and awnings. I believe this building used to have a huge banana-yellow "Money Mart' awning hanging over the ground floor (in really tatty condition) - much like the ugly awning on the building next door to the right ("Asia Imports"). They just interrupt the flow of the lines on the building.
I think all heritage restorations should have clear glass (i.e., barely-visible) rain shelters and subtle signage that fits with the design of the building. No more jumbo signs on old buildings - and especially no ugly 99c pizza signage!

[Pinion]

Is this still on track for oepning in spring 2009? It looks like I might end up working there (already work for SFU).

[TwoFace]

SFUVancouver, what type of Camara are you using??

[Urban Zombie]

Good lord! This project is pretty groovy--how is it that I'm just now finding out about it after it's already more than halfway constructed? Perhaps I've been spending too much time with real porn and I've been neglecting the all loving 'scraper porn.

And is it just me, or is it the latest fad in PacNW architecture to adorn new buildings with full and ample bush? Seattle's doing that as well recently.

[SpongeG]

the flack building isn't part of the woodwards project

if thats what you're looking at...

its on the other end of the block...

[raggedy13]

Great update SFU, thanks. And thanks especially for the bonus Flack Block pics. It's looking great. That's quite the impressive entrance.

It seems that with the Shangri-La topped out, forum focus has really shifted towards Woodward's and the Fairmont for now (and rightly so I suppose).

[Urban Zombie]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

the flack building isn't part of the woodwards project

if thats what you're looking at...

its on the other end of the block...

No, I'm talking about the 121m highrise going up in the background. Hence my surprise at not knowing about this project until today.

[SFUVancouver]

Thanks for the positive feedback.

Originally Posted by TwoFace

SFUVancouver, what type of Camara are you using??

I have a Panasonic Lumix TZ2.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

I have a Panasonic Lumix TZ2.

I asked because I'm in the process of shopping for a new one, and the pic of the "Flack Block" is high quality.

[vanman]

Woodwards streetwall taking shape.

[flight_from_kamakura]

nice pics vanman. damn, i'm just so excited about how this is coming along.

seriously, this project was a stroke of genius. (jim green, the greatest mayor vancouver never had). it's already helped encourage a massive redevelopment of the whole area, and it's not even open for business yet. plus, the building itself is going to be great... i'm so glad that gillespie managed to come to terms for the holborn property, it's made the project so much more interesting.

future hopes: redevelopment at the top of victory square park, a nice building on the burnt out marijuana party site (those fucking idiot stoners burned down one of vancouver's nicest buildings), street level retail in every parkade in gastown/dtes, and the streetcar down cordova/hastings/pender. add that to what's already well underway, and we'll have a really really cool neighborhood.

[jlousa]

Holborn never owned the property, they bid on the redevelopment of it, and lost to Westbank. It was owned Woodwards, then Fama Holdings, followed by the BC government, who then sold it to the COV before the present situation. Not sure what Holborn property you're talking about. They own a lot across the street NE corner of Abbott and Hastings but that has nothing to do with Woodwards.

[flight_from_kamakura]

uh, holborn used to own the property adjacent to the original woodwards site. when their bid with concert properties failed, they came to an arrangement to transfer that property to gillespie and the woodwards site was expanded.

edit: here's their original proposal. the barred rectangle is the adjacent property

[jlousa]

That diagram is very hard to read, as it's hard to tell what is what. Could you use a google satellite snapshot and mark the property you are taking about.
It appears you are talking about a building that between Asia Imports and Woodwards along Hastings St. But behind that property was the loading area for Woodwards which was owned by the city.

[canucks23]

from flickr.com

http://flickr.com/photos/noahadams/2507257119/sizes/l/

http://flickr.com/photos/sobergeorge...64625/sizes/l/

[flight_from_kamakura]

Originally Posted by jlousa

That diagram is very hard to read, as it's hard to tell what is what. Could you use a google satellite snapshot and mark the property you are taking about.
It appears you are talking about a building that between Asia Imports and Woodwards along Hastings St. But behind that property was the loading area for Woodwards which was owned by the city.

here's a short (somewhat out of date) summary of the process:

When Westbank Projects Corp. and Peterson Investment Group Inc. won the opportunity to redevelop the former department store at 101 West Hastings, it did so over a competing bid by Concert Properties Ltd. and Holborn Holdings Ltd. that proposed using excess density from the site in the redevelopment of another site on West Georgia Street. The existing Woodward’s structure comprises 656,000 square feet, but Concert/Holborn proposed transferring 266,000 square feet of density from Woodward’s to other projects they had planned, including a 600-foot tower at 1133 West Georgia Street. But that transfer was a sticking point for the city, including councillor Raymond Louie, who singled it out last September when he voted in favour of Westbank/Peterson’s bid over Concert/Holborn’s. Disscussions then began with the city on a complex deal that could see Holborn receive the density it needs to build its highrise at 1133 West Georgia as compensation for Westbank incorporating Holborn lands to the west of the Woodward’s site to accommodate Simon Fraser University’s School of Contemporary Arts. “Putting together a deal with the Holborn guys has allowed the project to have a little more breathing room,” said Ian Gillespie, president and CEO of Westbank. In early June, the city agreed to a revised proposal for the tower, which will now be designed by Arthur Erickson as a slim 45-storey high-rise twisting 45 degrees between its base and the roof. The new tower will be the second tallest in the city, next to Westbank’s Shangri-La, which is being built directly across the steet."

[Hong Kongese]

Canucks 23, Thanks for the pics! This tower is really getting taller!

[excel]

great pics, thanks.

[SpongeG]

a pic by me from thursday