The Ultimate Vancouver Rumour Thread! - Page 14

LeftCoaster · #**261** Posted **Jan 31, 2008, 9:17 PM**

eventually....

Yume-sama · #**262** Posted **Jan 31, 2008, 9:29 PM**

Would the First Nation actually require approval for any project it wanted to build on Deadman's Island? Is there anything actually stopping them from building some monster of a building on their land?

jjjb · #**263** Posted **Jan 31, 2008, 9:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Bear in mind that the downtown streetcar is supposed to ferry tourists to Stanley park from downtown.

When it does end up going to Stanley Park. It seems like just a tourist gadget at first glance, but once it's implemented I think it will be used as a transit option by a wide range of people. For a lot of people it's still more viable to take surface transit for their specific needs. For example if you live in Gastown and work at the VGH, taking the streetcar would make a lot of sense because you would just hop on and off without bothering to walk to Waterfront or Stadium and then transferring to a bus and then another one. Even with the changes that the Canada Line will bring, having the downtown streetcar will help relieve or even eliminate those (slooooooow) bus routes that take the bridges to get from one side of False Creek to the other.

This project is actually a good example of Vancouver's willingness to take risks on something that just makes sense but isn't seen in North America so much.

http://www.vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/streetcar/phasing.htm

Yume-sama · #**264** Posted **Jan 31, 2008, 9:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjjb

When it does end up going to Stanley Park. It seems like just a tourist gadget at first glance, but once it's implemented I think it will be used as a transit option by a wide range of people. For a lot of people it's still more viable to take surface transit for their specific needs. For example if you live in Gastown and work that the VGH, taking the streetcar would make a lot of sense because you would just hop on and off without bothering to walk to Waterfront or Stadium and then transferring to a bus and then another one. Even with the changes that the Canada Line will bring, having the downtown streetcar will help relieve or even eliminate those (slooooooow) bus routes that take the bridges to get from one side of False Creek to the other.

This project is actually a good example of Vancouver's willingness to take risks on something that just makes sense but isn't seen in North America so much.

http://www.vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/streetcar/phasing.htm

I agree, I'd be more likely to take the streetcar as a person living there than bother with walking...

jjjb · #**265** Posted **Jan 31, 2008, 9:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

I agree, I'd be more likely to take the streetcar as a person living there than bother with walking...

Walking to transit is the worst thing to ask of people at 7:00 am. Maybe the streetcar should have an onboard Starbucks kiosk at the back.

SFUVancouver · #**266** Posted **Jan 31, 2008, 10:45 PM**

Well the streetcar in Portland is partially financed by sponsorship from businesses along the line. Why couldn't Starbucks have bright-eyed young go-getters with those coffee backpacks greeting people at the stops?

officedweller · #**267** Posted **Jan 31, 2008, 10:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjjb

When it does end up going to Stanley Park. It seems like just a tourist gadget at first glance, but once it's implemented I think it will be used as a transit option by a wide range of people.

A ferry to Deadman's Island would be for tourists - I'm just saying that there may not be much of a market for the ferry service if it has to compete with the streetcar.

jjjb · #**268** Posted **Jan 31, 2008, 11:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

A ferry to Deadman's Island would be for tourists - I'm just saying that there may not be much of a market for the ferry service if it has to compete with the streetcar.

Ah yes, I thought your comment was a response to jlousa's update in the Downtown Thread...

Cypherus · #**269** Posted **Jan 31, 2008, 11:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Would the First Nation actually require approval for any project it wanted to build on Deadman's Island? Is there anything actually stopping them from building some monster of a building on their land?

Despite being there land, which is up to debate apparantly, they would still require approval from the DPB, and most likely the UDP. I wouldn't personally like to see twin towers go up there - although outside the park per se, it wouldn't conform aestheically to Vancouver's skyline.

officedweller · #**270** Posted **Feb 1, 2008, 12:42 AM**

Native land would probably not be subject to municipal bylaws - i.e. billboards by Burrard Bridge.

Yume-sama · #**271** Posted **Feb 1, 2008, 12:51 AM**

I could see them wanting to do some sort of waterfront community, something like The Falls in Victoria would look nice and not stand out. Just think of the money they could sell it for on their own private island. I can just imagine the cheesy slogans we'd be hearing from the marketing. Just give them some boat docks and they'd be set.

http://www.thefallsvictoria.com/

mr.x · #**272** Posted **Feb 1, 2008, 2:18 AM**

A tower there would have the same type of effect that the Burj Al Arab hotel has on Dubai:

I don't get why we make leases instead of just buying the land (or taking it away like candy from a baby)....i miss Hong Kong, UK.

Yume-sama · #**273** Posted **Feb 1, 2008, 3:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr.x2

A tower there would have the same type of effect that the Burj Al Arab hotel has on Dubai:

I don't get why we make leases instead of just buying the land (or taking it away like candy from a baby)....i miss Hong Kong, UK.

Well, a supertall 1000 foot structure would surely be crazy, such as the Burj al Arab.

But a moderate 10 - 20 storey building, if designed nicely, wouldn't stick out like that. There is a lot more to Vancouver than there is to that particular area of Dubai, so it *could* blend nicely.

cc85 · #**274** Posted **Feb 1, 2008, 3:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Would the First Nation actually require approval for any project it wanted to build on Deadman's Island? Is there anything actually stopping them from building some monster of a building on their land?

if the land was given to them as part of a native treaty then no, nothing would stop them from building on the lands, but whether or not they are given easy accomdation in terms of traffic accessibility remains to be seen. If it is not part of a treaty process and is only given to them on a fee simple basis, then the City has authority over it.

but theres not a hope in hell that a tower or towers would ever be developed there.

officedweller · #**275** Posted **Feb 1, 2008, 4:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cc85

if the land was given to them as part of a native treaty then no, nothing would stop them from building on the lands, but whether or not they are given easy accomdation in terms of traffic accessibility remains to be seen. If it is not part of a treaty process and is only given to them on a fee simple basis, then the City has authority over it.

but theres not a hope in hell that a tower or towers would ever be developed there.

You'd also need connections to services (water, sewer, etc.) - that was an issue in Tswassen (sp?).

Holden West · #**276** Posted **Feb 1, 2008, 6:46 AM**

I happened to meet an Emaar Canada representative (they've just optioned a project in Victoria). I tried to get out of him the final height of Burj Dubai but he wouldn't budge. Damn, I thought I had a scoop for you guys.

Yume-sama · #**277** Posted **Feb 1, 2008, 8:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holden West

I happened to meet an Emaar Canada representative (they've just optioned the 819 Yates project in Victoria). I tried to get out of him the final height of Burj Dubai but he wouldn't budge. Damn, I thought I had a scoop for you guys.

If they could they'd build it tall enough to stretch, and bend, and make a giant arch and end up in Vancouver... with a supersonic highspeed rail in it.

I hope no legion of multi-billionaire Sheiks read this....

alta-bc · #**278** Posted **Feb 6, 2008, 12:01 AM**

Someone told me today that there was an 80 storey tower proposed around BC place stadium, but seeing as there is nothing mentioned about it on SSP, I will assume that this is not true.

Can anyone confirm/deny this?

mr.x · #**279** Posted **Feb 6, 2008, 2:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alta-bc

Someone told me today that there was an 80 storey tower proposed around BC place stadium, but seeing as there is nothing mentioned about it on SSP, I will assume that this is not true.

Can anyone confirm/deny this?

I'm not sure, but wasn't that a very old hotel proposal beside the former Plaza of Nations?

jlousa · #**280** Posted **Feb 6, 2008, 2:10 AM**

The 80 storey tower was a vision, it wasn't actually next to BC Place, it was to be built just outside Gastown, everyone here knows of it as the Fringe project. It was an ugly project that didn't make any sense.
The hotel proposed for the Plaza of nations site will most likely come to fruitation within the next 5yrs. But it will be in the 300' range.