Downtown Vancouver Updates II

[giallo]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

What election promise?

As for "used to", go down there on a random Sunday during cruise season. It's packed with tourists.

It was busy with tourists yesterday.

[jollyburger]

Bonnis is dumping more property downtown?

524 Granville

https://www.marcusmillichap.com/prop...4-granville-st

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Changing City

That's not how municipal taxes work.

The City decides how much they want/need to spend, then they divide it between the businesses and home owners who pay tax. Interest rates don't affect that at all. That's why ABC put taxes up 7.5% this year - the Mayor had to get the $180K boost to his $1.3M office budget somehow.

I see you really don't get it. Nevermind.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

What election promise?

As for "used to", go down there on a random Sunday during cruise season. It's packed with tourists.

What about now during off cruise season?
As for the "election promise", if you even bother, please indulge yourself:
https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law...omises-8273733

Originally Posted by giallo

It was busy with tourists yesterday.

The steamclock doesn't really represent the entire Gastown. You need to show more of the area, as well as later in the day including night time.

[Spr0ckets]

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Vin

What about now during off cruise season?
As for the "election promise", if you even bother, please indulge yourself:
https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law...omises-8273733

The Gastown stuff wasn't in their election platform. It was approved 1-2 administrations in the past.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Vin

... As for the "election promise", if you even bother, please indulge yourself:
https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law...omises-8273733

It's real easy to promise stuff that other mayors/councils have already approved. Might as well give ABC credit for bringing the 2010 Olympics to Vancouver (which they didn't do either).

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

It's real easy to promise stuff that other mayors/councils have already approved. Might as well give ABC credit for bringing the 2010 Olympics to Vancouver (which they didn't do either).

You spoiled it, he was just about to give them credit for FIFA 2026.

[jollyburger]

Also with Bonnis they no longer own 929 Granville (Tom Lee Music)?

https://spearstreetcapital.com/portfolio/owned/

[madog222]

Originally Posted by madog222

News on the Bay Building office conversion (no, not that conversion), I don't think this has been posted. Building Permit issued back in July which was applied for 2 years ago. I assume it isn't for WeWork given their current state of affairs.


https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public...ctId=159556797

Unsurprisingly the previous month’s inspection reports that work has not started.
https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public...ctId=225299173

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by madog222

Unsurprisingly the previous month’s inspection reports that work has not started.
https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public...ctId=225299173

The Bay Building Downtown has..... ONE WORKING ELEVATOR. ...... no service ones nothing else work

ONE WORKING ELEVATOR FOR A 7 STORY (plus 2 basement) is a joke

(3 broken main elevators and a few broken service elevators)

all retail merchandise has to be brought up that ONE ELEVATOR before the store opens and after. staff are scheduled to work hours to do this. I have talked to them about it.

most of the escalators are broken as well.

WHAT A HORRIBLE STATE OF THE BUILDING! disgusting to treat your staff and clients like that.

[Snow_Wolf]

Not sure if anyone else here cares about this, but it looks like Google Earth updated their 3D imagery for downtown Vancouver and some surrounding areas from July 2021 to September 2023. Kinda cool looking at updated 3D imagery of some new buildings.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by Snow_Wolf

Not sure if anyone else here cares about this, but it looks like Google Earth updated their 3D imagery for downtown Vancouver and some surrounding areas from July 2021 to September 2023. Kinda cool looking at updated 3D imagery of some new buildings.

They also royally fucked up the satellite view of everything east of Willingdon/No. 9 Road/80th Street so kind of a mixed bag.

[Snow_Wolf]

Originally Posted by chowhou

They also royally fucked up the satellite view of everything east of Willingdon/No. 9 Road/80th Street so kind of a mixed bag.

Yep, I've seen that. For some reason they changed it to show the newest imagery despite it being very low quality. Odd decision considering there's much higher quality images from just a few months prior to those ones.

[jollyburger]

For the offices at 852 Seymour it looks like they went as far as looking into the demolition process last year (keeping the facade). The builders (not Bene) had a construction start of late 2023 on their website..

Street Use Permit for BP-2023-00023 To demolish this existing one-storey commercial building to grade.

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public...ctId=202399866

[madog222]

DP is up for the 848 Seymour hotel project. I do like the design from the rezoning but I think I prefer the newer design.

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/848-seymour-st-2


From Perkins & Will


Rezoning design:

Originally Posted by Changing City

Here's an unexpected rezoning (although test drilling was noted a few months ago). Paul Y construction have submitted an application for a 30 storey, 393 room hotel at 848 Seymour. 17.7 FSR, in a location that permits residential. With the Onni hotel conversion down the street, that's two new hotels proposed Downtown on Seymour. This would be a Moxy / Element by Westin. More details on Changing City blog.

[Vin]

I'm glad they are retaining the rooftop food and beverage/lounge facility. Vancouver really needs hang-out spots such as this.

Looks like we will have a severe hotel crunch especially with the Invictus Games and World Cup coming. Without more hotel rooms, visitors attending these events will only replace the regular tourists who can't get accommodation here. Should expedite this project ASAP in order to host more people in this city.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Vin

I'm glad they are retaining the rooftop food and beverage/lounge facility. Vancouver really needs hang-out spots such as this.

Looks like we will have a severe hotel crunch especially with the Invictus Games and World Cup coming. Without more hotel rooms, visitors attending these events will only replace the regular tourists who can't get accommodation here. Should expedite this project ASAP in order to host more people in this city.

What has this hotel got to do with the Invictus Games? Even if they started construction tomorrow (which they won't) it probably couldn't be finished in time for the World Cup; certainly not by next year.

We need more hotel rooms in general, but there have been economic reasons why they haven't been built. The provincial rules on Airbnb that come into force on May 1, and last year's federal tax changes should both help the viability of new hotels.

[jollyburger]

Well they asked for an expedited review to be ready for FIFA. It seems like it will be tight since they wanted construction to start Q1 2024.

https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applic...on-booklet.PDF

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Well they asked for an expedited review to be ready for FIFA. It seems like it will be tight since they wanted construction to start Q1 2024.

https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applic...on-booklet.PDF

Exactly. They just submitted their DP a month ago and we're already almost in Q2 2024. I don't know if it will to go the to DP Board, or be a Director of Planning approval, but that won't be immediate. At least there's no demolition on the site. They are proposing to dig down four floors which will take a while (and as a long-term parking lot, some of the soil may be contaminated too).