Downtown Vancouver Updates

[ckkelley]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Have you ever actually seen St. John's in person? A rather interesting piece of ecclesiastical architecture from the Seventies, which is a sub-type rather lacking in Vancouver and quite unexpected in the West End. I'd much rather see that preserved than yet another bland glass tower.

It is nice but what's really needed and is also appropriate here is more rental housing. Almost no rental stock has been built downtown over the last decade.

The objections voiced by the resident's association made no sense whatsoever. I can't believe these people are objecting.

[SpongeG]

people will never be satisifed

[SpongeG]

'Poppy' street signs installed around Vancouver's Victory Square


Poppy street sign (Courtesy Royal United Services Institute)

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - If you're driving or walking around Victory Square in downtown Vancouver, you may have noticed some new street signs commemorating Remembrance Day. The signs have an image of a Royal Canadian Legion poppy before the street name.

The poppy has become the symbol of remembrance in Canada and around the world. The Royal United Services Institute of Vancouver (RUSI) asked the City of Vancouver to consider placing the Legion poppy on every street sign in Vancouver that is named after a Canadian military battle or person. After some deliberation, the city decided to install the signs at street corners that surround Victory Square in advance of Remembrance Day 2009.

Victory Square is the site of Vancouver’s Cenotaph, around which the annual Remembrance Day Ceremony and Parade takes place beginning at 10:00 am on Wednesday, November 11th. Hastings, West Pender, Cambie and Hamilton streets border it.

http://www.news1130.com/news/local/more.jsp?content=20091109_174348_9572

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by officedweller

WRT the new median in the middle of Pacific Blvd -
I think I saw forms for curbs in the median and I think I recall the City reports indicating that there would be a sidewalk down the middle of the median bwteen rows of trees.

There is now a concrete sidewalk path down the middle of the median on Pacific Blvd between Drake and Davie (leaving narrower 2 ft wide or so strips on boths sides of the median for the trees).

The median between Davie and Cambie will just have trees (several fairly large ones (bigger than the Granville trees, I think) have already been planted on this block.

[Metro-One]

I am a little worried about the pacific Blvd, I actually really liked its old open feeling nature, Vancouver does not really have many "open" Blvds. Again, sometimes it is nice to have streets that differ from each other. Oh well, hopefully when the tram rolls down it they will have to cut down all the trees they planted and we will once again have a more open feeling Blvd in the city.

[flight_from_kamakura]

^ when the streetcar (and further development near cambie bridge) come in there, hopefully, finally, there'll be some good constant pedestrian traffic down that way. as it is, it's definitely the nicest ill-used american-style boulevard i can think of.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by ckkelley

It is nice but what's really needed and is also appropriate here is more rental housing. Almost no rental stock has been built downtown over the last decade.

The objections voiced by the resident's association made no sense whatsoever. I can't believe these people are objecting.

Well, the rental units have been being built, but just as privately owned condos, rather than whole apartment blocks.

Its a shame for the West End to lose this green space, as well as the building. For instance the City could have traded Gordon Neighbourhood House for the church and re-purposed it. New rental highrises should be built on the site of the legions of dreary three-story walk-ups that populate the WE, many of which are long past their prime.

[Locked In]

Minor updates to the Emery Barnes extension and Richards Living:





(my photos, taken today)

[ckkelley]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Well, the rental units have been being built, but just as privately owned condos, rather than whole apartment blocks.

Its a shame for the West End to lose this green space, as well as the building. For instance the City could have traded Gordon Neighbourhood House for the church and re-purposed it. New rental highrises should be built on the site of the legions of dreary three-story walk-ups that populate the WE, many of which are long past their prime.

I think the city should embrace these opportunities to build rental-purpose housing whenever a developer proposes it.

The vacancy rate is near zero and people always complain that there isn't enough and it's too expensive.

[SpongeG]

i am sure if one of the dreary 3 storeys came up for sale someone might rebuild? not too often large enough parcels seem to go for sale it seems

[officedweller]

The Henriquez website has pics of the Davie & Bidwell project - not sure if they've been posted before:

http://www.henriquezpartners.com/

[vancityrox]

Not sure if this belongs in this section.
There was a fire on Main & 10th. It destroyed around 3 restaurants. Slickity Jims, Zocalo Mexican Restaurant and a Japanese sushi restaurant. Its a shame. The Sushi place was pretty good!

Here are some pics from the morning and afternoon in a link. Click the pictures to enlarge them.

Morning
http://www.mypicx.com/11122009/fireonmain/

Afternoon
http://www.mypicx.com/11122009/fire_onmain_afternoon/

[quobobo]

^ Not downtown - it was mentioned in some of the other threads.

[Hed Kandi]

..

[osirisboy]

new bc liquor store

[SpongeG]

will it be bigger than the one on cambie? which is said to be the flagship best branch of the BC liquor store?

[vancityrox]

Originally Posted by quobobo

^ Not downtown - it was mentioned in some of the other threads.

Ya thanks, thats why i said i wasnt sure............

[nova9]

Originally Posted by vancityrox

Ya thanks, thats why i said i wasnt sure............

But it's not downtown anyways. You're from the city, you should know that's not downtown.

[vancityrox]

Originally Posted by nova9

But it's not downtown anyways. You're from the city, you should know that's not downtown.

i just moved to vancouver about a month and a half ago from the east coast. thats why i wasnt sure. i dont exactly know the exact borders of each area

[LeftCoaster]

To be honest i dont think we can definitively say 10th and main is not downtown. Many people view the broadway corridor as a part of downtown, and where the corridor ends is certainly up for interpretation.