Landmark on Robson | Completed

[Zepfancouver]

Excavators are still in the pit

[Otis_Van]

Either taking out the excavators or installing the second crane (or both?). Was too early to tell; they were just getting into position as I walked by. I saw Zepfancouver hoisting his camera over the wall to get some video of 1550 Alberni, so likely he’ll be along soon with more recent shots of this, too. (My picture, today).

[Zepfancouver]

Hey Otis_Van, seems like I just missed you there (there were other construction shutterbugs there between 9:30 and 10:30)
They lifted out the Micropile Drilling Machine and Compressor, also the excavator's Buckets. I didn't see any lifting harness's for the excavators or hauling trailers.
At 10:30am they were lowering the crane boom. I couldn't stay any longer. Maybe another day for the excavator egress...Monday?
• Video Link

[Lexus]

Whats that other building with a red crane?

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Lexus

Whats that other building with a red crane?

GWL Advisers rental tower.

[Lexus]

Originally Posted by Changing City

GWL Advisers rental tower.

Thanks!

[Zepfancouver]

[Zepfancouver]

[whatnext]

Are they still excavating?

Who's getting sued: August 10, 2020

Defendants
1488 Robson Street Holdings Ltd. and Asna Robson Landmark Developments Ltd.

Plaintiff
JMX Contracting Inc.

Claim
$6,723,550 for demolition work on the Empire Landmark Hotel; a builder’s lien.

https://biv.com/article/2020/08/whos...august-10-2020

[Vin]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Are they still excavating?

Who's getting sued: August 10, 2020

Defendants
1488 Robson Street Holdings Ltd. and Asna Robson Landmark Developments Ltd.

Plaintiff
JMX Contracting Inc.

Claim
$6,723,550 for demolition work on the Empire Landmark Hotel; a builder’s lien.

https://biv.com/article/2020/08/whos...august-10-2020

Love this! Serves them right for the demolition of the hotel tower.



Recap my comment. Aug 2019:

Originally Posted by Vin

I've no respect for any parties that contribute to the demise of this former West End landmark hotel, and subsequent escalated cost of the future condos. I also don't feel sorry for the developers with the slow sales. Potential owners are not only paying for the building they own, but also for the unnecessary demolition costs. They can get way better deals elsewhere.

Recap Leftcoaster's comment....wrong again!

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I don't think anyone is asking for your sympathy Vin... nor your respect.

Besides, demolition costs would be factored into the land costs, so it would be net neutral. Free and clear land is worth more than land with encumbrances like a aging hotel which would need to be demoed.

[officedweller]

May be a claim for cost overages or disagreement as to the value of changes due to delays, etc.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Are they still excavating?

Who's getting sued: August 10, 2020

Defendants
1488 Robson Street Holdings Ltd. and Asna Robson Landmark Developments Ltd.

Plaintiff
JMX Contracting Inc.

Claim
$6,723,550 for demolition work on the Empire Landmark Hotel; a builder’s lien.

https://biv.com/article/2020/08/whos...august-10-2020

Reading down the list, it's one plaintiff going after one or two defendants, and then one gets to this beauty:

Defendants

Washington Properties (QEP) Inc. and Amy Barsha Washington and Hongzhen Zhou and Terry Chen Lin and Lup Mun Lew and Kim Choo Jenny Ong and Stephen Ping Ho Cheng and Robin Shi and Randy Chien Wei Chang and Sylvia Xiu Hui Chang and Jianyu Sun and Xin Liu and Min Chang Wei and Kung Li Teresa Chung and Hak Wo Lau and Yu Ting Michelle Huang and Wing Sze Cissy Fong and Chiu Lung Hou and Incrofit Enterprise Ltd. and Tai Hang Chan and Li Chen and Ka Ho Chan and Chung Chu Lin and Edmond Chi Yen Lin and Quoc Vi La and Kara Hay Alexsander Leung and Siu Wah Grace Yip and Jing Zhang and Erick Pin Yao and Jianhong Qin and Dominic Pingyim Orr and Sen Lin Gui and Ying Zhou and Yi Zhou and Ran Chen and David Sik Wai Lee and Qian Fu and Lin Dan Li and Wei Yin and Ai Hua Zhang and Wai Yi Cheung and Elizabeth Mary Quan and Johnny Luk and Ying Li and Yi Hao Lu and Grace Pik Har Lam and Hung Ha Chung and Jim Yang and Helen Hanmin Rao and Ying Wang and Sarah Siu Kuen Szeto and Sylvia Szeto and David Wen Chu Chen and Nina Hsueh Haw Ke and Jessica Chia Hsing Chen and Tien-Chi Shen and Yanjing Shi and Yuting Jia and Alexander Chu and Yun Ru Li and Wing Hung Chan and Shu Hui Tu and Siu-Leung Chan and Annie Yin King Chan Pang and Chiu-Yuen Law and Annie Lup Yee Law and Ying Wen Jing and Yin Sandy Sze and Ming Zeng

Plaintiff

PTRS Painting Ltd.

Claim

$301,720 for painting work; a builder’s lien.

I think it's for this project https://goo.gl/maps/KHBShpJ4XTtPjP347.

It's one of only two projects currently selling/complete on the Washington Properties website, and in parenthesis for the first defendant, it says Washington Properties (QEP) Inc., and QEP is likely Queen Elizabeth Park, across the street from the project.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by officedweller

May be a claim for cost overages or disagreement as to the value of changes due to delays, etc.

Whatever it is, they would not have incurred this added cost had they not demolish the former Empire Landmark hotel tower. $6 mil isn't a small chunk of change (I'm sure the total demolition cost is more than that), and can substantially reduce the cost of each condo unit, which would've allowed them to be fully sold out by now.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Reading down the list, it's one plaintiff going after one or two defendants, and then one gets to this beauty:

Defendants

Washington Properties (QEP) Inc. and Amy Barsha Washington and ...

My guess is this one - due to the "(QEP)" [Queen Elizabeth Park] in the corporate name.

http://35parkwest.com/

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by officedweller

My guess is this one - due to the "(QEP)" [Queen Elizabeth Park] in the corporate name.

http://35parkwest.com/

Agreed. I came to the same conclusion and edited my post.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Reading down the list, it's one plaintiff going after one or two defendants, and then one gets to this beauty:

Defendants

Washington Properties (QEP) Inc. and Amy Barsha Washington and Hongzhen Zhou and Terry Chen Lin and Lup Mun Lew and Kim Choo Jenny Ong and Stephen Ping Ho Cheng and Robin Shi and Randy Chien Wei Chang and Sylvia Xiu Hui Chang and Jianyu Sun and Xin Liu and Min Chang Wei and Kung Li Teresa Chung and Hak Wo Lau and Yu Ting Michelle Huang and Wing Sze Cissy Fong and Chiu Lung Hou and Incrofit Enterprise Ltd. and Tai Hang Chan and Li Chen and Ka Ho Chan and Chung Chu Lin and Edmond Chi Yen Lin and Quoc Vi La and Kara Hay Alexsander Leung and Siu Wah Grace Yip and Jing Zhang and Erick Pin Yao and Jianhong Qin and Dominic Pingyim Orr and Sen Lin Gui and Ying Zhou and Yi Zhou and Ran Chen and David Sik Wai Lee and Qian Fu and Lin Dan Li and Wei Yin and Ai Hua Zhang and Wai Yi Cheung and Elizabeth Mary Quan and Johnny Luk and Ying Li and Yi Hao Lu and Grace Pik Har Lam and Hung Ha Chung and Jim Yang and Helen Hanmin Rao and Ying Wang and Sarah Siu Kuen Szeto and Sylvia Szeto and David Wen Chu Chen and Nina Hsueh Haw Ke and Jessica Chia Hsing Chen and Tien-Chi Shen and Yanjing Shi and Yuting Jia and Alexander Chu and Yun Ru Li and Wing Hung Chan and Shu Hui Tu and Siu-Leung Chan and Annie Yin King Chan Pang and Chiu-Yuen Law and Annie Lup Yee Law and Ying Wen Jing and Yin Sandy Sze and Ming Zeng

Plaintiff

PTRS Painting Ltd.

Claim

$301,720 for painting work; a builder’s lien.

I think it's for this project https://goo.gl/maps/KHBShpJ4XTtPjP347.

It's one of only two projects currently selling/complete on the Washington Properties website, and in parenthesis for the first defendant, it says Washington Properties (QEP) Inc., and QEP is likely Queen Elizabeth Park, across the street from the project.

Amy Barsha Washington, now where have I heard that rather strange name before, oh right....

Dispute over mansion's bloody history provides a window into Vancouver's high-stakes housing market
Court decision on sale of Shaughnessy mansion reveals major players and practices in region's real estate

Bethany Lindsay · CBC News · Posted: Mar 14, 2018

The story begins with an apparent gangland hit in an exclusive Vancouver neighbourhood. But from there, it spins out into a tangled web that includes a disgraced former real estate agent, hints of shadow-flipping and a real estate investor with a massive portfolio.

A B.C. Supreme Court decision issued last week has already revealed how the $6.1-million sale of 3883 Cartier St. was scuttled when a prospective buyer discovered alleged gang member Raymond Huang had been shot and killed at the front gate.

But that same court document offers a glimpse into Vancouver's high-stakes real estate market. It's filled with the names of major players in the Metro Vancouver real estate market and suggestions of practices that have been blamed for helping to drive housing prices into the stratosphere.

First, there's the nervous buyer who backed out of her real estate contract: Feng Yun Shao.

Shao, who is also known as Amy Barsha Washington in court filings, was not an inexperienced home shopper when she agreed to buy the Cartier Street mansion. She'd been living in Canada for just two years and had already purchased a home on the west side, according to last week's decision.

Today, Shao's personal real estate portfolio is valued at more than $154 million, according to records from B.C. Assessment.

That includes her current address in West Vancouver's ritzy British Properties, an 8,000-square-foot mansion on a lot that overlooks Burrard Inlet, Stanley Park and downtown Vancouver.

Shao was also at the centre of a 2016 lawsuit over accusations of an unpaid $10 million loan. A Chinese businesswoman alleged in her statement of claim that the loan was issued in China to Shao's company, Chongye Developments, with the unusual stipulation that it be repaid in B.C....(bold mine)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...rket-1.4575065

But rest assured, shadowy Mainland China money has no effect whatsoever on Vancouver real estate, amiright...

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Vin

Whatever it is, they would not have incurred this added cost had they not demolish the former Empire Landmark hotel tower. $6 mil isn't a small chunk of change (I'm sure the total demolition cost is more than that), and can substantially reduce the cost of each condo unit, which would've allowed them to be fully sold out by now.

Are you still pursuing the myth that they could have re-purposed the hotel to residential and meet contemporary seismic codes?

[jollyburger]

Seems like JMX filed for bankruptcy in the spring

27. On October 23, 2017, the JMX Group entered into a contract to carry out the abatement of hazardous materials and demolition of a building known as the 1400 Robson Empire Landmark Hotel in Vancouver, BC. The project was a large, high-profile project involving the demolition of a 42-storey building with a revolving restaurant at the top of the structure. The JMX Group has completed work under the contract and no longer provides any services or materials to the project.

28. The JMX Group experienced significant delays in the completion of the ASNA Contract resulting from material deficiencies in the schematics and scope of work represented to the JMX Group at the outset of the project. Namely, the JMX Group discovered after the contract was executed, that the structural drawings did not disclose a poorly reinforced slab, which required the JMX Group to significantly revise its work plan in order to safely demolish the building. Further, there were more ACMs discovered on site than were otherwise disclosed to the JMX Group at the time the contract was executed resulting in additional work and engineering to safely remove the asbestos.

29. The JMX Group filed liens on title to the Landmark Hotel relating to its costs arising from the unforeseen conditions and the delay on the project, in the amounts of $6,595,998.52 and $127,552.21. The liens include amounts owed to subcontractors .

https://www.crowesobermaninc.com/ins...ses/jmx-group/

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Are you still pursuing the myth that they could have re-purposed the hotel to residential and meet contemporary seismic codes?

Speaking of which, any news on where they’re at with old Coast Plaza? Are they renting out now?

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Seems like JMX filed for bankruptcy in the spring

https://www.crowesobermaninc.com/ins...ses/jmx-group/

It looks as if the huge demolition project in Ontario is a bigger problem for JMX. In the case of the Landmark, there may be a partial resolution negotiated.

32. The JMX Group’s counsel has since been engaged in discussions with ASNA’s counsel in respect of a potential resolution of the lien and security amounts.

It's interesting to note that the big problem with the demolition was that the old hotel had structural deficiencies that meant it was much slower and more expensive to demolish safely (as well as having more asbestos than JMX had been told about). That explains why it took so much longer than they originally announced.