General Vancouver Updates

[ToTheTopNow]

Ellsworth Construction Grows Up in Mount Pleasant

http://vancouver.skyrisecities.com/news/2017/02/ellsworth-construction-grows-mount-pleasant

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Broadway & Alma (NW corner)


http://www.vancouvermarket.ca/2017/02/06/broadway-alma-site-slated-for-rental-development/

I'm not a proponent of government getting involved and dictating things such as unit size, but this area really shouldn't have buildings where 63% of the units are studios.

This area should be predominantly 2+den and 3 bedroom units for young professionals to start a family.

[LeftCoaster]

^You know this is right on top of a potential stop on the UBC Millennium line extension right?

I like the design, and certainly wont miss that strip mall.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

^You know this is right on top of a potential stop on the UBC Millennium line extension right?

I like the design, and certainly wont miss that strip mall.

I can't believe that newly constructed market rental studios will be affordable to most students.

I can't see why this wouldn't go ahead given their is low rise multifamily all around it. Why is taking so long for Coromandel(?) to develop the old gas station kitty corner to this site. And which corner is the future station supposed to go?

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I can't believe that newly constructed market rental studios will be affordable to most students.

I can't see why this wouldn't go ahead given their is low rise multifamily all around it. Why is taking so long for Coromandel(?) to develop the old gas station kitty corner to this site. And which corner is the future station supposed to go?

Cormandel delay could be due to remediation of the soils. Not familiar with how long it's been.

And plenty of students can afford to live in a rental studio near the school. Lots of rich kids go to college these days...

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by ToTheTopNow

Ellsworth Construction Grows Up in Mount Pleasant

http://vancouver.skyrisecities.com/news/2017/02/ellsworth-construction-grows-mount-pleasant

It is amazing what they did to this once great looking building. Developers in Vancouver are shameless about quality.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

^You know this is right on top of a potential stop on the UBC Millennium line extension right?

The UBC extension won't be built in the next two decade, and even if it was how is that an argument for this not being more family friendly?

Young professionals are very likely to take transit to work if the option is there.

We need more family units in the CoV, not a building where 63% of units are studies and 1% are three bed units.

There should be more studio units built on campus for student housing.

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I like the design, and certainly wont miss that strip mall.

I agree the design is nice.

[gillty]

Originally Posted by Aroundtheworld

Maybe, that said they can't really complain about shading since the shadow will be on the Skytrain and they can't really complain too much about traffic since that area already has plenty and it's only a few blocks from Renfrew Station.

It looks good project that will make a somewhat ugly part of the city nicer and livelier.

The "ugly side of the city" is not the surrounding neighbourhood, but rather the crappy surface parking lots and filthy rail corridor from Rona to Walmart on Grandview Highway.

I'm happy about the public space here, the ICC was where I learned soccer.

The south side of Grandview is perfectly lively and fine for an area of single home housing. I'm not sure the massing is warranted for the area. This area is plenty lively and well-kept all considered compared to a majority of the sfh areas of this city.

[BodomReaper]

Originally Posted by Jebby

I'm not a proponent of government getting involved and dictating things such as unit size, but this area really shouldn't have buildings where 63% of the units are studios.

This area should be predominantly 2+den and 3 bedroom units for young professionals to start a family.

Completely disagree. By reserving the overwhelmingly majority of land for single family homes, singles and childless couples are already massively discriminated against by land use policy. We shouldn't go and further rig things against them on the few slivers of the city (of course mostly on noisy, polluted arterials because fuck apartment-dwellers) where multi-family housing is allowed.

And as others have noted, this is next door to a giant university.

[jlousa]

Difference is singles can live in a sfh, in fact Kits is full of houses of singles living in sfhs. Families on the other hand can't live in microsuits. Think we can come up with a healthy mix, the problem is without any regulation the market will build the smallest possible units as they draw the most psf.

[Spork]

I don't think that any newly built studio will be less expensive than a comparable 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom unit rented out to 2-3 students. I lived with a roommate in a 2-bedroom condo for a long time because rent is much cheaper. Such units could also provide much needed stock to families.

[quobobo]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Difference is singles can live in a sfh, in fact Kits is full of houses of singles living in sfhs. Families on the other hand can't live in microsuits. Think we can come up with a healthy mix, the problem is without any regulation the market will build the smallest possible units as they draw the most psf.

Only a finite number of studio units will pencil out. If we sate that market (i.e. allow a lot more housing in the neighbourhoods where people want to live – this building is a small start), eventually other unit types will become more profitable.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Why is taking so long for Coromandel(?) to develop the old gas station kitty corner to this site. And which corner is the future station supposed to go?

Kitty corner from the development site being talked about is an active Chevron gas station (SE corner of Broadway and Alma).

Are you thinking about the empty and fenced off old gas station site one block to the south at the SE corner of West 10th Avenue and Alma?

[Bdawe]

Originally Posted by quobobo

Only a finite number of studio units will pencil out. If we sate that market (i.e. allow a lot more housing in the neighbourhoods where people want to live – this building is a small start), eventually other unit types will become more affordable.

This. Thinking that the market would go on building microsuites forever is more of that 'prices are poured into concrete' thinking that seems to crop up everywhere.

Remember, not everything is just 'things as they are now only more so.'

[Vin]

Originally Posted by BodomReaper

Completely disagree. By reserving the overwhelmingly majority of land for single family homes, singles and childless couples are already massively discriminated against by land use policy. We shouldn't go and further rig things against them on the few slivers of the city (of course mostly on noisy, polluted arterials because fuck apartment-dwellers) where multi-family housing is allowed.

And as others have noted, this is next door to a giant university.

Simple solution is to double the height of such a building, with half going to microsuites and the other half going to small-family units. Everyone's happy.

[Genauso]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Broadway & Alma (NW corner)


http://www.vancouvermarket.ca/2017/02/06/broadway-alma-site-slated-for-rental-development/

Too bad they didn't show the north side, those units will be where the views are.

I don't know what the right mix of unit sizes and parking spaces are, but they should probably stick to the average zoning for the area and only diverge from that if there is a good reason that will satisfy everyone else who would ask for exemptions.

It's half surrounded by multi-story, and half surrounded by detached houses. For all the time spent gnashing over the towers downtown -- which are being executed better than ever -- I think the nextdoor house will have gripes much bigger than any tenant at Jameson house who forced the re-design of the Credit Suisse tower(?). Projects could proceed so much faster if there could be a negotiated mutual benefit, instead of the lot-by-lot rezoning where the game is to get as many FSR for yourself, and stopping anybody from getting ahead of you.

More living space is needed. Housing/rent is the biggest root cost of any business in Vancouver, it's just money wasted on inertia. Trying to monopolize the land price gains by granting ad-hoc rezonings is stupid, there's no other reason for it.

Makes you wonder if waiting forever to upzone the land along Cambie for the Canada Line was an intentional effort to preserve this lucrative process.

[SpongeG]

Will we ever see some random singular skyrise in that west broadway, west 4th area or is that kind of thing not allowed? I think it would be kinda cool.

[SpongeG]

I can't find the thread for this one so i will just stick it in here - boundary and marine way part of that last waterfront whatever its called development in south van
both taken feb 15

20170215_110747 by snub_you, on Flickr

this is a coop building down in that area too along kerr - west of the park and burger place etc

20170215_111353 by snub_you, on Flickr

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I can't find the thread for this one so i will just stick it in here - boundary and marine way part of that last waterfront whatever its called development in south van
both taken feb 15

Might be this one.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=150542&page=20

[SpongeG]

ah yes my mind blanked