800 Granville Street | 137.5m | 42, 38 fl | Proposed

[svlt]

Wow I absolutely love this for that area. Big and bold. This is what the Granville strip badly needs!

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

The city almost doesn't deserve it.

I’ll never understand this level of unnecessary bitterness.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Yeah - round the corner and bridge the alley!
Make it all one project.

Why not go full pie in the sky and buy the H-Mart building and the parking lot too? Now you've got three hundred metres' worth of high street.

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Why not go full pie in the sky and buy the H-Mart building and the parking lot too? Now you've got three hundred metres' worth of high street.

Great idea. That building should never have been built. What a waste for one of the best and most high-profile intersections in the city.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

Great idea. That building should never have been built. What a waste for one of the best and most high-profile intersections in the city.

Seymour Street? Really?

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by scryer

It's almost as if it's introducing Granville/Robson to the idea of a bi-level pedestrian retail experience. And I think that is certainly a step in the right direction when it comes designing for the future. But my imagination could just be flying off the rails here .

Something's flying high - I didn't bother counting the number of times Vin got shot down for suggesting above ground stores and how no one wants that. Now people are excited about it..?

On a separate note, I find it uhm 'interesting' that in the past I suggested slightly building up Denman (which isn't *that* far away) and was told doing that "would kill the vibe of the area". A lot of Granville downtown, including this block, isn't much taller and now everyone cheers for building it taller. Is it opposite day and someone forgot to tell me?

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Seymour Street? Really?

I think it's more Robson and a catalyst for eastward high street extension. I was disappointed when the Tells Garden podium changed to office - but I guess the market for office was better (or some of Vancouver's largely residential developers don't like to manage retail).
PS - I think the H-Mart building (L'Aria on Robson) and L'Hermitage each do a good job with their 2 storeys of retail. It would have been nice if L'Atelier had a prominent multi-level retailer for the Homer corner instead of the beauty school and likewise with R&R.

One other thing that the proposed facade design of the project may run up against is retail tenants' desire for visible exterior signage - compare to the signage mess that is Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Something's flying high - I didn't bother counting the number of times Vin got shot down for suggesting above ground stores and how no one wants that. Now people are excited about it..?

On a separate note, I find it uhm 'interesting' that in the past I suggested slightly building up Denman (which isn't *that* far away) and was told doing that "would kill the vibe of the area". A lot of Granville downtown, including this block, isn't much taller and now everyone cheers for building it taller. Is it opposite day and someone forgot to tell me?

You think Denman isn't that far away? In comparison to Mars?

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

You think Denman isn't that far away? In comparison to Mars?

It's 1.6km away - which is a lot closer than Mars.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Think I missed that conversation. What kind of buildup are we talking about? This one is already pretty much the maximum for Granville; Denman's a little more out of the way and village-like, so a similar project may not fly.

Originally Posted by Sheba

Something's flying high - I didn't bother counting the number of times Vin got shot down for suggesting above ground stores and how no one wants that. Now people are excited about it..?

Difference being that this isn't a second downtown shopping centre and/or (likely public-funded) PATH network; nor will it likely get pulled into a zero sum game with Pacific Centre because it offers the exact same thing. It's "simply" stacking another street on top of the first one, with much-needed office space on top.

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Seymour Street? Really?

Yes, really. Seymour and Robson.

Not only is Robson a retail hub but that part of Seymour is also immediately adjacent to key public assembly facilities, is a heavily travelled ingress route into the downtown core from the south, and is one block away from the entertainment district of the downtown.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Something's flying high - I didn't bother counting the number of times Vin got shot down for suggesting above ground stores and how no one wants that. Now people are excited about it..?

On a separate note, I find it uhm 'interesting' that in the past I suggested slightly building up Denman (which isn't *that* far away) and was told doing that "would kill the vibe of the area". A lot of Granville downtown, including this block, isn't much taller and now everyone cheers for building it taller. Is it opposite day and someone forgot to tell me?

That’s not why people shoot down Vin. His endless, over-emphatic, armchair assertions that he knows what the market demands, against the advice of people who actually work in the industry, is met with derision because he bases his ideas off nothing but his own personal whims and desires.

I would love an amazing new mall downtown and the best flagship, retail in the world, but alas we are a small fry on the world stage. If the market grows to support such things, I’m all for it. In the meantime, I’m not going to childishly waste everyone’s time with bogeyman assertions about who’s to blame for it not happening.

I have no fixed ideas about Denman but do understand why one would want to keep it sunny. At the same time, Granville and Robson is the centre of downtown, Denman is not, and I would not expect them to be treated the same.

[scryer]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Something's flying high - I didn't bother counting the number of times Vin got shot down for suggesting above ground stores and how no one wants that. Now people are excited about it..?

This little comment is hitting kind of weird but okay..

Originally Posted by Sheba

On a separate note, I find it uhm 'interesting' that in the past I suggested slightly building up Denman (which isn't *that* far away) and was told doing that "would kill the vibe of the area". A lot of Granville downtown, including this block, isn't much taller and now everyone cheers for building it taller. Is it opposite day and someone forgot to tell me?

I kind of agree that building up Denman a bit wouldn't hurt. I mean, to do it in this day & age would mean having to navigate a development through some intense view cones and building shadowing policies, along with finding a way to replace the small business spaces with more small business spaces that they could afford the lease on. I could see Denman adopting midrises up to 8 floors if anything in the far future. But I would also predict that most of Denman's upzoning would actually begin from Robson/Denman up to W. Georgia/Denman before the main strip would actually get upzoned. No matter what, any upzoning projects would have to tip toe towards moving forward since it is an extremely sensitive area revered by NIMBYs all across Vancouver. Personally I could see more brick based or even faux heritage come into play to introduce more density.

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

Yes, really. Seymour and Robson.

Not only is Robson a retail hub but that part of Seymour is also immediately adjacent to key public assembly facilities, is a heavily travelled ingress route into the downtown core from the south, and is one block away from the entertainment district of the downtown.

I also cautiously agree that Seymour street is re-activating at certain parts. There's a couple of projects (either U/C or proposed) that are happening along Seymour street that are exciting including 600 Robson, and the 753 Seymour towers which will activate those intersections with more pedestrian traffic. However Seymour street itself, beyond those intersections, isn't a huge draw for pedestrians. That is until the Bay parkade gets redeveloped...

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I wonder how it's going to work out with music venues at ground level. The Red Room is at the bottom of an office tower and they're not allowed to have bands even load in their gear until 6pm (elsewhere it would usually happen sometime in the afternoon).

ummm that is blatently false. I have promoted many shows there. there is no load time restriction.

secondly .... below an office tower. do you even know what club the Red Room is?

this is it from street level >> https://goo.gl/maps/rZrBsEaJsfizDDJ56

there is 2 floor building above it. is a 2 floor retail and office building a "office tower" to you? if so .....

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by scryer

I also cautiously agree that Seymour street is re-activating at certain parts. There's a couple of projects (either U/C or proposed) that are happening along Seymour street that are exciting including 600 Robson, and the 753 Seymour towers which will activate those intersections with more pedestrian traffic. However Seymour street itself, beyond those intersections, isn't a huge draw for pedestrians. That is until the Bay parkade gets redeveloped...

Even then though, I don't see why Seymour would be any higher-profile than (let's say) Howe or Hornby. Granville and Robson are the big pedestrian spaces.

Originally Posted by scryer

I kind of agree that building up Denman a bit wouldn't hurt. I mean, to do it in this day & age would mean having to navigate a development through some intense view cones and building shadowing policies, along with finding a way to replace the small business spaces with more small business spaces that they could afford the lease on. I could see Denman adopting midrises up to 8 floors if anything in the far future. But I would also predict that most of Denman's upzoning would actually begin from Robson/Denman up to W. Georgia/Denman before the main strip would actually get upzoned. No matter what, any upzoning projects would have to tip toe towards moving forward since it is an extremely sensitive area revered by NIMBYs all across Vancouver. Personally I could see more brick based or even faux heritage come into play to introduce more density.

Right. You're looking at a second Gastown at best.

[officedweller]

I think Seymour is a pedestrian route from Downtown South to the CBD as people probably avoid the seedy aspects of Granville, and the traffic lights may be better timed for pedestrians than Granville. However, those rush hour pedestrians are not likely to support retail.

Ha! That Red Room nightclub used to be called SYSTEMS in the 1980s.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I think Seymour is a pedestrian route from Downtown South to the CBD as people probably avoid the seedy aspects of Granville, and the traffic lights may be better timed for pedestrians than Granville. However, those rush hour pedestrians are not likely to support retail.

Ha! That Red Room nightclub used to be called SYSTEMS in the 1980s.

I spend a lot time on Seymour and pedestrian traffic is always a trickle.

[officedweller]

Yeah, not enough to support retail, but of the morning routes I take in between Smithe and Robson, more pedestrians on Seymour than Hamilton, Homer or Richards. ie I walk past maybe 6 people versus 1 or 2 people.

[s211]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I think Seymour is a pedestrian route from Downtown South to the CBD as people probably avoid the seedy aspects of Granville

Yup.

[TwoFace]

800 and 900 Block of Seymour could use some injection of greenery, like Richards got.