Vancouver Infill & Lowrise Updates Discussion

[GenWhy?]

Also the C-2 outright heights work if you like low ceilings... asking for 2' shouldn't even be an external discussion. If there's a green or amenity on the roof then there should be no discussion. This is why there is year-long delays, or no roof amenities at all on rental buildings.

[GenWhy?]

MIRHP Program project rezoning Open House March 4th. Some "serious" TOD for Renfrew Station... one day? Seems to be 3 MIRHPP buildings being proposed along Renfrew Street.

https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/2830grandviewhwy/index.htm

[whatnext]

I've been seeing ads from Landa for a Lunar New Year sale on their project at Main and 20th. I guess they're finding out the hard way people really aren't that interested in paying $1,300 sq/ft for a 747 sq/ft two bedroom in a low rise on an arterial. how do you get two bedrooms into 747 sq?

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I've been seeing ads from Landa for a Lunar New Year sale on their project at Main and 20th. I guess they're finding out the hard way people really aren't that interested in paying $1,300 sq/ft for a 747 sq/ft two bedroom in a low rise on an arterial. how do you get two bedrooms into 747 sq?

Tons of 2 beds under 800SF in Vancouver, vast number 2 beds in Yaletown and Olympic Village are sub 800SF, some work some don't very dependant on the layout. Open plan with no wasted hallway, entry hall space and with a balcony can work just fine.

[logan5]

If it’s Chinese buying up all theses overpriced condos, they probly aren’t interested in this neighbourhood. This a very local neighbourhood with a lot of working people who can’t afford those prices. Bit of a slap in the face to the neighbourhood

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by connect2source

Tons of 2 beds under 800SF in Vancouver, vast number 2 beds in Yaletown and Olympic Village are sub 800SF, some work some don't very dependant on the layout. Open plan with no wasted hallway, entry hall space and with a balcony can work just fine.

800 sq/ft is more common, and that's right downtown, not on Main Street. I suppose this is a function of Landa overpaying for the site in the first place, and trying to recoup enough to cover that mistake.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

boy, times sure have changed.

i remember back in 2001. a 3bed, 2bath, 1300sqft, corner unit on Marinaside crescent overlooking false creek was 350k.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by whatnext

800 sq/ft is more common, and that's right downtown, not on Main Street. I suppose this is a function of Landa overpaying for the site in the first place, and trying to recoup enough to cover that mistake.

Seems fairly common in almost any part of the city. We got East and West side projects for both condo and rental that are just shy of 800sf. Makes for a less expensive unit and $1,300 isn't outrageous for Main Street. Good location. Construction costs didn't help. It's a soft market right now too. We postponed a condo project and converted another to rental which we'll sell as condos later on. Just the way of the market at the moment.

[Feathered Friend]

Should Rents in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside be Increased to Pay for More Parking?

835-837 East Hastings Street
One of the most frustrating things for many people can be looking at the cost of rent and wondering how it can be so high, even in an “affordable” building. Darren and I can understand that view, as not many people are able to take the time to learn as much about our city as we are, which is why we started City Duo; things are better when more people have information.

One of the biggest reasons for these costs is that non-market buildings primarily rely on government funding, which has been in short supply from the senior levels of government who collect most of our tax dollars. While that has been getting better over the last few years, it remains very challenging for our civic government, and other charitable groups, to secure funds so they can even start these new buildings.

Which explains why, despite the generous efforts of Lee’s Benevolent Association of Canada, only 30% of these 39 seniors homes are set at the HILs level, with the rest at below market rates.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2019/02/01...de-be-increased-to-pay-for-more-parking/

[logan5]

1300$ is outrageous. The city has break through that sfh barrier and start zoning for ground oriented units with enough FSR to motivate developers to buy land and build. Ground oriented units give consumers the best opportunity (cost wise) to buy a home.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by logan5

1300$ is outrageous. The city has break through that sfh barrier and start zoning for ground oriented units with enough FSR to motivate developers to buy land and build. Ground oriented units give consumers the best opportunity (cost wise) to buy a home.

Woodframe or not you're paying lots for construction and land still. Land assembly isn't cheap nor is the rezoning process.

[logan5]

Eliminate the rezoning process. Eliminate hallways, elevators, other expensive mechanical systems that come along with larger buildings. Parkade are a huge cost. How much do you figure 1 parking spot costs the consumer in these high rise condos. You got car washes and back up generators. All this shit adds up. It’s ridiculous.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by logan5

Eliminate the rezoning process. Eliminate hallways, elevators, other expensive mechanical systems that come along with larger buildings. Parkade are a huge cost. How much do you figure 1 parking spot costs the consumer in these high rise condos. You got car washes and back up generators. All this shit adds up. It’s ridiculous.

Whether it's a 5 or 7 unit rental building up to a 35 unit rental building under the new parking relaxations a minimum 1 level of parkade (in some form) is needed. Strata, on the other hand, is more parking. You need a space for a PMT, bike parking, garbage, loading, visitor parking, storage, other mechanical and water management systems.

Friend of mine is doing a roughly 12,000 sqft lot on Kits Diversion with like 3 surface parking stalls no u/g parkade, 12(ish) units, through a rezoning with a mountain of relaxations. Would never happen with a DP in a R zone.

[GenWhy?]

Building a low-rise is more cost effective in many cases than a row of townhomes. Low-rise you can do a double-loaded corridor with good efficiencies, while townhomes you'd need 20 foot separation between units at the front and lane.

[Feathered Friend]

- Google Earth


- Google Earth

Nine Rental Homes to Join “Criminal” Seniors Housing in Vancouver’s Kerrisdale

1515 West 49th Avenue
Though Hannah and I have driven through the intersection of Granville and 49th many times, it’s not a part of our city we’re very familiar with. Frankly, it’s not a very friendly place to walk, as some streets lack sidewalks and only offer views of large hedges, mason walls, and a variety of large multi-million dollar homes. Only the Trinity Baptist Church, and the Granville Garden’s Retirement Residences, where rents for a studio start at ~$4,200 a month, offer any variation in the public realm.

The later has raised quite a fuss over the last decade, and not only because of a huge fire that ripped through the building when it was nearly finished construction in 2014. When that 3 and half storey seniors rental building was first proposed in September 2008, many in the neighbourhood were opposed, with a total of 113 people signing a petition against it. At the time, these individuals feared any increase in density would lead to more traffic, less street parking, a decrease in their property values, and an increase in crime.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2019/02/04...eniors-housing-in-vancouvers-kerrisdale/

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

- Google Earth


- Google Earth


https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2019/02/04...eniors-housing-in-vancouvers-kerrisdale/

The city should be negotiating for land for left turn bays on Granville as part of any developemnt here. It's criminal how dangerous making left turns on almost every major interesection on Granville (save 41st) is.

[Feathered Friend]

Previous Version

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/10/12...nt-to-preserve-mom-and-pop-store-spirit/

Updated Proposal

The UDP Regrets Rejection of Dunbar Mid-Rise – Could Proposed Reforms Prevent a Similar Mistake?

4464 Dunbar Street
Everyone makes mistakes, but it takes a certain amount of courage to admit you goofed up when it’s noted in an official government record. Maybe that says something about the character of the Urban Design Panel members who took a second look at this simple 5 storey mid-rise.

During this project’s first review, these volunteers were clearly frustrated over the limitation of Vancouver’s C-2 zoning guidelines. Perhaps this is why they felt the minor flaws in the design were so severe, that they defeated the chair’s motion of support, and instead requested for it be resubmitted.

Since then, it seems their irritation has faded, as some appeared confused over why it was back for review. That didn’t stop the applicant from demonstrating how they addressed every one of the panel’s concerns.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2019/02/08...posed-reforms-prevent-a-similar-mistake/

[GenWhy?]

MCM has applied and site sign us up at West 4th Avenue and Macdonald Street for 4-storey 2.5 FSR with London Drugs at-grade. Exterior design changed since I last saw but it can always change again. Wesgroup rezoning for 6-storey building to follow soon across the street. 2 less gas stations.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

MCM has applied and site sign us up at West 4th Avenue and Macdonald Street for 4-storey 2.5 FSR with London Drugs at-grade. Exterior design changed since I last saw but it can always change again. Wesgroup rezoning for 6-storey building to follow soon across the street. 2 less gas stations.

That's good. Although there hasn't been gas stations there in a while. Especially the north west corner. That's been fenced off for over a decade

[Tetsuo]

Guessing LD is switching to a SDM model of smaller stores?

Seems like west side saturation