CF Pacific Centre Developments - Page 2

trofirhen · #21 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 7:28 PM**

I wish it could be made into a Westlake Center type of thing. That is such a prime location, it needs to be a real magnet.

And of course, as Metro said, that spot is no good at all for residential.

connect2source · #22 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 8:06 PM**

Something multi-use would be ideal! Grand entry to Pacific Centre off Robson, with the first two floors catering to flagship retail much like the new areas of Yorkdale, the top 2 - 4 floors could house a department store much like the Nordstrom in the San Francisco Centre in downtown SF. BNN is speculating that CF already has nailed a tenant, their guess is Nordstrom, JC Penny, Target or a non US retailer. The conversion with transform our city centre for sure.. long overdue!!

officedweller · #23 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 8:14 PM**

Yeah, the biggest rumour that actually did come true!

Thoughts:

Even if Nordstrom does move in, the space is 600,000 sq ft and from what others on the forum have said, that's too big for a Nordstrom flagship (200,000 sq ft(?)).

That suggests that there will need to be some sort of redevelopment (in addition to just the facade)

The structure is steel frame - so that may lend itself to reconfiguration.

In downtown San Fransisco, Nordstrom has a store above the multi-storey San Fransisco Centre mall [EDIT - great minds ...] - so it's conceivable that (instead of a vertical split) Nordstrom take the top 3 floors of Sears and the parts below become new retail space for Pacific Centre.
I would like to see a brightly lit atrium opening onto Granville Street (one-sided) that would also allow a large floorplate retailer on the lower floors))

Pacific Centre has repositioned itself as an upper end retail mall - so it would be a bit odd for a Target to enter the mix, although they do occupy a different marlet than Nordstrom.

I agree that the downtown retail market is getting higher end - if they do open, it'll be interesting to see if Nordstrom does well given the history of Vancouver and higher end stores - Woodward's tried it and dies, so did Eaton's and Sears "on Robson" even tried it too in the early years.

So that's the second decampment of Sears from downtown Vancouver - The first was the closure of the Sears Harbour Centre store (in the late 1980s?) - in the former Eaton's/Spencer department store space. At the time, it was said that Sears' primary market is in the suburbs - and that still seems to ring true.

News1130 interviewed Michael Geller - who suggested that VAG may now be re-interested in the space.

http://www.news1130.com/business/art...ting-its-doors

EDIT - JC Penney? That would be a surprise, given they aren't doing well in the US and are similar to Sears.

racc · #24 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 8:19 PM**

It would be great to have some cafes with patios along Granville Street along with some weather protection. Don't planners know that rains in Vancouver? A Robson Street entrance to the Canada Line would be great. Even better, an entrance to the Mall and Canada Line from Robson Square. Robson Square was designed to be an entrance to a subway down Howe Street.

golog · #25 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 8:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by phesto

Didn't think it would happen, but money talks, and Cadillac paid a very big number not to play a longer waiting game with Sears. Store closes Oct 31.

http://www.vancouversun.com/business...477/story.html

Call it intuition : )

Vestry · #26 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 8:21 PM**

connect2source · #27 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 8:23 PM**

As mentioned on BNN, CF's payout to Sears comes from the fact that they're already secured a deal, it will remain retail and not become the new VAG location, the use will stay the same as it's part of CF's Pacific Centre, only the tenant will change.

Pinion · #28 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 8:27 PM**

Great news. Don't mind if it stays a mall - PC is a bit small as-is. But of course a re-cladding is mandatory.

A lot of downtown peninsula people already came to North Van for Wal-Mart. I wonder if Sears at Capilano Mall will benefit from this too.

PS It is called Nordstrom, not Nordstrom's. Just a personal pet peeve.

golog · #29 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 8:34 PM**

There is a lot of wasted space in Sears today. Whether renovation or redevelopment, better use of the space will be made (which also brings better rents, the whole reason why Sears was bought out)

So even if you would shop at a Sears and not a Nordstrom's, it should end up being a positive for you. The size and location are significant enough that it will change retail outside of it as much as it does on the inside.

TwoFace · #30 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 8:37 PM**

I guess in the long run demand will dictate pricing, or they will fade away like the others did.
As long as they punch some windows out and slap some exterior paint around, I'm OK with it.

http://www.bnn.ca/News/2012/3/2/Sear...p-markets.aspx

officedweller · #31 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 8:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by racc

... Robson Square was designed to be an entrance to a subway down Howe Street.

More likely under Hornby, as the truck tunnel under Howe would get in the way.
See also 1975 transit plan showing Steetcar/LRT on Hornby:
http://regardingplace.com/?p=8157

flight_from_kamakura · #32 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 9:07 PM**

yeah, with what cadillac fairview paid for this, they must have another tenant. i'd guess target before nordstrom, given their plans in canada. i'd also guess, in that case, that we're unlikely to see much beyond renovation.

Canadian Mind · #33 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 9:10 PM**

Man, I thought PeterPrinciple was full of shit when he said that the lease was up.

Guess he wasn't lying. Peter, if you ever read this, I know I didn't put you down, but I owe you a beer anyways at the next SSP meet (on top of the 2 I owe JLousa and the... 6? I owe Metro-One).

DKaz · #34 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 9:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

http://regardingplace.com/?p=8157

URL Change: http://spacingvancouver.ca/2010/04/0...-transit-plan/

jlousa · #35 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 9:32 PM**

The lease wasn't up, it was bought out, big difference, like $170M big.

yogiderek · #36 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 9:44 PM**

When Eatons closed there was massive sales. I'm wondering if we'll have the same bargains at this Sears location.

I hate that building. Wish they would rebuild the second Hotel Vancouver again on that site. Though now it would be oriented on Robson instead of the original Georgia street. A new hotel, tower and 200,000 sq foot Nordstroms would be fantastic. Plus, fix up that lifeless plaza in front of it. Build something out onto the street again. All three streets facing that store are disasters that need some life.

officedweller · #37 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 9:49 PM**

Looking forward to the sales - although the merchandise selection isn't as good as it once was.

The plaza is used a lot in the summer - esp. with CFOX's summer concert series every Friday (Corus is a TD Tower tenant).

WarrenC12 · #38 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 10:09 PM**

Sears/Eatons must have had an incredible deal on a long term lease to make a $170M buyout worthwhile... and of course CF had a much bigger deal ready to go.

jsbertram · #39 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 10:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

More likely under Hornby, as the truck tunnel under Howe would get in the way.
See also 1975 transit plan showing Steetcar/LRT on Hornby:
http://regardingplace.com/?p=8157

I was told years ago that when Erickson designed Robson Square, the future subway was going to be run under Robson St, so that's why the stairs/ramps are north & south of today's skating rink. They were designed to manage the crowds entering and leaving a busy subway stop.

The next level down (what we know today as UBC downtown campus) was to be the transit mezzanine a la Montreal, and then the deepest level was to be the subway platforms and tunnels.

A Robson Subway could still be built, but since it would have to go under the Granville St Canada Line, it would just stay at that deep elevation to get under the Robson Square truck tunnels too.
Easy Peasy.

jsbertram · #40 Posted **Mar 2, 2012, 10:42 PM**

The plaza by the Canada Line station was going to be rebuilt after the Canada Line station was finished, so I would expect the plaza to be done at the same time as re-habbing the eatons/sears building. May be replaced with a northern extension of the Sears building to cover the plaza & get a better grand entrance to the mall, TD Tower, (ex-) Sears, and Canada Line.

I was lazily thinking today on the train this morning about what to put in that space.

- UBC Downtown campus moves in; Robson Square taken over by the Art gallery; new galleries built under Front lawn of art gallery?

- VAG takes over all the space; UBC Downtown campus renovates & moves in to old Court House?

- SFU Downtown campus expansion (or space consolidation)?

- basement of Sears gets taken over for mall expansion; main floor is boutique retail space; upper floors converted to offices. - requires recladding of exterior (yay!)

- building demolished & replaced with one or two new towers - just like the north block of Pacific Centre.
both towers as office space?
One tower as condos? If Telus can do that only a block away, why not?

- has Target done an urban store before? I've only seen them in the 'burbs. Same question about WalMart.