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  #21  
Old Posted Dec 11, 2012, 6:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Spork View Post
Give it ten year for redevelopment/renovations to make it into Chinatown. I can almost guarantee you that the area will be vastly improved (albeit perhaps without the Chinese character, unless we work to preserve it) at this point. It has only been 3 years since Woodward's was completed, and that area is much better than it was prior. I would argue that the area has cleaned up almost all of the way to Columbia. That leaves about 4-5 blocks to go.
It could be argued that 'everything' has been pushed further east up Hastings. Will it continue to be pushed east or what will happen, I wonder...
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  #22  
Old Posted Dec 11, 2012, 6:44 AM
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Speaking of Chinatown...

Quote:
1) 498 Carrall Street (1 East Pender) VHR B, (M)
The application was received to rehabilitate this significant Chinatown heritage building.
The proposal is to adaptively re-use the building, retain the existing built form and massing, rehabilitate the exterior, and change the uses to office and parking (on the ground floor) and community theatre (on the second floor).
498 Carrall Street (1 East Pender), also known as The Chinese Times Building, is listed in the “B” evaluation category on the Vancouver Heritage Register and it is municipally designated heritage site. The heritage value of the building is found in its architecture, the choice of brick as a construction material as well as in its direct association with individuals, organizations and uses that played important roles in the Chinese community. The building was home to the Chee Kung Tong, the Chinese Freemasons, associated with the earliest immigration of Chinese to British Columbia during the Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858 and the establishment of the community in both, BC and Canada. The second significant tenant was the newspaper, the Chinese Times, which had its offices here from 1930s until 1990s. (Please refer to the attached Statement of Significance for more information on heritage values and character defining elements).
The conservation plan by Soren Rasmussen Architects is generally consistent with the Chinatown HA-1 Design Guidelines and the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada. The chamfered building corner will be retained, the “cheater floor” feature retained and modified to provide adequate access and headroom, the large cornice fully restored, the bay windows on E. Pender St. preserved and repaired, storefront windows on Pender St. restored as per the original configuration, the facade on Carrall St. rehabilitated to better accommodate new uses. The conservation plan also includes four significant new elements: the garage entrance and the theatre entrance on Carrall Street, the extensive fixed canopy along both principal facades, and the building projection onto Carrall Street located above the new theatre entrance.
The applicant has requested heritage incentives through the Heritage Building Rehabilitation Program (HBRP), in exchange for the conservation of building’s heritage features. The incentives consist of $100,000 façade grant (two grants of $50,000 each) and the property tax exemption over the period of up to 10 years. The property tax exemption incentive has not been determined yet.

Issues:
• New building projection on Carrall Street;
(The proposed new façade element appears to be out of scale and character for heritage buildings in Chinatown, it is not consistent with the common heritage practice and HA-1 Design Guidelines, and it adversely affects an intermediate cornice element. In addition, this element creates a new encroachment condition.)
• Continues fixed canopy;
(This element appears to be out of scale and character for Chinatown buildings. It may adversely affect the vertical continuity of building pilasters, and it is generally not consistent with the HA-1 Design Guidelines.)
The parking use on the ground floor seems odd, will have to see exactly what they are proposing.


I wouldn't be too worried about Chinatown's vitality. It is in a renewal process right now and there are 6-10 new restaurants that have either just opened or will be opening in the next few months. It will be foodie central by this time next year. Followed by the upcoming wave of 3 developments along Main St. I agree it won't be anything like it used to be in it's heyday though. Just learned that Foo Ho Ho is for sale.
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  #23  
Old Posted Dec 11, 2012, 9:07 AM
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Demo started this week.

Keefer Block

Photo from my five plus year old flip phone.
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  #24  
Old Posted Dec 11, 2012, 4:27 PM
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Photo from my five plus year old flip phone.
Are you sure? I could have sworn that was taken using a brand new, state of the art Blackberry.
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  #25  
Old Posted Dec 11, 2012, 4:35 PM
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Originally Posted by jlousa View Post
The parking use on the ground floor seems odd, will have to see exactly what they are proposing.
Ground floor parking in buildings is the worst ever.
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  #26  
Old Posted Dec 11, 2012, 6:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spork View Post
Give it ten year for redevelopment/renovations to make it into Chinatown. I can almost guarantee you that the area will be vastly improved (albeit perhaps without the Chinese character, unless we work to preserve it) at this point. It has only been 3 years since Woodward's was completed, and that area is much better than it was prior. I would argue that the area has cleaned up almost all of the way to Columbia. That leaves about 4-5 blocks to go.
Up to Carrall Hastings from Carrall to Columbia is a gong show with the bottle depot there.

Agreed though, that West of Carrall and especially West of Abbott has seen a complete transformation in the 7 years I've lived in Gastown.

The Keefer is certainly a step in the right direction, but it's going to be tough to change the Main/Hastings area which is essentially "ground zero" with a very high concentration of social services and poverty pimps. Replacing the Carnegie center with another Woodwards would get the ball rolling.
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  #27  
Old Posted Dec 12, 2012, 6:22 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leftside View Post
Up to Carrall
The Keefer is certainly a step in the right direction, but it's going to be tough to change the Main/Hastings area which is essentially "ground zero" with a very high concentration of social services and poverty pimps. Replacing the Carnegie center with another Woodwards would get the ball rolling.
Well, that building certainly isn't going anywhere, thankfully. Unlike one of Chinatown's oldest buildings currently being demolished where The Keefer is going...
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  #28  
Old Posted Dec 12, 2012, 10:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by entheosfog View Post
Well, that building certainly isn't going anywhere, thankfully. Unlike one of Chinatown's oldest buildings currently being demolished where The Keefer is going...
No, but the rest of the block certainly could and should be redeveloped:

Main St side:


Pender St side:
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  #29  
Old Posted Dec 27, 2012, 4:39 AM
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Some pics of where progress took a break for the holidays in Chinatown.

Keefer Block:


Georgia Flats:
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  #30  
Old Posted Jan 24, 2013, 9:32 PM
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Georgia Flats is above ground.

Pictures by myself using a potato at dusk.
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  #31  
Old Posted Jan 26, 2013, 3:53 AM
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A little more progress at Keefer Block.
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  #32  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2013, 11:00 AM
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Was at the Keefer Block VIP open house today. They're 30% pre-sold, 25 out of 81 units.






There is no gym and most of the amenities are on the roof; BBQ area, fire pit, gardening plots and an outdoor movie theatre projected on the wall shown here.


pix by Built Form
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  #33  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2013, 11:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Built Form View Post
Was at the Keefer Block VIP open house today. They're 30% pre-sold, 25 out of 81 units.






There is no gym and most of the amenities are on the roof; BBQ area, fire pit, gardening plots and an outdoor movie theatre projected on the wall shown here.


pix by Built Form
It still boggles my mind that Vancouver developments don't better design for its rainy nature, especially when the city so emphasizes spending time outside with models like this one. That roof needs awnings or tents to be usable 50% of the time.
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  #34  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2013, 4:45 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BIMBAM View Post
It still boggles my mind that Vancouver developments don't better design for its rainy nature, especially when the city so emphasizes spending time outside with models like this one. That roof needs awnings or tents to be usable 50% of the time.
Developers design buildings for sales, not long term longevity. A couple of decades ago the hot thing was California stucco or better know here as leaky condos.
If they designed for the weather, all buildings would have a metal roof overhang.
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  #35  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2013, 5:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TwoFace View Post
... all buildings would have a metal roof overhang.
It is a no brainer and why don’t they do it? Cost factor?
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  #36  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2013, 5:29 PM
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Originally Posted by hanko View Post
It is a no brainer and why don’t they do it? Cost factor?
Nope ... ugly doesn't sell.
It's wiser to portray a Californian lifestyle with lawn chairs/grass and outdoor gas fireplaces.
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  #37  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2013, 6:25 PM
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I see seating for 12 people.
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  #38  
Old Posted Mar 5, 2013, 1:10 PM
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my photo from Sunday ..... can`t find this on the city site ...... anyone know more?

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  #39  
Old Posted Mar 5, 2013, 3:07 PM
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It's a renovation, the project almost kitty corner is at Carrall and Pender is getting renovated as well. Thought I posted details on both somewhere on the forum. I'll repost in here later on.
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  #40  
Old Posted Mar 7, 2013, 8:44 AM
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Good to see those buildings getting some attention
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