Posted Dec 11, 2012, 6:44 AM
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Ferris Wheel Hater
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 8,371
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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.)
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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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