Downtown Vancouver Updates

nikw · #1 Posted **Aug 25, 2007, 5:42 PM**

Information from Pacific Metropolis and the Province

Last week, the Province reported that downtown Vancouver's Canada Post sorting facility has been put up for sale.

Since the building sits on a rather large, juicy chunk of land, there's no doubt that the pending sale has several property developers rubbing their hands with glee.

The site won't be vacated before 2009 though, so development fans shouldn't expect a gleaming new skyscraper anytime soon (if at all).

image from lestwarog.com

Located at 349 West Georgia, the building is right smack dab in the middle of Vancouver's future cultural precinct - an area that will be substantially transformed over the next 10 to 15 years. (For a closer look at the neighbourhood, click here for the Google map.)

Which of course begs the question, what will the City wind up doing with the land?

While some might argue that we ought to keep the building, others would probably be quite glad to see the ugly thing torn down.

And of course, there's been plenty of talk about whether this property should be allowed to go condo, or if we should use it to bolster Vancouver's dwindling supply of office space instead.

Those who seek balance in the universe have suggested that the City re-zone the site for mixed-use residential, retail and commercial.

Because of its close proximity to both the Vancouver Public Libarary and the QE Theatre, the Canada Post site would naturally make an ideal location for one or more of the three proposed museums for the area - among which is a larger facility for the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Since the property is federally-owned, our bet is that it'll go to some public use.

Distill3d · #2 Posted **Aug 25, 2007, 6:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikw

Those who seek balance in the universe have suggested that the City re-zone the site for mixed-use residential, retail and commercial.

Because of its close proximity to both the Vancouver Public Libarary and the QE Theatre, the Canada Post site would naturally make an ideal location for one or more of the three proposed museums for the area - among which is a larger facility for the Vancouver Art Gallery.

i'm with the cultural space here. A school of Art and Design would be almost perfect IMO.

SFUVancouver · #3 Posted **Aug 25, 2007, 9:28 PM**

I quite like the existing Canada Post building and I would hope adaptive reuse would be on the table as an option for the site, even if it were only to retain the facades. It is a stately building and one of the best examples of "government architecture" I have ever seen. With that said, I would be thrilled if a major (read: architecturally and environmentally significant) new mixed-use or office-only tower were to be built on the site, bearing in mind my preference for facade retention and adaptive reuse.

[edit]

I don't see a burning need for a new art and design school on the site. Emily Carr is nearby on Granville Island and the SFU School for the Contemporary Arts will be moving into Woodwards in a couple years and that is only a couple of blocks away. My lack of enthusiasm stems from having worked on and lived by Granville Island for so many years and finding that there isn't a lot of interesting street-level activity generated by an art school since they are mainly blank boxes with interior studio space. Now an engaging street-level art + design gallery and curated outdoor public space for industrial design would be a very interesting component for the site and one worth considering if there is going to be a constellation of public uses for it.

SpongeG · #4 Posted **Aug 25, 2007, 9:36 PM**

i quite like it too

MistyMountainHop · #5 Posted **Aug 25, 2007, 11:29 PM**

I'm not really a fan of the current building, but the site has a lot of potential. Maybe the new Vancouver Art Gallery or Vancouver Museum could go there.

Nutterbug · #6 Posted **Aug 26, 2007, 12:17 AM**

So where is Canada Post moving to?

nikw · #7 Posted **Aug 26, 2007, 12:48 AM**

It's undetermined at this time, but they are looking for a newer building that still gives the facility a prescence in the downtown core. The present facilities location and age limits operating efficen

The present site is federally owned so they are leaning towards a public area rather than a new office tower (which is what most vancouverites would want most.)

If an ofice tower were possible on the site, mabey the unsuccesful proposal of the Fringe Building, an 80 storey office tower designed by Arthur Erickson could go there????

nathan6969 · #8 Posted **Aug 26, 2007, 3:23 AM**

Aren't the fed's selling, so wtf difference does it make what they want??

jlousa · #9 Posted **Aug 26, 2007, 7:43 PM**

This isn't new news, I touched on this a couple of months back. The city beleive it or not is pushing for retail at that location, ie Wal-mart or Ikea kinda thing. There have already been a min of 4 offers put up on the building, not all of them local. A musuem is not on the agenda as no one is going to pay that much for something w/o a large return in exchange. Expect a huge multi-use development with retail, office and yes more residential. It is a large site, I would what the footprint on it is.

phesto · #10 Posted **Aug 27, 2007, 4:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlousa

This isn't new news, I touched on this a couple of months back. The city beleive it or not is pushing for retail at that location, ie Wal-mart or Ikea kinda thing. There have already been a min of 4 offers put up on the building, not all of them local. A musuem is not on the agenda as no one is going to pay that much for something w/o a large return in exchange. Expect a huge multi-use development with retail, office and yes more residential. It is a large site, I would what the footprint on it is.

120,000 sq ft. Any idea on the density the City would allow in rezoning? It’s currently a 5 FSR – a modest increase to say, 9 FSR, would allow over 1 million sq ft total. Could be a couple tall towers if it wasn’t for the view cone over the site…

Distill3d · #11 Posted **Aug 27, 2007, 5:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlousa

...The city beleive it or not is pushing for retail at that location, ie Wal-mart or Ikea kinda thing..

the city of Vancouver made it clearly known that they dont want Wal Mart in Vancouver.

jlousa · #12 Posted **Aug 27, 2007, 5:19 PM**

Canada Post will moving to Richmond close to the airport. No site has been chosen yet, but they have placed it out for tendering.

For the record the old council didn't want Wal-mart, the new council acutally asked Wal-mart to re-apply, besides the South van incident doesn't have anything to do with a possible d/t proposal. Not that I'd be interested in having a Wal-mart downtown but there are people that would.

CrooklynDodger · #13 Posted **Aug 27, 2007, 7:08 PM**

Tare it down, it looks Stalinist.

ckkelley · #14 Posted **Aug 28, 2007, 4:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distill3d

the city of Vancouver made it clearly known that they dont want Wal Mart in Vancouver.

Actually, I'm sure the current NPA government would have no compunction in approving a Wal-Mart provided it's in an appropriate location. If it was a COPE or perhaps even a Vision government, yeah, they'd be run outta town faster than Tim Louis can yell Che Guevara.

Distill3d · #15 Posted **Aug 28, 2007, 6:59 AM**

i'm pleading ignorance on this one. i was unaware of a change in council.

officedweller · #16 Posted **Aug 29, 2007, 3:03 AM**

I agree with the Vancouver Art Gallery moving in.
There is enough setback on the Georgia facade to add a transparent feature facade in front of the existing facade to jazz it up a bit (think intersecting curves with the existing rectangular form) (but not copying Gehry's AGO). Art galleries are usually windowless spaces anyways.
Otherwise add a tower or two to the back of the building for office space.

I also think that the aboriginal art gallery (Bill Reid gallery?) could move into the VAG's current courthouse complex location. It would be a far more central location and could represent reclamation of te site from colonial occupation, rather than the imposition of colonial style on an aboriginal collection.

Hot Rod · #17 Posted **Aug 29, 2007, 10:54 PM**

I say, save part of the Georgia facade for a new Vancouver Art Gallery, and parse off the rest of the land for office towers.

That way, we expand the CBD to the east and grow the cultural district at the same time. Hopefully, they can revise the view cone a bit to allow a new tallest (in the form of an office tower or mixed use office perhaps).

hollywoodnorth · #18 Posted **Sep 24, 2007, 7:26 AM**

The URBAN FARE opened today in Coal Harbour.......was pretty damn busy!

Glad we finally have a grocery store down there

hollywoodnorth · #19 Posted **Sep 24, 2007, 7:27 AM**

also the banners for the RITZ CARLETON/TURN what ever.......were taken down last night from the site along Georgia......not sure why........maybe new ones are going up? I thought it a bit odd to be honest.

hollywoodnorth · #20 Posted **Sep 24, 2007, 7:35 AM**

anyone ever heard of this project >>

http://www.thecambie.com/v2/investors/

Investor information
- 12% pa paid monthly directly to your bank account
- Investment secured on title
- Syndicated mortgage over 5 properties
- Full Disclosure Offering Memorandum
- 5 year term

ARTIST RENDERING OF FUTURE CAMBIE

Our goal is to capitalize on the approved "Woodward's" development and complementary heritage real estate opportunities by improving and expanding the existing facilities in our downtown Vanvouver, Gastown, Seymour and Pender, and Vancouver Island, Esquimalt and Nanaimo locations, by developing them to their most productive commercial use through the creation of additional accommodations including student housing facilities, market condos, commercial retail space, upgraded and expanded bar and restaurant facilities,and boutique wine and beer shop.