General Vancouver Updates [Archive] - Page 25

jlousa

Jan 24, 2011, 3:39 AM

Don't think this one deserves it's own thread as it's really only infill, but if anyone feels otherwise feel free to create one.

The London Drugs on E. Hastings and Penticton is finally getting redeveloped. No rezoning needed as it will stay within it's existing zoning. Hastings-Sunrise has really changed over the last several years with little fanfare. Here are the details.

Notification Letter
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/noti.pdf

Cover Sheet Stats
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/csstats.pdf

Site Plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/sitepl.pdf

Colour Board Material Legend
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/material.pdf

South and East Elevation Plans
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/seele.pdf

North and West Elevation Plans
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/ewele.pdf

First Floor East
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/1stfleast.pdf

First Floor West
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/1stflwest.pdf

First Floor Mezzanine
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/1stflmezz.pdf

Mezzanine level
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/mezz.pdf

Roof Plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/roofpl.pdf

Section 1+2
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/sect12.pdf

Section 3+4+5
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/sect345.pdf

Landscape Ground Floor
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/lscapegrfl.pdf

Landscape 2nd Floor
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/389penticton/lscape2fl.pdf

SFUVancouver

Jan 25, 2011, 12:00 AM

After a great deal of delay here is my January 3rd bi-weekly update of Central Broadway. I was out of the province for a couple of weeks and didn't have time to post these before I left.

Robert H.N. Ho lab at VGH
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/8439/roberthnholab1jan32011p.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/3279/robertholab2jan32011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

I'm looking forward to them taking the wrap off of the red aluminum panels that make up the distinct folding elements.

Alder Mystery Tower / The Wesley
http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/9779/wesley1jan32011p1220835.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/114/wesley2jan32011p1220836.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

This one is nearly done and I think it turned out well. The coloured panels are nicely contrasted with the white panels and the darker brick. Even though I now know the project's real name is The Wesley, but it will always be "Alder Mystery Tower" to me.

Spruce
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2308/spruce1jan32011p1220833.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/3821/spruce2jan32011p1220838.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

Spruce is coming along very nice and it's on track to be my favourite of the new towers on Broadway between Oak and Granville.

700 West 8th
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/9145/700west8thjan32011p1220.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

The roads were really greasy with the cold and the guy on the bike nearly wiped out trying to stop on that hill. I nearly took a picture of a nasty collision.

District
http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/765/district1jan32011p12208.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/8645/district2jan32011p12208.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

The new buildings should nicely relate to the existing Brewery Creek townhouses and there will be a good sized courtyard between the townhouses, District's two mid-rise towers and its restored warehouse building, which is going to be a dance school operated, I think, by Goh Ballet.

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/8458/district3jan32011p12208.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/6340/district4jan32011p12208.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3743/district5jan32011p12208.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

Social
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/1042/social1jan32011p1220879.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/4861/social2jan32011p1220880.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/5674/social3jan32011p1220882.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

On Que
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/7349/onquejan32011p1220888.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 3rd, 2011.

giallo

Jan 25, 2011, 1:01 AM

I love all of this infill (and your updates).

hollywoodnorth

Jan 25, 2011, 5:29 AM

nice stuff SFUVancouver! maybe on your next photo trip up that way you can snap a pic of the Uptown by Concord site ... apparently its now under way!

LotusLand

Jan 25, 2011, 5:53 AM

Great updates SFU! Much appreciated!

Spork

Jan 25, 2011, 6:59 AM

Me too! I really like the lime green mystery building. The short little podium is quite interesting with how the windows are.

Listraor

Jan 25, 2011, 9:01 PM

New townhouse development named Montgomery by Listraor at the southeast corner of Oak & 43rd. If people recall, across the street on Oak St. is Concord's (rather uninspiring) townhouse development named The Grand.

http://www.montgomerytownhomes.com/

Overall I like it. It's pretty consistent with the townhouse developments around the area along Oak Street.

Squeezied, thanks for posting this info about Montgomery. Yes Concord build The Grand across the street. At the same time we were building Carrington at 45th and Oak.

Demo is nearly complete at Montgomery and we will be starting excavation in a couple weeks. I'll post some photos here when things are under way. Let me know if you have any questions.

hollywoodnorth

Jan 26, 2011, 12:35 AM

Squeezied, thanks for posting this info about Montgomery. Yes Concord build The Grand across the street. At the same time we were building Carrington at 45th and Oak.

Demo is nearly complete at Montgomery and we will be starting excavation in a couple weeks. I'll post some photos here when things are under way. Let me know if you have any questions.

why hello :)

http://www.listraor.com/

SFUVancouver

Jan 27, 2011, 9:12 AM

Robert H.N. Ho lab at VGH
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/3724/roberthnho1jan262011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5756/roberthnh2jan262011p123.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

Alder Mystery Tower / The Wesley is really done. I think these will be the last photos of this project.
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2773/aldermysterytowerjan262.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/2194/aldermysterytower2jan26.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

Spruce is now topped out
http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2094/spruce1jan262011p123049.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/6453/spruce2jan262011p123050.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

700 West 8th is getting pretty big
http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/5466/700west8thjan262011p123.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

District is going up quick
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/4193/district1jan262011p1230.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/5081/district2jan262011p1230.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/412/district3jan262011p1230.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/5094/district4jan262011p1230.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/67/district5jan262011p1230.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

Social is nearly finished. They were loading rock and green roof growing medium with the mobile tower crane
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/9595/social1jan262011p123048.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/1498/social2jan262011p123048.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

Concord Pacific's Uptown development at Prince Edward and 12th Avenue. The interesting this about this project is that the property has an encumbrance on it to provide parking for the adjacent Biltmore/Howard Johnson hotel. So the scale of the underground parking will be disproportionate to the building itself. If I recall correctly this was going to be a project by Eden developments and I believe it shared the same original architect as Stella and Sofia (now Social).
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/8559/uptownjan262011p1230485.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

On Que
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2622/onque1jan262011p1230486.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/2196/onque2jan262011p1230487.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

City Hall exterior restoration work
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/5458/cityhalljan262011p12305.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 25th, 2011.

Also, this is the previously stalled project on Commercial Drive at 13th which has now resumed construction
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/7931/commercialand13thjan152.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 25th, 2011.

officedweller

Jan 27, 2011, 8:55 PM

City Hall exterior restoration work
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/5458/cityhalljan262011p12305.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 25th, 2011.

Thanks.
At first glance, this looks like a sharp new blue glass office tower (with some heritage facade on the front and side)

LeftCoaster

Jan 28, 2011, 4:30 PM

Haha no kidding, a quick glance and that's exactly what you see.

Thanks again for the pics SFU, always appreciated. The Wesley and H.N. Ho lab both turned out really nicely.

yogiderek

Jan 29, 2011, 4:21 AM

St John's church is now slated for demolition, as per an article in the westender this week. The building has been empty now for months and has been a target for vandals and squatters. The buildings wiring has been ripped out by thieves and subsequently the sprinkler system is not longer functional. Ian Gillespie does not wish to put a new sprinkler system in, or have a fire watch. So the Nimby's will be upset because with no building,the prospect of moving forward with development is better. :)

dreambrother808

Jan 29, 2011, 6:02 AM

I live in the West End, in part because it is densely populated. It really blows my mind that there are people living in this neighbourhood who are afraid of towers when there is already a sea of towers. I can't believe that they are anything but a vocal minority.

More people to me means better restaurants, better stores, more things to do. How is that bad exactly? Less dense areas bore the hell out of me.

SpongeG

Jan 29, 2011, 6:07 AM

it doesn't make any sense - of the people i know they chose to live down there because of the density and life at all hours

the ones protesting must think they are better than the rest and deserve to live there like it was 15 years ago but even back than it was quite loud and busy

of the people i know that live down there too - they have said that it is much noisier than it used to be in the 90's, more sirens, more traffic, more people etc. and they accept it

Yume-sama

Jan 29, 2011, 6:19 AM

It's the standard noises of a big city. Maybe less so. I spent a few months in NYC on a job and it took a bit of getting used to, and let me tell you it's a lot louder than Downtown Vancouver. Then you have Tokyo where I've also spent months, there are sirens all through the night. And then the propaganda machines turn on at 8AM and drive around with their loud speakers denouncing (blank) government policy lol You don't have an expectation of quiet in a large urban area inhabited by tens of thousands (or millions). I fail to see how anyone thinks they have a *right* to complain about standard noises.

Now if there were any egregious purposeful irritating noises...

Oh yeah, and neither Tokyo or New York could give a damn about your alleged right to a "view". More often than not you're staring at a brick wall.

Or in the case of Tokyo, some grannies underwear hanging out to dry.

SpongeG

Jan 29, 2011, 6:25 AM

exactly you don't move next to a garbage dump and than complain of the smell

cities grow and things change but these people just don't get it - they fell priviledged or self entitled or whatever it is

Yume-sama

Jan 29, 2011, 6:31 AM

exactly you don't move next to a garbage dump and than complain of the smell

lol well actually, people do. It's happened in Calgary. Same with moving in *right* beside a major 6 - 8 lane highway and complaining of traffic noise.

SpongeG

Jan 29, 2011, 7:03 AM

well they don't deserve the right to complain than no sympathy

i know realtors will lie but still do some research before you buy than

hollywoodnorth

Jan 29, 2011, 7:13 AM

delboy

Jan 29, 2011, 4:23 PM

I agree with everyone's views here. To me such counter views smack of selfishness. I have a great view where I live now on the North Shore, but I accept that I don't own the view, even though it increased the cost of the place, and realize that development may impact my view over time.

I really don't get people sometimes. Beyond something like a night club being forced on you, i don't see that anyone has a right to bitch. Period. Move to Langley if you want peace and quiet. :koko:

SpikePhanta

Jan 29, 2011, 7:40 PM

Yume-sama

Jan 29, 2011, 7:54 PM

Hehe, actually, without the trains Vancouver probably wouldn't exist at all.

officedweller

Feb 2, 2011, 1:07 AM

Anyone know if this project next to the Fir St. ramp of Granville Bridge @ 1569 West 6th Ave. is proceeding?

http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/1569w6th/documents/renderings.pdf

http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/1569w6th/index.htm

jlousa

Feb 2, 2011, 1:24 AM

If I were to guess I would say construction will begin in mid April...:tup:

officedweller

Feb 2, 2011, 1:25 AM

Nice, thanks.
It's one of the more interesting towers being built

officedweller

Feb 9, 2011, 10:42 PM

From News1130:

People in Kitsilano unfazed by plans for big towers
Squamish nation planning towers on reserve land

Dave White Feb 09, 2011 09:50:50 AM

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Neighbours don't have any say in its approval, but many are supportive of the plan anyway. The Squamish nation is looking at building two highrises on its land in Kitsilano.

They would go up at the southwest corner of the Burrard Street Bridge, the same site of a controversial electronic billboard. We spoke to one woman who lives nearby, who hopes some towers with modern designs will hide what she calls an area eyesore.

"If they can do something about covering up the world's ugliest building at the corner of Cornwall and Burrard, then we're good to go," she says.

Others say if it's Squamish land, let them make money; it might revitalize the neighbourhood.

Another neighbour says, "They were given land that's not very accessible. I mean, our city is popular. It's growing. I think they have to be able to use their land."

Because it's reserve land, the band doesn't need approval from the city and that means no public hearing. It's unclear when work would start; the band still has to vote and a date for that hasn't been set.

phesto

Feb 9, 2011, 11:28 PM

Rumour has it that Lululemon has bought the office building at 1818 Cornwall, which would effectively end the redevelopment plans that BCIMC was pursuing...

officedweller

Feb 10, 2011, 12:40 AM

Were they leasing there before?
There's been a Lululemon sign on it for a while now.

phesto

Feb 10, 2011, 1:23 AM

Were they leasing there before?
There's been a Lululemon sign on it for a while now.

Yes. They had been leasing the majority of the building.

SFUVancouver

Feb 10, 2011, 4:26 AM

Robert H.N. Ho lab at VGH
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/9895/roberthnhofeb92011p1230.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

Spruce .
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/1086/spruce1feb92011p1230612.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/7582/spruce2feb92011p1230613.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/6112/spruce3feb92011p1230614.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

700 West 8th.
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/9068/700west8thfeb92011p1230.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/5713/p1230616.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

District.
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/6453/district1feb92011p12306.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/1531/district2feb92011p12306.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/7035/district3feb92011p12306.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/6176/district4feb92011p12306.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

Social.
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/1215/social1feb92011p1230664.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/2402/social2feb92011p1230666.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

Concord Pacific's Uptown.
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/5286/uptownfeb92011p1230667.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

On Que
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7002/onque1feb92011p1230674.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4807/onque2feb92011p1230675.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/204/onque3feb92011p1230678.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

Commercial infill on 8th between Manitoba and Ontario
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/734/8thandontarioinfillfeb9.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

Commercial Drive at 13th.
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/6382/13thandcommercialfeb820.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 8th, 2011.

officedweller

Feb 10, 2011, 9:57 PM

Thanks!

The podium on Spruce is pretty underwhelming for retail on Broadway.
i.e. condos on second floor instead of office or restaurant retail.

raggedy13

Feb 12, 2011, 7:46 AM

SpikePhanta

Feb 12, 2011, 8:41 AM

KITS360 is coming soon and we want to let you know first about the amazing qualities of this soon-to-be coveted community:

*
Spectacular views of downtown, False Creek, English Bay, the North Shore Mountains and beyond
*
Prime Kitsilano location at 7th and Burrard
*
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email I got.

hollywoodnorth

Feb 12, 2011, 9:18 AM

project sales signage is currently going up on the ONNI "Chopstix" tower site on Quebec/Main just up from Terminal.

SFUVancouver

Feb 12, 2011, 10:30 AM

project sales signage is currently going up on the ONNI "Chopstix" tower site on Quebec/Main just up from Terminal.

That's awesome news. This is my favourite proposed building for Vancouver and while I had a good feeling it would be realized with Onni at the helm, it is still reassuring to see them proceed to pre-sale mode.

Here is a refresher photo of the project's UDP context model:

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/3483/chopstick2jan262011p123.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

hollywoodnorth

Feb 12, 2011, 12:07 PM

That's awesome news. This is my favourite proposed building for Vancouver and while I had a good feeling it would be realized with Onni at the helm, it is still reassuring to see them proceed to pre-sale mode.

Here is a refresher photo of the project's UDP context model:

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/3483/chopstick2jan262011p123.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, January 26th, 2011.

agreed my fav project not under active construction in the city right now. ONNI is a very nimble company .... very well managed IMO .... they came out of the recession very well due to the aforementioned.

I thought V6A turned out great ... and The Mark I have similar hopes for.

Brava stands out as a landmark tower for that part of town for Vancouver. The Point is another great tower in New West I like by them as well.

The 501 on the other hand ..... massive .... major ..... and utter failure. The retail there is known as "the place stores open and die". Lets hope the mark redeems them a bit ;)

Locked In

Feb 14, 2011, 12:23 AM

Went by District on a very rainy Saturday - my photo (https://picasaweb.google.com/dev.pics.1/VancouverFall2010#5573332355817970562) is terrible, but you can see the start of some grey spandrels going up...

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_9FW9P3-u1EI/TVh0P7O4m4I/AAAAAAAAEHU/0hFuZ4A8pNc/s1000/IMG00135-20110212-1054.jpg
Full Size (https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_9FW9P3-u1EI/TVh0P7O4m4I/AAAAAAAAEHU/0hFuZ4A8pNc/IMG00135-20110212-1054.jpg)

radacal

Feb 14, 2011, 8:44 PM

who are the architects on chopstix?

jlousa

Feb 15, 2011, 5:51 AM

As I mentioned recently Bentall plans on redeveloping the block just east of Broadway Tech at Renfrew Station. Here is what they have in mind.

Site and Context Plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/3030ebway/documents/siteplans.pdf

Building Form Drawings
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/3030ebway/documents/perspectives.pdf

Landscape Plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/3030ebway/documents/landscape.pdf

Transportation Assessment
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/3030ebway/documents/traffic.pdf

Looks good and is going to create a major job hub within city limits. My only critique is that the access points are all internal via the courtyard and they seem to be lacking street access, hopefully that's corrected at the udp stage. Also interesting the envisioned future connection that cuts thru the BCLDB warehouse. Wonder if there is already something planned or just wishful thinking.

golog

Feb 15, 2011, 6:36 AM

As I mentioned recently Bentall plans on redeveloping the block just east of Broadway Tech at Renfrew Station. Here is what they have in mind.

5 buildings, 5 storeys each, 933,357 sq ft

That is big. I assume that it will be built out in phases like Broadway Tech Centre, and probably after Bentall has finished leasing BTC's building 7 which is under construction and the final building 8.

I wonder what anchor tenants they could attract with that amount of space. Both because short & fat buildings are cheaper, with more convenient layouts, and because 2 million sq ft of Bentall space makes growing or shrinking easier.

For quick reference, from the BTC website:
8 buildings
936,000 square feet of office space
150,000 square feet of production / distribution space
10,000 square feet of retail space
5000 square feet daycare facility

SFUVancouver

Feb 15, 2011, 6:42 AM

who are the architects on chopstix?

Bruce Haden is the principal architect and the firm is Dialog (formerly HBBH).

SpongeG

Feb 16, 2011, 4:24 AM

SFUVancouver

Feb 16, 2011, 5:15 AM

As I mentioned recently Bentall plans on redeveloping the block just east of Broadway Tech at Renfrew Station. Here is what they have in mind.

That's great news. This is in addition to the office development on the land adjacent the Art Institute. This is becoming quite the office node and a great model of how to do suburban style office parks in an urban, transit oriented way. I'm very excited about this.

hollywoodnorth

Feb 16, 2011, 9:40 AM

Also interesting the envisioned future connection that cuts thru the BCLDB warehouse. Wonder if there is already something planned or just wishful thinking.

ya I noticed that also. I mean that BCLD site is massive and not utilized properly in today's day and age with its location beside a Skytrain Station .... maybe we will see a new structure with warehousing at grade and office above ... think Broadway Tech Center.

or maybe they will sell the land and move to the suburbs.

hollywoodnorth

Feb 16, 2011, 9:43 AM

just a couple pics of that thing being built on marine drive - the place that will house Canadian Tire, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond etc. - I was quite surprised how high and visible it is now from marine drive - these are from the south end of it though... pics by me

http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/6581/dsc01777m.jpg

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/6356/dsc01778df.jpg

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9389/dsc01779p.jpg

thanks for the pics SpongeG! I have been wondering whats going on down there but never get through that part of town.

very cool to see its progress .... I can see this being ready for the Fall/Pre-Xmas retail ramp up!

SFUVancouver

Feb 16, 2011, 4:50 PM

ya I noticed that also. I mean that BCLD site is massive and not utilized properly in today's day and age with its location beside a Skytrain Station ....

I would also add that the mini-storage building immediately beside Rupert station is the most appallingly inappropriate land use adjacent rapid transit in metro Vancouver, hands down.

osirisboy

Feb 16, 2011, 5:04 PM

where exactly on marine is that new Canadian tire being built?

wrenegade

Feb 16, 2011, 7:16 PM

95% sure it is at Ontario, behind/on the old Mopar Chrysler building site.

SFUVancouver

Feb 16, 2011, 8:11 PM

The Vancouver Police Department Force Options Training Centre (phase 2) is nearing completion. This complex is really quite large, easily the size of a community centre, and I suspect it is flying completely under the radar of the general public and media.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/6839/vpdforceoptionsfeb15201.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 15th, 2011.

The Seventh and Fir supportive housing building, also one of the 14 Sites, has broken ground and is well on its way.
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/2446/seventhandfirsupportive.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 15th, 2011.

jlousa

Feb 17, 2011, 4:08 AM

Although I don't expect the Rupert mini storage site to disappear anytime soon, it was constructed on the cheap, as it's only a holding property and not envisioned for long term use. It's a solid yielding property until there is significant appetite for a redevelopment by the owner.

SFUVancouver

Feb 22, 2011, 1:29 AM

I am a little early with this bi-weekly photo update. However considering it is snowing today I am happy to have been out and about in fair weather.

Robert H.N. Ho lab at VGH
http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/3173/roberthnhofeb202011p123.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

Spruce .
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/1241/spruce3feb202011p123085.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/8573/spruce2feb202011p123085.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1684/spruce1feb202011p123085.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

700 West 8th.
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/271/700west8th2feb202011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/4397/700west8th11feb202011p1.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

District.
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/4966/district1feb2011p123083.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/7375/district2feb2011p123083.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/1709/district3feb202011p1230.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/2261/district4feb202011p1230.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/4512/district5feb202011p1230.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

Social.
http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/3898/social1feb202011p123083.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

Concord Pacific's Uptown.
http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/6522/uptownfeb202011p1230844.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

On Que
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8800/onquefeb202011p1230848.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/7103/onque2feb202011p1230849.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9782/onque3feb202011p1230850.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

Commercial infill on 8th between Manitoba and Ontario
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/8806/commercialinfillfeb2020.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 20th, 2011.

SFUVancouver

Feb 22, 2011, 9:52 PM

13th and Commercial C2 mid-rise.
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4496/13thandcommercialfeb222.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 22nd, 2011.

Architype

Feb 22, 2011, 10:59 PM

Great updates SFU, I like the way Social has turned out. Hopefully District will be just as good. The Ho building at VGH is a bit unusual though.

giallo

Feb 23, 2011, 1:17 AM

I quite like the Ho lab.
The medical district definitely has some of Vancouver's most daring architecture.

Architype

Feb 23, 2011, 4:58 AM

I quite like the Ho lab.
The medical district definitely has some of Vancouver's most daring architecture.

Guess it's fair to wait until it is complete, but I don't like the overall look they are going for. However, I do like most of the other new buildings that have gone in that area recently.

VancouverPM

Feb 24, 2011, 9:05 PM

I thought V6A turned out great ... and The Mark I have similar hopes for.

V6A turned out great? ICK - I live in the building, sold my unit and am moving very shortly. This building is POORLY constructed, ONNI needs to give their head a shake in respect to the quality control, level of finishes, and general security of buildings they choose to build in this region. The promises of 24 hour security were abandoned quite quickly, and as a result there have been numerous break-ins and expensive costs to the Strata to update security features in the building that SHOULD have been taken care of during the Construction process. With a VP of Onni living in the building, you would think this building was a little more, up to par. And frankly, the exterior is just another fat looking building, they could have done so much more on the exterior, tried to have some form of quality on the inside.

What can I say, I am not a fan of the V6A, having lived there since occupancy, and already sold my unit and moving on.

djh

Feb 24, 2011, 10:48 PM

^That's the risk one pays with buying pre-sale. You hope to save money at one end, but quite often there are unexpected changes and costs. If you're willing to take the risk and have done due dilligence, fair enough. But there are very few developers that I would trust my money with based on them saying "this one will be good"

SFUVancouver

Feb 24, 2011, 11:06 PM

^ Out of curiosity, from which ones would you be comfortable buying a pre-sale?

mr.sandbag

Feb 24, 2011, 11:32 PM

V6A turned out great? ICK - I live in the building, sold my unit and am moving very shortly. This building is POORLY constructed, ONNI needs to give their head a shake in respect to the quality control, level of finishes, and general security of buildings they choose to build in this region. The promises of 24 hour security were abandoned quite quickly, and as a result there have been numerous break-ins and expensive costs to the Strata to update security features in the building that SHOULD have been taken care of during the Construction process. With a VP of Onni living in the building, you would think this building was a little more, up to par. And frankly, the exterior is just another fat looking building, they could have done so much more on the exterior, tried to have some form of quality on the inside.

What can I say, I am not a fan of the V6A, having lived there since occupancy, and already sold my unit and moving on.

I can agree with you on finishings, its easy for developers to cut corners as completion nears, I don't thinks it just Onni who does this. Its up to buyer to go in an hold them to fixing problems right away. as for break-ins, this more of a new building problem. They are easy targets for thieves since most stratas are not organized in the beginings,. When I moved into the Sohia, both the finishings and break-ins we a real problem. Once strata was organized the break-ins stopped. Yes it did cost us since the initial budget wasn't suffucient to account for the damage done etc.

Im moving into the Social in couples months and have been tracking its progress and I'd have to say im happy with the work done so far by Onni.

My opinion...

djh

Feb 24, 2011, 11:34 PM

^ Out of curiosity, from which ones would you be comfortable buying a pre-sale?

It's not just about the reputation of the developer. It's also about those unknown or unpredictable things.

Last month I was looking at buying an investment property. I saw what on paper was an amazing condo right next to the Lawn Tennis Club in South Van - fabulous location, great neighbourhood, solid concrete building, quiet street, spacious layout. When I got there it was a coldish day. The building's HVAC was on. Guess what, the HVAC unit's flue was about 20 feet from the suite's window, and it literally sounded like a continuous gigantic vacuum cleaner, loud enough to be heard over a TV and over conversaiton. It was unbearably loud. Even with all of the double-glazed windows closed. I walked away going "Now *that's* why this suite is 10% below market value...". On a warmer day when the HVAC is off, some poor sucker will walk into the suite, love it, and think he's just landed the deal of the century...

SFUVancouver

Mar 1, 2011, 1:19 AM

The English Bay restaurant is starting to look like slightly more than a hole in the ground.
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1543/englishbayrestaurantfeb.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 25th, 2011.

sacrifice333

Mar 1, 2011, 2:12 AM

V6A turned out great? ICK - I live in the building, sold my unit and am moving very shortly. This building is POORLY constructed, ONNI needs to give their head a shake in respect to the quality control, level of finishes, and general security of buildings they choose to build in this region. The promises of 24 hour security were abandoned quite quickly, and as a result there have been numerous break-ins and expensive costs to the Strata to update security features in the building that SHOULD have been taken care of during the Construction process. With a VP of Onni living in the building, you would think this building was a little more, up to par. And frankly, the exterior is just another fat looking building, they could have done so much more on the exterior, tried to have some form of quality on the inside.

What can I say, I am not a fan of the V6A, having lived there since occupancy, and already sold my unit and moving on.

I don't know that you'll ever find a building that has adequate security on day 1. I'd even venture to guess that The Kingswood put in some security updates once the developer completed.

I previously owned a condo in Camera, a reasonably high-end boutique building in South Granville built by Intracorp. The security on day 1 looked okay, but we quickly found out it too was lacking. The strata did a thorough secuity audit and ventured to spend up to $30K in upgrades. Impressively, Intracorp stepped up and contributed $10K toward that and fortunately I think it also came in under budget. But no building will have adequate security on day one. Period.

hollywoodnorth

Mar 1, 2011, 11:21 AM

V6A turned out great? ICK - I live in the building, sold my unit and am moving very shortly. This building is POORLY constructed, ONNI needs to give their head a shake in respect to the quality control, level of finishes, and general security of buildings they choose to build in this region. The promises of 24 hour security were abandoned quite quickly, and as a result there have been numerous break-ins and expensive costs to the Strata to update security features in the building that SHOULD have been taken care of during the Construction process. With a VP of Onni living in the building, you would think this building was a little more, up to par. And frankly, the exterior is just another fat looking building, they could have done so much more on the exterior, tried to have some form of quality on the inside.

What can I say, I am not a fan of the V6A, having lived there since occupancy, and already sold my unit and moving on.

you obviously have very little real world experience....as you see in the other posts this is COMMON STUFF.......I can think of a couple new buildings I moved into that have security issues as well.

"The promises of 24 hour security were abandoned quite quickly" ummmm ONNI does not run your building ... YOU and your fellow Strata members do ....so why not assign the blame correctly? :koko:

so what your saying if you would gladly have paid 10% more on your unit for better security from day #1? maybe you should have thought about that or brought it to the builders attention. I'm sure everyone else in the building would gladly have coughed up more $$ for that eh?

probably not .... you get what you pay for. look at the OV .... see the 24/7 security? see how units the same size as yours cost 2x as much there that at V6A ...... ??? again ... YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR .... especially right off the bat.

so I think the OV would be a better place for you and your $$

officedweller

Mar 1, 2011, 11:50 PM

Of interest:

I guess the 22 storey towers reference must be at Park Royal, since that would be too tall for YVR-restricted Richmond.
WRT the Surrey reference - my guess is that would be to densifying Guildford?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/property-report/the-next-step-for-the-canadian-mall/article1924123/

The next step for the Canadian mall?

FRANCES BULA
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

Published Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 5:02PM EST
Last updated Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 7:03PM EST

Doreen Braverman likes her local shopping mall. From her leafy street on the west side of Vancouver, she can easily walk to the Safeway or the liquor store at the small, neighbourhood-size Arbutus Centre. If she wants to bring home a heavy load, she can park her car at ground level, near one of the doors.

“It’s an important centre for us,” says Ms. Braverman. “It’s important we don’t lose it.”

Malls are increasingly reviled by urban designers. A mid- to late-20th-century creation of clustered shops, the mall is defined by its melding of the automobile with indoor retail, with large swaths of off-street parking. Though designing anything around the car is out of fashion these days, it turns out the mall – the flat, boxy buildings surrounded by a sea of asphalt so beloved in the car-happy 1970s – still has loyalists.

Ms. Braverman, who worries about planned changes to her local mall, is one of them. The property’s owner, Larco Investments Ltd., is proposing the seven-acre site be reconfigured into four city blocks with two new streets running through it. The plan envisions a slightly larger shopping centre and four new residential towers, and most parking underground.

Canadian mall owners are exploring the idea of transforming their properties into more urban spaces The occasional mall has been redeveloped into a more pedestrian oriented design, sometimes with residential components. But pressure from various directions is making mall owners seriously consider adding towers or townhouses to their sites.

Land values are rising outside downtown cores. Some malls have been challenged by newer, larger malls, or have been done in by their own poor design. Recently, city planners, weaned on the benefits of mixed-used cities from urban theorist Jane Jacobs, have been energetically pushing developers to re-imagine properties in radically different ways.

“My premise is that shopping malls are a waste of land – boxes in fields,” says Terry Crowe, the manager of policy planning for Richmond, a suburb just south of Vancouver and a city that is famous for having a centre that is largely composed of malls.

Experiments in mall redevelopment in the United States are pushing the boundaries.

Eight out of 13 regional malls in Denver are planning to retrofit. The giant Belmar mall, in Lakewood, Colo., was demolished in 2001 and transformed into 22 new blocks of mixed stores, offices and homes. A dead mall in St. Louis was rehabbed into art space.

These examples were the bulletins from Ellen Dunham-Jones, the Atlanta-based author of Retrofitting Suburbia, when she visited Vancouver and Richmond last fall to talk to planners eager to hear the word.

Malls take up valuable urban space, and the people who live around them are changing, she said. “There will be a huge demand for more urban lifestyles in suburbia. And suburbia is full of these underperforming spaces, with underused parking lots,” said Ms. Dunham-Jones

Her presentation included malls that take up too much space for what they provide to their neighbourhoods, or that create dead zones in communities, or are actually failing economically.

At Arbutus Centre, where Ms. Braverman shops, owner Larco Investments, is working its way through a rezoning that would see the mall slowly rebuilt over 10 years into a site split into four new blocks, with four towers with 540 apartments and townhouses, along with slightly more commercial space than the 110,000 square feet it has now. Two new streets would run through what is now the parking lot.

“It’s a failing mall,” said Norm Hotson, an architect from Dialog, the firm that has been overseeing the design. It’s caught between being a neighbourhood shopping centre and a regional mall, but it doesn’t have enough critical mass to be the latter, he says.

He is also working on preliminary designs for redevelopment that include a residential component at Lansdowne Mall in Richmond, an inviting sea of frequently empty grey next to the new Canada Line rapid transit line, and at Park Royal in West Vancouver.

“It’s economical for them. If they can take that parking lot and turn it into two 22-storey towers, why not?”

In Toronto, the city planning manager for the north area of Scarborough, a Toronto suburb, says interest is high throughout the city in redeveloping malls with residential components. One proposal at Bridlewood Mall is in the works, with a rezoning completed that allows 975 residential units for owners Malibu Investments Inc. There are likely to be more.

In Vancouver, the large and high-end Oakridge mall is getting set to go through a rezoning that would create 1.2 million square feet of residential space, as well as 350,000 square feet of retail and 250,000 of office space.

But experts warn that turning a mall into an urban village, complete with residential, is not right for every place or mall.

“It really depends on where the centre is,” says Gordon Wylie, director of development for Ivanhoe Cambridge, which owns 80 malls around the world, including 50 in Canada, worth $13 billion. He dismisses the possibility for a centre where Surrey planners have been pushing hard and unsuccessfully for something besides more retail. “The residential value doesn’t offset the cost of building underground parking.”

Another potential nightmare is the construction phase, since the existing centre needs to be kept alive while new parts are phased in. That can take up to 15 years.

And finally, there are the neighbours. At Bridlewood in Scarborough, it took three years of community consultation before the redevelopment was approved last August. The project got scaled down from the original plan for 1,375 units, after many residents expressed serious unhappiness about the traffic impact.

And in Vancouver, Ms. Braverman and her neighbours have been mounting determined opposition to the plans for the Arbutus Centre.

“Ninety-five per cent of our community want a better centre. But we don’t like their plans. We gave them a compromise plan with 250 units,” she said. And she continues to add names to her petition opposing it.

“I walk around here three times a day with my dog and get signatures.”

Special to The Globe and Mail

flight_from_kamakura

Mar 2, 2011, 12:51 AM

i like the bit there about the 'compromise' at 250 units. like, this is sitting off an arterial, and it's an indoor commercial center, and it's a privately-owned enterprise. it's not a traffic circle, it's not a modifying use in such a way that it will reduce neighborhood integrity, we won't have shading issues or built form grotesquely disproportionate to existing. were we to impute reasonable motives to her objections, the argument here would be against increased neighborhood traffic, anxiety at some potential increases in competition for on street parking, and the inevitable construction irritations. but knowing what we all know, we understand that beyond these, her real concern is that such a development would transform the neighborhood from its present form -- as car-centric sleepy preserve of these old-timers who bought back in the day and the relatively wealthy new arrivals -- to something more sustainable and neighborhood-like, with mixed incomes, a quality retail center, more people in the streets, and yes, the threat of later higher-density incursions into the preserve. it's almost abusive.

SpikePhanta

Mar 2, 2011, 2:09 AM

Developer should just threaten to shut it down if people object to the plan :P
/jokes

officedweller

Mar 10, 2011, 9:43 PM

Looks like the Rize Alliance project at 428 Terminal ("Containers") has been dumbed down.

Here's the render from the Staff Report on the rezoning:

http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20110315/documents/p1.pdf

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/2897/61780103.png (http://img28.imageshack.us/i/61780103.png/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20110315/documents/p1.pdf

What's that in the foreground?
Hmm - it's a BRIDGE (and associated pedestrian ramp)

The Thornton Street Bridge - never even heard of it before
- looks like the City is planning on it's own "Coast Meridian Overpass" -
with the realization that the BNSF yard isn't going away

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8383/65691968.png (http://img94.imageshack.us/i/65691968.png/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

And here are the renders on the Containers leasing website:

http://www.containersonterminal.com/pages/photos

Alex Mackinnon

Mar 10, 2011, 9:59 PM

Did any of you guys notice the random suicide lane drawn on Terminal Ave. in the rendering? The cars are also on the left side of the road. Oops :haha:

officedweller

Mar 10, 2011, 10:05 PM

The other side of the median was probably turned into a bike lane.

The bridge would be just above the "y" in 'Copyright Image" in this Global Air Photo:

http://www.globalairphotos.com/images/bc/vancouver/2010/vch2010_0164.jpg
http://www.globalairphotos.com/large/BC/Vancouver/East/2010/0164/2

wrenegade

Mar 10, 2011, 10:11 PM

^That's unfortunate. I was quite looking forward to the containers building. However any is better than what is currently there and it makes more sense being office there than it does car dealerships.

SFUVancouver

Mar 11, 2011, 12:29 AM

SFUVancouver

Mar 11, 2011, 12:51 AM

Poor weather today for the photo tour.

Robert H.N. Ho lab at VGH
http://img852.imageshack.us/img852/237/roberthnhomarch102011p1.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

Spruce.
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/6060/spruce1march102011p1240.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/7659/spruce3march102011p1240.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

http://img858.imageshack.us/img858/8814/spruce2march102011p1240.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

700 West 8th.
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/8899/700west8thmarch102011p1.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/8899/700west8thmarch102011p1.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

District.
http://img863.imageshack.us/img863/1040/district1march102011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/6180/district2march102011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/4916/district3march102011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/976/district4march102011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

Social.
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/3466/socialmarch102011p12400.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

Concord Pacific's Uptown.
http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/6775/uptownmarch102011p12400.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

On Que
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/6130/onque1march102011p12400.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/5827/onque3march102011p12400.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

Pinnacle International's On Broadway development
http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/2310/onbroadwaymarch102011p1.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

This last one really doesn't count as a Broadway building but it is close by and definitely in the Broadway and Commercial precinct.

Commercial and 13th
http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/41/commercialand13thmarch1.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

flight_from_kamakura

Mar 11, 2011, 3:02 AM

great update, thanks. does someone know what we're likely to get in terms of commercial space in the heritage annex at district?

dleung

Mar 11, 2011, 5:38 AM

The developer changed architectural teams. The upside is that the project is actually quite a bit larger. The eastern building had a floor added while the eastern building gained two additional floors.

Larger is NOT an "upside" to uglier... quite the opposite!!! Cuz the chances of redemption via future buildings just went down due to more demand being accomodated for already :haha:

Alex Mackinnon

Mar 11, 2011, 7:35 AM

I'd still say its a better alternative than being stuck with a building thats big enough to be uneconomical to replace, but too small to match the utility of other buildings built around it.

That being said you can always do staged construction. :)

jlousa

Mar 12, 2011, 4:58 AM

This one came out of left field

Project: Rezoning
Community Area: Downtown Eastside
Status: Proposed
Location: 955 E HASTINGS ST
Project Type: Rezoning
Department: Planning Department
Description: The purpose of the rezoning is to allow a 16-storey mixed-use development containing 24, 830 sf (2,307 m2) of commercial, 186,231 sf (17,301 m2) of market residential (250 units), 39,869 sf (3,704 m2) of rental (50 units) and 41,135 sf (3,821 m2) of non-market housing (73 units). The total proposed density is 5.98 FSR with a maximum building height of 155 ft (47 m)

This is along the Hastings St overpass directly across the street from Ray-Cam. Adding the numbers up it looks like 373 units which is monstrous as is an FSR of almost 6. Disappointed in the lack of commercial space considering the location and if this goes ahead it'll put further pressure on light industry within the area. Mixed feeling on this one, we'll have to see what the city says but I think the inclusion of rental and non-market is going to see this go forward.

jsbertram

Mar 12, 2011, 7:26 AM

Poor weather today for the photo tour.

...
This last one really doesn't count as a Broadway building but it is close by and definitely in the Broadway and Commercial precinct.

Commercial and 13th
http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/41/commercialand13thmarch1.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 10th, 2011.

I worked in this area several years ago, and I've been curious what happened here. They built to ground level & then stopped for several years.

I'm guessing their money dried up when the recession hit just after construction started back in 2007.

Does anyone know what really happened?

flight_from_kamakura

Mar 12, 2011, 3:26 PM

This is along the Hastings St overpass directly across the street from Ray-Cam. Adding the numbers up it looks like 373 units which is monstrous as is an FSR of almost 6. Disappointed in the lack of commercial space considering the location and if this goes ahead it'll put further pressure on light industry within the area. Mixed feeling on this one, we'll have to see what the city says but I think the inclusion of rental and non-market is going to see this go forward.

that's a non-trivial number of non-market units there, like they must be partnering with some sort of agency or something.

SFUVancouver

Mar 17, 2011, 1:35 AM

Fir and 7th
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6139/7thandfirmarch162011cc.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 16th, 2011.

officedweller

Mar 19, 2011, 1:08 AM

More protests against height - from the Courier:

Resident concerns surround tower proposal in Vancouver neighbourhood
Planned 268 units include 206 condos and 62 rental units

By Cheryl Rossi, Staff writer
March 17, 2011

http://www.vancourier.com/4459790.bin?size=620x400
Rize Alliance Properties Ltd. with Acton Ostry Architects wants the city to rezone the block between East Broadway and 10th Avenue, Kingsway and Watson Street to allow for a commercial and residential development.
Photograph by: submitted, artist rendering

So many people have signed up for a workshop on a proposed 26-storey tower at Broadway and Kingsway, the site of a Christmas 2009 blaze, that the city’s moved the meeting to a bigger place.

Rize Alliance Properties Ltd. with Acton Ostry Architects wants the city to rezone the block between East Broadway and 10th Avenue, Kingsway and Watson Street to allow for a commercial and residential development.

A community workshop on the project March 20 has been moved from the Native Education College to The Salt Building in The Village on False Creek.

The 26-storey tower is proposed for the corner of 10th Avenue and Kingsway. Rize and Acton Ostry propose retail at grade on Broadway, Watson and Kingsway with residential units in five and six storeys above. Of 268 units, 206 would be condos and 62 would be rentals. The proposal includes a 9,200-square-foot artist production space on the corner of 10th and Watson, wider sidewalks, 362 bicycle-parking stalls and three levels of underground parking for 319 vehicles. Parking and loading access would be off Watson.

Mount Pleasant resident Lee Chapelle believes the rezoning proposal violates the community plan for the neighbourhood that the city approved in November 2010.

Chapelle said he and his wife Grace MacKenzie participated in planning as part of the city’s community liaison group, though he became doubtful of the process and dropped out for a while. Chapelle said they were “stunned” and “horrified” when at the group’s final meeting in September 2009, the city and Acton Ostry presented a plan for the tall project.

“Unless the community rises up in revolt soon it seems a virtual lock to go ahead,” Chapelle said.

He noted posters urging passersby to save Mount Pleasant and to attend upcoming meetings were recently plastered around his neighbourhood.

Chapelle doesn’t want the tower to block the view of the North Shore mountains from Kingsway. He doesn’t believe the proposed development respects the area’s look and feel.

He says he wouldn’t oppose 10- or 12-storey buildings, similar to those being erected on Kingsway, on the disputed site.

Chapelle, a retired city employee and computer consultant, says the artist production space would benefit only a few. He was also unexcited about the proposed widened sidewalks. “Yeah, whoopee. So the people that get off the bus can walk eight abreast instead of six abreast,” he said.

He noted the city’s urban design guidelines for central Broadway say nothing should overshadow the iconic eight-storey Lee Building on the northwest corner of Main and Broadway.

“It’s all being just ignored by this group. The developer has got this group of city planners in their pockets and they’re plowing ahead with this massive building on the top of a hill,” Chapelle said.

Brent Toderian, the city’s director of planning, says the Mount Pleasant plan identified three sites—the IGA property on Main at 14th, Kingsgate Mall and Broadway and Kingsway—that could take buildings taller than the 13 storeys allowed under the current commercial zoning. He said they must be examples of good urban design and offer public benefits.

Peter Burch, the city’s lead planner on the community plan, said a landmark building was discussed for Broadway and Kingsway.

But the community plan notes that height was “a very sensitive issue” during the development of the document “where there was the least convergence of community opinion.”

Burch noted participants differentiated between various areas of “UpTown,” between Ontario and Prince Edward, Seventh and 16th.

He said members of the community wanted to retain the character of Main Street, the Lee Building and the triangle of properties where Main and Kingsway converge, but they saw extra height in specific areas could be worth considering to achieve public benefits.

Chris Vollan, vice president of development for Rize, said his company’s proposal is facing “push back” from the community because of the proposed building height. He said most of the opponents don’t realize it fits “one hundred per cent” with the community plan that calls for more mostly low- to mid-rise buildings, infills and high-rises only on select sites.

“We happen to be dumb enough [to be] asking for rezoning on one of the big sites right after the plan came out,” he said.

Toderian said the proposed height and public benefits will be discussed with the public in an “enhanced community engagement process” that includes the five-hour workshop March 20.

A follow-up open house where the public can view the response made by the project design team to the March 20 workshop is planned for April 12 at Heritage Hall.

Rize previously considered placing stacking containers where artists could produce and exhibit their work on the site. Toderian and Burch weren’t sure why that project didn’t go ahead.

http://www.vancourier.com/Resident+concerns+surround+tower+proposal+Vancouver+neighbourhood/4459789/story.html

logan5

Mar 19, 2011, 1:20 AM

Bye bye rental suites.

jlousa

Mar 19, 2011, 2:57 AM

Think they are asking for too much to be honest, even the fsr is pretty high by d/t standards let alone outside the core. Think they could probably sell the public on 18 stories although 16 might be a better fit. Might be better lowering the tower height and adding secondary tower of 14-12stories instead of the current proposal.
Opening up the centre would also help sell it as well, it would need multiple passages punched thru the podium to access, Especially if a station does end up there, a central plaza could be very busy.

We'll see how the public reacts to this but I think this will be as hard of a sell as Marine Gateway.

LeftCoaster

Mar 19, 2011, 3:16 AM

2 towers seems much more likely for this site.

I love the tall podium, perfect urban feeling for an area that is one of the major intersections of the city.

allan_kuan

Mar 19, 2011, 3:36 AM

The scale of the building does indeed seem a bit massive for the place. Something along the lines of two shorter towers in line with other buildings in the district may be more acceptable... + maybe even wider sidewalks than what is currently proposed? =S

EDIT: And oh yeah... right... I think we should ask the developer to also build (or at least contribute funds to) the first station of the Millennium Line extension! =P

logan5

Mar 19, 2011, 4:13 AM

If the density was split into two shorter towers, I can almost guarantee there would be just as much opposition because of massive shadowing. Or if it were one massive ten story building, there would be opposition because the density is too high and will increase property value, rents, etc., in the area. There's no winning.

SFUVancouver

Mar 24, 2011, 8:48 AM

Robert H.N. Ho lab at VGH
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/8232/roberthnho2march232011p.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/4581/roberthnho1march232011p.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

Spruce.
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3365/spruce1march232011p1240.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

700 West 8th.
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/9420/700west8th1march232011p.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/1472/700west8th2march232011p.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

District.
http://img863.imageshack.us/img863/4240/district1march232011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/4632/district2march232011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/1217/district3march232011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/9295/district4march232011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

Social.
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/600/socialmarch232011p12401.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

Uptown.
http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/4943/uptownmarch232011p12401.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

On Que
http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/9899/onque1march232011p12401.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5189/onque3march232011p12401.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

On Broadway (at Arbutus)
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3918/pinnaclebroadwaymarch23.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

District as seen from the SkyTrain at Main Street-Science World station.
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/9601/districtfromskytrainmar.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

The model for a proposed building on 8th between Main and Quebec Street.
http://img859.imageshack.us/img859/8863/8thandmainprojectmarch2.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 23rd, 2011.

hollywoodnorth

Mar 24, 2011, 9:31 AM

great pics as per usual! :)

the >> The model for a proposed building on 8th between Main and Quebec Street.

is that this site do you think >> http://goo.gl/maps/qaVE

whatnext

Mar 24, 2011, 3:27 PM

Not highrises by any means, but it looks like the face of central/South Granville Street is changing. They've broken ground on Granville Mews, a collection of townhouses around 52nd:

The number of units, which was approved for the West Side Vancouver Granville Mews project was for 35 rowhouses with a maximum floor space ratio of 1.0 FSR or 4,642.0 square metres. The maximum allowable height in the proposed development was for 10.7m or 35.10 feet with a maximum number of 3 storeys for these rowhouses. The proposed Granville Mews Vancouver real estate development site called for a front yard setback of 4.9 to 6.10 metres, a side yard setback of 2.4 to 4.9m and a rear yard setback of 4.9 metres to maximize the space. Also, the proposal for the new Vancouver Granville Mews towns and garden homes called for 66 parking spaces for the project (one of which is a car share spot).
http://www.vancouver-real-estate-direct.com/buzz/2011/03/vancouver-granville-mews/

There's also an assembly of SFH for sale on the east side of Granville around 42-43.

wrenegade

Mar 24, 2011, 3:33 PM

Other side of the street. It is the 125 East 8th Ave proposal that was at UDP last night. By the way, SFU, can you tell us if it passed or not?

I think it is a great looking project by the way, first time I had seen a picture/rendering.

SFUVancouver

Mar 24, 2011, 5:04 PM

Other side of the street. It is the 125 East 8th Ave proposal that was at UDP last night. By the way, SFU, can you tell us if it passed or not?

It passed unanimously.

dleung

Mar 25, 2011, 4:57 AM

Not highrises by any means, but it looks like the face of central/South Granville Street is changing. They've broken ground on Granville Mews, a collection of townhouses around 52nd...
There's also an assembly of SFH for sale on the east side of Granville around 42-43.

These better be super-deluxe townhouses arranged to avoid every mature tree on site. The very common approach to the downtown skyline via Granville is quite sublime with the dense wall of vegetation on both sides, and i'd hate for that to change

SFUVancouver

Mar 27, 2011, 8:01 PM

Fir and 7th
http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/9701/7thandfirmarch252011p12.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 25th, 2011.

District with First and Main Supportive Housing in the foreground.
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/4134/firstandmainanddistrict.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 27th, 2011.

SFUVancouver

Mar 29, 2011, 10:03 PM

Commercial and 13th
http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/6500/13thandcommercialmarch2.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 29th, 2011.

The new Trout Lake Community Centre
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/3301/troutlakecmtyctr1march2.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 29th, 2011.

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/5453/troutlakecmtyctr2march2.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 29th, 2011.

It is designed to match and continue the design of the new Trout Lake Ice Rink, which was a practice facility for the Olympics. The two buildings were engineered with each other in mind and the waste heat from the rink's refrigeration plant will be siphoned away and piped into to new community centre to provide heat.
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/22/troutlakecmtyctr3march2.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 29th, 2011.

This photo shows that the northeastern half of the community centre is largely complete. The large central atrium is forming up and the southwestern half which is home to the gym is now under construction. Two thirds of the gymnasium will be sunken into the sloping hillside leading up to Victoria Drive and this will simultaneously reduce the apparent mass of the community centre and improve the temperature performance of the gym.
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/2854/troutlakecmtyctr4march2.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 29th, 2011.

Finally, I discovered the location of one of the half dozen or so backyard chicken coops that were registered with the city. The chickens seemed pretty mellow despite having SkyTrain whip by their laneway chicken condo every few moments. Then again, perhaps they lay scrambled eggs.
http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/2249/backyardchickensmarch29.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, March 29th, 2011.