Olympic Village & Southeast False Creek Updates Discussion

[bils]

they actually planted three dead trees?

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by bils

they actually planted three dead trees?

they're actually for bald eagles to perch.

[giallo]

That's a great idea. This project just gets sweeter and sweeter every passing week.

[hollywoodnorth]

I am not sure if we have covered this yet...but LONDON DRUGS will be the 2nd anchor tenent in SEFC.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

I am not sure if we have covered this yet...but LONDON DRUGS will be the 2nd anchor tenent in SEFC.

what about the existing store on Broadway, will it be moved to Crossroads on Cambie?


btw, the London Drugs at Arbutus and Broadway has been open for a few weeks.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

what about the existing store on Broadway, will it be moved to Crossroads on Cambie?

Yup.

That'll be quite a few of them - Woodward's, SEFC and Crossroads. The Crossroads one will be the flagship, so the others will probably be smaller.

I think they need to replace the Robson St. one and expand the Granville & Georgia one.

[MistyMountainHop]

I wonder what will happen to the existing London Drugs site (as well as the IGA at Broadway and Maple).

[deasine]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Yup.

That'll be quite a few of them - Woodward's, SEFC and Crossroads. The Crossroads one will be the flagship, so the others will probably be smaller.

I think they need to replace the Robson St. one and expand the Granville & Georgia one.

i love the one on Robston St. - it's so peaceful and quiet... But I do wish it can get a renovation.

London Drugs seem to be agressively opening more and more locations. I've been seeing Grand Opening Sale on their flyers a couple of times in the last three months.

[Delirium]

does anyone know why london drugs is called LONDON drugs? i never figured that out.

anyway, some updates were posted on the milleniumwater website (although already outdated) but still cool to see

[officedweller]

Thanks.
Apparently the SEFC seawall is supposed to open up well before the projects are compeleted - maybe even this year?

[Fairbanks]

The year was 1945: the soldiers were coming home, Zoot Suits were in style and Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra crooned over the radio waves.

In this new era of hope and expectation, London Drugs was born. It was a humble, community drugstore-just 1000 square feet-but this little store on Main Street, Vancouver, was given a big name. The store was named after London, England, the home of Canada's King, George VI. In the months after World War II, London Drugs carried the promise of peace and prosperity.






Today, London Drugs has stores in more than 35 major markets throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The pharmacy is still the heart of our business, but today we also offer a full service computer department, cosmetics ranging from lipgloss to high-end face creams, furniture, cameras, high quality photo finishing, cordless phones and plasma televisions. More people buy their small appliances in London Drugs than any other place in Western Canada. All told, we serve over 45 million customers each year, and we are still growing.

How did a small Vancouver drugstore become such an integral part of Western Canadians' lives? This is the story of London Drugs.

http://www.londondrugs.com/Cultures/...+London+Drugs/

[Fairbanks]

Now b4 the anti-monachists pounce on the name "London Drugs" bear in mind that we have lost Eatons and Woodwards and probably the Hudson Bay Company b4 long. So let's savour the remainin "Canadian Chair Stores" while they last.

That having been said, "B4 I investigated this...I would have guessed that the founders' name was "London".

[vitc]

I love London Drugs that are always a great store...thanks for the history - interesting...

[mr.x]

Village builder aims millions at inner city
Developer commits $15 million to purchasing and $750,000 to training 100 staff

Frances Bula, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, November 15, 2007

VANCOUVER - The company building Vancouver's Olympic athletes' village has agreed to try to buy $15 million worth of goods from "inner-city" businesses, hire 100 people who live in the inner city, and pay $750,000 to help with pre-employment training.

The agreement is between Millennium Development and Building Opportunities with Business -- BOB -- a city non-profit agency set up to try to channel Olympics-related purchases to inner-city businesses.

BOB is funded by the city, provincial and federal governments.

It's all part of the city's original "inner-city inclusivity" promise in its Games bid to make sure the 2010 Olympics benefit the city's poorest neighbourhoods.

The agreement, which will be made public today, was welcomed by both Mayor Sam Sullivan and his political opposition, which originally made the commitment when it controlled city council.

"I think this will be a very important legacy," said Sullivan. "Having people from the inner city benefiting is great. I'm very pleased that this project will be a socially sustainable one, as well as environmentally and financially."

Vision Vancouver Coun. Raymond Louie also said he was pleased. "I think it's a very good step to make [the Games] lasting, so it's not just a handout, but a hand up," he said. "This is an example of what can be done and it's a result of our work last term."

Vancouver is the first city to make a commitment to host "socially sustainable" Olympics Games and to try to ensure that its inner-city neighbourhoods get some of the benefits from what has often been seen as a mega-event that has a mainly negative effect on low-cost housing and the lives of low-income people.

Deputy city manager Jody Andrews, in a memo to council members about the agreement, said the city has also been trying to fulfil the social part of its commitment in other ways.

Because the city's bidding process encourages companies to hire aboriginals and inner-city residents, he noted that the Southeast False Creek project has seen an aboriginal company provide $250,000 worth of gravel and an aboriginal foreshore-site administrator, along with a group from the inner city doing landscaping.

The inner city is defined as the Downtown Eastside, the Downtown South and Mount Pleasant.

fbula@png.canwest.com

[djh]

NINE cranes up in Millennium Water area now, and 1 crane right near Cambie Bridge area.
Also, I noticed they've demolished 2 old warehouses in SEFC but near the bridge area.
Last week that area was insanely busy. When I was walking over the bridge there was a *line-up* of dump trucks from the street right to the water where they were dumping into barges. The line-up was 19 dump-trucks long...so really, the construction is getting pretty rapid there.

[officedweller]

That ramp was moved from close to Science World - it is the main location for excavation materials from the downtown to be loaded onto barges, so it's not exclusively from SEFC. But I don't think I've ever seen a line up as long as the one you've mentioned.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by djh

NINE cranes up in Millennium Water area now, and 1 crane right near Cambie Bridge area.
Also, I noticed they've demolished 2 old warehouses in SEFC but near the bridge area.
Last week that area was insanely busy. When I was walking over the bridge there was a *line-up* of dump trucks from the street right to the water where they were dumping into barges. The line-up was 19 dump-trucks long...so really, the construction is getting pretty rapid there.

considering it has to be done in 18 months, i'm happy to hear the pace of activity.

[djp]

The term "inner city," in a Vancouver context, is stupid. When they say that "inner city" people will benefit from Olympic construction, they're absolutely right if they're referring to the "inner city" yuppies of Yaletown, Coal Harbour, the West End, the CBD, Gastown, etc. Inner city as a term seems more appropriate to American cities where the inner city is actually miserable. In Vancouver, except for a relatively small tract, the "inner city" is incredibly wealthy.

Just thought I would mention the irony of that phrase.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by DJ

The term "inner city," in a Vancouver context, is stupid. When they say that "inner city" people will benefit from Olympic construction, they're absolutely right if they're referring to the "inner city" yuppies of Yale town, Coal Harbour, the West End, the BCD, Gaston, etc. Inner city as a term seems more appropriate to American cities where the inner city is actually miserable. In Vancouver, except for a relatively small tract, the "inner city" is incredibly wealthy.

Just thought I would mention the irony of that phrase.

Actually they said the following:
"The inner city is defined as the Downtown East side, the Downtown South and Mount Pleasant"

The only benefit for the people in Coal Harbour, Yaletown or the West End that I can see is the continuation of the sea-wall, which is a benefit to everyone.
Don't forget about a third of those units will be "subsidized rentals" which will benefit low or no income families.

[officedweller]

The new seawall opens up about December 3rd:

http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/NewsRel...nstruction.htm

First Avenue reconstruction starts December 3

On December 3, 2007, the City will begin an extensive, 18-month project to rebuild First Avenue between Quebec Street and the Cambie Bridge.

City contractors will upgrade sanitary and storm sewers, water mains, electrical and communication utilities, and install a district heating system along First Avenue as part of the construction of the Southeast False Creek (SEFC) and Olympic Village site leading up to 2010.

Initial work on this project will involve a full closure at the intersection of First Avenue and Columbia Street for approximately three weeks starting December 3, 2007. During this time, and for the duration of the 18-month project, pedestrians and cyclists should use a paved path that will be opened up along the SEFC waterfront as an alternate route. Vehicle traffic will be routed around the closed intersection via Second Avenue (see map on website at www.vancouver.ca/olympicvillage).

The reconstruction of First Avenue between Quebec Street and the Cambie Bridge will be ongoing from December 2007 to May 2009. Every effort will be made to keep traffic flowing in both east and west directions along First Avenue. However, partial closures of First Avenue will be necessary over the next 18 months.

In addition to the reconstruction of First Avenue, traffic in the local area will be affected by other construction activities including the Canada Line project. Residents and commuters traveling in the area between Main and Oak streets, from Broadway to False Creek, are advised to expect delays, and may wish to consider alternate routes.

The City of Vancouver and its contractors appreciate the patience of the public during this project, and will make every effort to minimize traffic disruptions.