720 Beatty St (Beatty & Georgia) | 17fl | U/C

[Vin]

delete

[Vin]

This will indeed add be a great feature to this neighbourhood. The Art Gallery will also be eye-catching, but not because of its beauty, but more because of its hulking size. So much for "human scale" structures. Now we have a humongous ugly thing coming.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Vin

The air seemed rather polluted at the time. Or perhaps that was haze from a forest fire nearby? Seems quite unlikely in the 50s though.

Urban air quality was a lot worse in those years, thanks to lack of regulation (and probably, understanding).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...-chinas-today/

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Vin

Great photo showing some of the great city transportation infrastructure features of the time!

The air seemed rather polluted at the time. Or perhaps that was haze from a forest fire nearby? Seems quite unlikely in the 50s though.

Well look at all the photos of smoke stacks in the area and then I think you'll get your answer. Houses were just burning off sawdust in their furnaces or coal.

http://seniorsstories.vcn.bc.ca/2014...e-of-hardship/

[Changing City]

Site preparations are slowly moving forward. All the trees have now been cut down and cleared away.

[jollyburger]

Some BCUC documents about the project from earlier this year

https://www.bcuc.com/OurWork/ViewPro...licationId=907

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Some BCUC documents about the project from earlier this year

https://www.bcuc.com/OurWork/ViewPro...licationId=907

Thnaks!

The wood pellet boiler idea seems to have been replaced with an electric boiler.

September 15, 2022
Executive summary
On June 30, 2021, Creative Energy Vancouver Platforms Inc. (Creative Energy) applied to the British Columbia
Utilities Commission (BCUC) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the Core Steam
System Decarbonization Project (Project) pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA)
(Application). The Project consists of the construction and operation of an electric steam boiler plant, an electric
substation and related equipment. The Project also requires a new transmission line to be built and operated by
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) for connection to the Project.
Creative Energy owns and operates a steam production plant and a network of underground steam distribution
piping which supplies thermal energy to approximately 200 buildings in Vancouver’s downtown core. To date,
Creative Energy has used natural gas fired boilers to generate the steam necessary to serve its customers. Due
to recently implemented City of Vancouver by-laws and policies that limit the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from new buildings, without the addition a low carbon energy source, Creative Energy is not able to connect
new building customers. Creative Energy anticipates that similar GHG emission reduction requirements will
affect existing buildings in the future. To address the need for a low carbon energy resource, Creative Energy
proposes to construct and operate an electric boiler plant and associated equipment.
The estimated cost of the Project is approximately $37.5 million. This includes the cost of Creative Energy’s
contributions to the construction of the transmission line, as well as the BC Hydro Facility Study for the
transmission line. Creative Energy seeks acceptance of the transmission line related costs pursuant to section
44.2 of the UCA.
Following review of the evidence and submissions in this proceeding, the BCUC finds that the public
convenience and necessity require the granting of a CPCN for the Project. For the reasons outlined in the
accompanying Decision and pursuant to sections 44.2, 45 and 46 of the UCA, the BCUC orders the following:
1. A CPCN for the Project is granted to Creative Energy;
2. The expenditure schedule for $15.775 million for a new BC Hydro electric transmission line between BC
Hydro’s Murrin substation and Creative Energy’s existing Beatty Plant is accepted; and
3. The expenditure schedule for $1.54 million for a BC Hydro Facilities Study relating to the new BC Hydro
transmission line is accepted.
The BCUC directs various reporting requirements relating to the Project, as set out in the Decision.

https://docs.bcuc.com/Documents/Othe...N-Decision.pdf

[Jimbo604]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

I think this sign about the permanent closing of the parking lot just went up. The development application sign has been up for a while.

May 2 '22, my pics

Standard SSP Complaint - development moves slow.

Someone responds that these things take time.

Nobody ever happy.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Jimbo604

Standard SSP Complaint - development moves slow.

Someone responds that these things take time.

Nobody ever happy.

In the case of that parking lot there's been quite a bit of activity. It now has a series of large gas tanks installed, with security and anti-spill areas around them. I assume they're the temporary alternative to the existing storage that's inside the building, and that will be decommissioned while a new continued source of steam is created while the new plant is being built. It's one thing to clear the site and start with a clean slate - quite another to maintain heating to over 200 buildings while removing the old plant and building a new one with an office wrapped round it.

[officedweller]

Hmmm - and they're starting it in Winter.

[jollyburger]

I wonder if the Utilities Commission approval delayed their plans?

[mcminsen]

Dec.12 '22, my pics

[mcminsen]

Dec.12 '22, my pics

[jollyburger]

This report is from December 13, 2022.

Says the Beatty plant will be ready in Q1 2024 (they are going to demolish the existing plant once it's up and running)

Creative Energy anticipates commissioning of the New Beatty Plant under the Final Design to be complete by January 2024.15 The New Beatty Plant is proposed to be constructed in two Phases; at the conclusion of Phase 1 in January 2024, the New Beatty Plant will be completed and in service. At this point in the Project, the New Beatty Plant will operate with a temporary control room, temporary utility (e.g. water, power) connections and a temporary flue stack.16 Phase 2 of the Project includes the demolition of the existing Beatty plant and the installation of permanent connections to the utilities and flue stack, as well as transfer to a permanent control room in the New Beatty Plant. Transfer to these permanent components of the Final Design cannot occur until the demolition of the existing plant and construction of the Developer’s tower above grade are completed.17 Final Technical Safety BC sign-off on the plant and transfer to the permanent connections to the utilities and flue stack are scheduled to occur by June 2026.

https://www.ordersdecisions.bcuc.com...reative+energy

[madog222]

^Thanks for posting that!
I didn't know of the change in scope for the Creative Energy steam plant. This major redesign would explain the slow progress we've seen.

The 2021 approved design was for 2 new boilers under BC Place (Expo Plant) and retaining & refurbishing the newer boilers in the existing Beatty Plant. Then when the electric boilers were announced the plan was for two new electric boilers to be installed in the Beatty Plant (presumably scrapping all the existing gas boilers) and keeping the planned gas fired Expo Plant. Source: https://assets.ctfassets.net/8a0wf23...on_Project.pdf
Now they are installing four new boilers in a new Beatty plant, scrapping the entire existing plant, and cancelling the Expo Plant.

Here's a summary from your link:



Now the only question is how many electric and gas boilers make up the four. We know there will still be at least one gas boiler as the new design references a flue stack. Given the configuration of 3 big and 1 small boiler I would guess the three big are electric and the odd one out is gas.

[Jimbo604]

Not too much visibly happening at the ol' steam plant project across the street.

Photo source: me

I forgot there was a thread for 720 Beatty. Also I did look over the railing to down below and no change since the above pictures.

[Changing City]

With those temporary diesel tanks installed on the Beatty Street parking lot, the demolition and clearance of the old tanks on the lower level behind the building is underway. They were buried in sand, and there's a quite noticeable hydrocarbon smell to the work. It looks like the tanks are being chopped up on site for recycling.

[Jimbo604]

Originally Posted by Changing City

With those temporary diesel tanks installed on the Beatty Street parking lot, the demolition and clearance of the old tanks on the lower level behind the building is underway. They were buried in sand, and there's a quite noticeable hydrocarbon smell to the work. It looks like the tanks are being chopped up on site for recycling.

You know what they say about messages without picture confirmation.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Jimbo604

You know what they say about messages without picture confirmation.

There will be a picture on the Changing City blog.



When it's finished.

[Jimbo604]

Originally Posted by Changing City

There will be a picture on the Changing City blog.

When it's finished.

This forum would be pretty boring if people only posted pictures of finished projects.