8495 Granville St (Safeway) | 59, 43M, 25M | 18flrs, 14flrs, 8flrs | Completed

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by vancvrman

UPDATE: The Development Permit Application signs are now up at the Marpole Safeway site.

I wonder when construction is likely to start? In the Spring of 2012, perhaps?

it will be a odd time for that area with no Grocery Store. I know the feeling of a reno hitting your main and really only (near by) Grocery Option ..... not fun.

[SpongeG]

my friends live there - there are walkable options, a produce store a butcher, bakery etc. they already prefer the smaller ones - superstore is quite close as is the canada line, people can adjust - most people i know don't even shop at safeway anyway its way too expensive

[phesto]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

my friends live there - there are walkable options, a produce store a butcher, bakery etc. they already prefer the smaller ones - superstore is quite close as is the canada line, people can adjust - most people i know don't even shop at safeway anyway its way too expensive

I probably know this area better than you do, and I can tell you that Safeway is the cheapest option and definitely the most popular among locals. The vast majority in that area drive to shop for groceries and don't walk or bother with the Granville streetfront stores. (the quality is better than Safeway for fresh goods but you're not saving $). The shift will be to Superstore, IGA on 41st etc...

Don't think I've ever heard anyone call Safeway out for being 'way too expensive'...? Even in lower income areas they do quite well through discounting/sales/coupons which, when taken into account, don't make them that much more expensive than the cheaper options such as No Frills, etc...

[officedweller]

Safeway also varies pricing by store location. I remember passing through the Broadway & Commercial Safeway and passing on a clamshell of salad greens to buy it closer to the date needed for a dinner, and later discovering that it was $1.00 more at the City Square Safeway.

I think Superstore also varies prices by location - with Marine Drive being more expensive than Grandview - but it's hard to tell as prices there seem to vary by day of the week!

[flight_from_kamakura]

yeah, never ever shop safeway these days, but back when i still wanted old dutch potato chips or orange cheese, i recall that the safeway on w 4th was often the same price as capers, always more expensive than kim's and choices, to the point that it was cheaper to buy stuff organic across the street at kim's than it was to buy it conventional at safeway. made it very clear the value of that huge parking lot to their business model at that location, as well as affective attachment/trust associated with the brand.

[renthefinn]

I've always found Safeway to be pretty pricey, when living in the West End, and now don't even bother to look on the East side. I've never signed up for their club card or whatever it is, if you have that I think it might be comparable to other affordable grocers.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by phesto

I probably know this area better than you do, and I can tell you that Safeway is the cheapest option and definitely the most popular among locals. The vast majority in that area drive to shop for groceries and don't walk or bother with the Granville streetfront stores. (the quality is better than Safeway for fresh goods but you're not saving $). The shift will be to Superstore, IGA on 41st etc...

Don't think I've ever heard anyone call Safeway out for being 'way too expensive'...? Even in lower income areas they do quite well through discounting/sales/coupons which, when taken into account, don't make them that much more expensive than the cheaper options such as No Frills, etc...

i only go to safeway if i am desperate and superstore is closed - the prices are way too expensive at safeway like double sometimes on things - i use my card at safeway and its still too expensive

anyway i avoid it most of the time

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Safeway also varies pricing by store location. I remember passing through the Broadway & Commercial Safeway and passing on a clamshell of salad greens to buy it closer to the date needed for a dinner, and later discovering that it was $1.00 more at the City Square Safeway.

I think Superstore also varies prices by location - with Marine Drive being more expensive than Grandview - but it's hard to tell as prices there seem to vary by day of the week!

yes safeway stores do have varying prices from store to store - they've publicly said so in the past that they price according to the neighbourhood and thats why the west side is often priced higher - a newspaper did a comparison one day by buying items at 8 different stores and they had quite a few different prices

i also find thrifty foods way overpriced - they had cadbury chocolate on sale 2 for $4 last time i went, the everyday price at superstore is $1.83 and cheaper on sale - like $1.27 just last week

anyway glad to see the project moving ahead

[Jebby]

I always thought Safeway wasn't that expensive. Back when I lived across from Shaugnessy Elementary I'd always go to the Safeway on arbutus and it didn't seem bad. Then when living in UBC we'd always shop at the one on 10th and Blanca.

Maybe it was just the location that made them so convenient, they were a 5 min drive from our house and we never went any other place to compare prices.

Is Save On Foods considered expensive too?

[officedweller]

It's all relative.
Concord residents don't know that Urban Fare is expensive...

[Conrad]

Originally Posted by phesto

I probably know this area better than you do, and I can tell you that Safeway is the cheapest option and definitely the most popular among locals. The vast majority in that area drive to shop for groceries and don't walk or bother with the Granville streetfront stores. (the quality is better than Safeway for fresh goods but you're not saving $). The shift will be to Superstore, IGA on 41st etc...

Don't think I've ever heard anyone call Safeway out for being 'way too expensive'...? Even in lower income areas they do quite well through discounting/sales/coupons which, when taken into account, don't make them that much more expensive than the cheaper options such as No Frills, etc...

Compared to Superstore or No Frills, Safeway can be outrageous. NEVER shop there without a Club Card, that's all I can say. Coupons are helpful, but rarely are they for products I actually buy. They do have really great in-store specials from time-to-time so I take advantage of those when I can. Luckily I have a car so I'll be going to Superstore on Marine Drive for major grocery shopping, but I do that already. I only go to Safeway for minor grocery runs.

[Conrad]

Originally Posted by officedweller

It's all relative.
Concord residents don't know that Urban Fare is expensive...

Hahaha, that's SO true. I was there a few weeks ago. $8.00 for a jar of jam! No thanks. Stupid yuppies...

[SpongeG]

so with this tower going up - do you think it will make way for more towers/large developments? could the block across the street see something replace it? the little plaza with the 7-11 - i would love to see it replaced

[Millennium2002]

I don't think new towers like the one proposed will slip through as easily given the community opposition... at the same time, I think we'll still see an upgrade akin to the scale of developments that currently exist at Mount Pleasant.

[dangerdoughnut]

Just the other day I noticed a new billboard outside of Safeway facing Granville St. It says the project is now selling and construction start date of March 2012. Just for kicks I called the number and booked an appointment at the sales centre.

The sales is operated by a company called New Asia Group out of Bental 4 on the 34th floor. They have renderings and two models, but no physical representation of the units. It looks to me they're targeting mainly Asian buyers as the sales staff are all Asian (Mandarin speaking) and the brochures all have simplified Chinese.

I asked if that was their demographic and they said that Westbank pushed hard for Rennie to go after that sector but they just weren't producing the results.

The pricing is extremely high, around 750-950 a square foot. An unit facing West on the Granville 1 tower (the curved one) on the 19th floor (out of 22 I think) for 1046 sq ft witha 200 sq ft terrace is $989K. Maintenance is 45 cent a square foot. Strangely enough, they calculate square footage of your terrace, even though you don't own it (limited common area), into your pricing and maintenance. So really for that unit you're looking at paying maintenance for 1246 sq ft.

Sales centre was quite busy, even by appointment only, on a Saturday. The salesman was quite nice and explained that they've written 184 contracts in 1 month and will halt sale at 250, with the remaining 100-150 units being put out at a higher price down the line.

They're definitely emphasizing the luxury aspect of a Westbank building with multiple references to Shangri-la and Fairmont Pacific Rim.

I just think the pricing is insanely high for Marpole... but hey, people are buying, so what do I know.

I grew up in Marpole and was quite interested in this development but it is really looking to be unaffordable for most people in the area.

[wrenegade]

Originally Posted by dangerdoughnut

Maintenance is 45 cent a square foot. Strangely enough, they calculate square footage of your terrace, even though you don't own it (limited common area), into your pricing and maintenance. So really for that unit you're looking at paying maintenance for 1246 sq ft.

That doesn't seem right. At all. Or legal. Don't know for sure though, but I've never seen that before myself. And those prices are straight up retarded, but I guess if people are buying then....ok?

[s211]

Originally Posted by dangerdoughnut

The pricing is extremely high, around 750-950 a square foot. An unit facing West on the Granville 1 tower (the curved one) on the 19th floor (out of 22 I think) for 1046 sq ft witha 200 sq ft terrace is $989K. Maintenance is 45 cent a square foot. Strangely enough, they calculate square footage of your terrace, even though you don't own it (limited common area), into your pricing and maintenance. So really for that unit you're looking at paying maintenance for 1246 sq ft.

I have never seen a strata set up whrein LCP was included in porportionate allotments of typical strata op costs.

[dangerdoughnut]

It may be that they tell you it's .45 a squarefoot when proportionately it's actually more like .50 or .55. On all the floor plans they list the combined square footage of terrace/patio and living area.

It may still be "legal" if the contract specifically states that maintenance is for living area only but priced higher, but for sales purpose they tell you otherwise.

And it could also just be the salesperson was using questionable selling tactics.

At any rate, it is still incredibly overpriced for the area. They gave out a really nice bound brochure... but it's all in simplified Chinese so I'm not sure what it says. Anyhow, I'd be interested if anyone else had any experience with the sales centre... I didn't ask about the pricing of lower units, because it's not as if I can afford, or want to live there... but still would be interesting to see how it all pans out.

[jlousa]

LCP would not counted like that nor would a starta owner be paying for maintanance fees on them. I suspect the problem is an uneducated salesperson who will have been recently re-educated.
The prices are in fact high but it will be a luxury development with high end finishes. The Telus project on the other hand will be priced at lower price points.

[officedweller]

Yeah, when it's registered in the Land Title Office, each strata unit would have a unit entitlement and that would be the basis on which the strata fees would be calculated.

If anything, the saleperson would have been overestimating the strata fees for a unit based on the per sq ft rate.