Chinatown Updates Discussion

[Tetsuo]

Do members of this "Youth Coalition" even live in Chinatown?

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

Do members of this "Youth Coalition" even live in Chinatown?

Likely not, but that's irrelevant as everyone has a say.

If you want to help out Beedie take 30 seconds out of your day and write a quick comment on their link. It gets read by the city and factors into their decision, so it would help counteract silly groups like this one.

http://former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/...r/feedback.htm

[logan5]

Found some new information on 288 E. Hastings from the Carnegie Community Action web site...

The development will be built through a partnership between BC Housing and the Wall Corporation. The Wall Corporation currently owns the plot and the plan is for Province to buy it from them, construct the building and then sell the retail and market units back to Wall Corporation in order to finance the non-market component. It’s unclear how much profit the Wall Corporation will make in this deal or how much the Province will be subsidizing their profits, if at all.

The 288 proposal is for an 11-storey building with 172 rental housing units. According to the current plan, which could still change, only 34 of the 104 social housing units will rent at the welfare rate of $375. The remaining 70 so called social housing units will rent at the Housing Income Limits rate which is currently $912 a month for a bachelor, but the rate is not fixed and it can rise over time. The remaining 68 units will be privately owned market rental units, with no upper caps on rents.

https://ccapvancouver.wordpress.com/...88-e-hastings/

Assuming this information is correct, there is no longer that 3rd tier of non-market housing. Just shelter rate and Hils rate.

With the Hils rate being at $912 per month for a 255 sq ft unit, that still a pretty good deal for whoever operates these units. On a dollar per sq foot cost, these units are just as expensive as market units. I wonder why Wall wouldn't want the HILS rate units as well, because it looks as if they would yield just as much of a return as the market rate units.

[a very long weekend]

Originally Posted by logan5

Chinatown has been derelict since before they were born...
Let's hope that under these current guidelines, we can reach the right critical mass required to re energize the area while at the same time preserving it's architectural character.

man, this couldn't be less true. chinatown has always been chock full of shops and restaurants, mostly lower end.

as for the "re-energization of the area" like, give your head a shake. preserving the architecture but replacing everything with pricey, mainstream shops and restaurants just means that chinatown is a word on a map meant to signify a defunct history plus some architecture. what made it chinatown were the very long term commerces, the shops, restaurants, groceries, and people, not the word "chinatown."

then again, vancouver has been on this track for so long that it's hard even to find the ground for criticism, it's like the founding ethos of the city, to a large extent.

[Alex Mackinnon]

Originally Posted by a very long weekend

man, this couldn't be less true. chinatown has always been chock full of shops and restaurants, mostly lower end.

as for the "re-energization of the area" like, give your head a shake. preserving the architecture but replacing everything with pricey, mainstream shops and restaurants just means that chinatown is a word on a map meant to signify a defunct history plus some architecture. what made it chinatown were the very long term commerces, the shops, restaurants, groceries, and people, not the word "chinatown."

then again, vancouver has been on this track for so long that it's hard even to find the ground for criticism, it's like the founding ethos of the city, to a large extent.

That really depends. If you mean it couldn't be less true (before 5pm on weekday) then maybe...

Chinatown 5 years ago was pretty dead as soon as the predominantly elderly population called it quits for the day. It's been getting better, but its still pretty quiet at night.

The traditional demographics of Chinatown are pretty old, and continuing to age. I'd wager that's not going to change based on the sheer amount of retirement homes nearby, but there's proportionately not a lot of young blood.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by a very long weekend

man, this couldn't be less true. chinatown has always been chock full of shops and restaurants, mostly lower end.

as for the "re-energization of the area" like, give your head a shake. preserving the architecture but replacing everything with pricey, mainstream shops and restaurants just means that chinatown is a word on a map meant to signify a defunct history plus some architecture. what made it chinatown were the very long term commerces, the shops, restaurants, groceries, and people, not the word "chinatown."

then again, vancouver has been on this track for so long that it's hard even to find the ground for criticism, it's like the founding ethos of the city, to a large extent.

All the "pricey, mainstream shops and restaurants" will one day become part of the history of Chinatown. If they replace shabby buildings and businesses, I'm all for it. Many of the new condo buildings are replacing empty lots, what used to be defunct businesses and even closed-up shops. The Main/Keefer block, where many temporary businesses started to pop up at an ugly plaza and retail spaces, was a real tacky eyesore and not at all reflective of old Chinatown. Now at least we get a new lease of life there with good restaurants and services like banks popping up. An infusion of younger Chinatown residents will hopefully bring back life to this neighbourhood. Chinatown's rejuvenation needs a good balance, with heritage preserved, but at the same time, derelict buildings and space replaced. If you can't beat a dead horse back to life, might as well replace it with a few good champions.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by a very long weekend

as for the "re-energization of the area" like, give your head a shake. preserving the architecture but replacing everything with pricey, mainstream shops and restaurants just means that chinatown is a word on a map meant to signify a defunct history plus some architecture. what made it chinatown were the very long term commerces, the shops, restaurants, groceries, and people, not the word "chinatown."

Chinatown is or was in decline. I don't think there's any disputing that. The merchants that have remained are in favour of "re-energization".

The knee jerk reaction to residential development in Chinatown is the usual "it's gonna become Yaletown", with pricey, mainstream shops, but if you are familiar with the area and are familiar with what is planned for the area you will see that Chinatown will be far more diverse than Yaletown. Rich, poor, white, Chinese, and everything in between. It's going to be a very interesting neighbourhood.

[a very long weekend]

^ during the transition period. honestly, you want a mix in vancouver, you need san francisco/nyc-style formula retail restrictions for these areas, along with mandated narrower commercial spaces.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by Locked In

My photos from June 20:


IMG_6369 by 604 City, on Flickr

Jan.15 '16, my pics

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Framework (231 Pender) is well along now.


Dec.11 '15, my pics

An update on Framework. The last pic is the backside as seen in the alley.


Jan.15 '16, my pics

[spaceprobe]

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

Do members of this "Youth Coalition" even live in Chinatown?

Not only do they not live in Chinatown, at least one of them may not even live in Vancouver. In the video on the global new link....the next video shows the anchor interviewing one of the members of the Youth coalition who was video conferencing in from Edmonton.

[Jimbo604]

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[osirisboy]

Great update thanks!! Love the massing along main. That's how it should be done in the city. The only thing I'm not a huge fan of is the top set backs. For example, on the georgia and main building. The top 5 floors don't match at all with the rest, wouldve been better if the brick just went all the way up. I know the city likes doing this to try to make the building less intrusive but it sticks out like a sore thumb imo.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by Jimbo604

Is the city going to do anything about E Georgia St between Main and Quebec streets? (Left side of this Mcminsen photo)

Right now it is an unconnected mess.

Yes. If I remember correctly it is going to connect

[AverageJoe]

I really like the Main/Georgia building. I like the fact that it looks kind of a mess with the different-coloured bricks and set back tops as it really fits in to the heritage style of the historic Chinatown buildings before, and giving the buildings height while honouring the "Tong" style architecture that was distinctive in Chinatown.

Just hoping that some actual Chinese shops and restaurants move back to Chinatown now.

[hollywoodnorth]

from a rental advertisement for BlueSky Chinatown they mention a .... wait for it ..... GROUND FLOOD GROCERY STORE...... also I see LEASED signs in the windows

I think that maybe a small No Frills could fit ..... but nothing larger. Will be interesting to see who picked up that space. off the top of my hear I could imagine a

No Frills
Donald's
Sunrise Market (moved location)

[BodomReaper]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

Jan.15 '16, my pics

It would be criminal not to grout the gaps between the precast brick panels. If the city is going to insist on boring brick designs stripped of interesting modern elements, let's at least make sure they meet basic finishing standards.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by Jimbo604

Is the city going to do anything about E Georgia St between Main and Quebec streets? (Left side of this Mcminsen photo)

Right now it is an unconnected mess.

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Yes. If I remember correctly it is going to connect

That made me curious so I went back and had a look. First two pics looking west from Main Street, the rest looking east.


Jan.17 '16, my pics












Looking east across Quebec Street

[mcminsen]

Here's a look at the back side (from the alley) of the BlueSky building at Georgia and Main.



Jan.17 '16, my pics

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by BodomReaper

It would be criminal not to grout the gaps between the precast brick panels. If the city is going to insist on boring brick designs stripped of interesting modern elements, let's at least make sure they meet basic finishing standards.

Are those gaps left to let water seep out?