745 Thurlow St | 91m | 23fl | Completed

[SpongeG]

speaking of that buildings current site - a halloween store has moved into the old liquor store

glad to hear its approved

[Built Form]

SNC Lavalin has leased 6 floors (100,000 sq ft) Building is now 50% leased.

SNC Lavalin to expand Vancouver presence
Tuesday, 01 November 2011 08:55

Canadian engineering and construction giant SNC-Lavalin plans to expand its Vancouver presence and take six floors with a total of 100,000 square feet in the 24-floor tower that Bentall Kennedy LP is developing at the corner of Thurlow and Alberni streets, across from the Shangri-la Hotel Vancouver.

McCarthy Tetrault had previously closed a deal to take the building’s top four floors.

“Both those deals represent 50% of the office space in the building,” Bentall Kennedy’s executive vice-president, Tony Astles told Business in Vancouver October 31.

“Office space starts on the fourth floor at about 15,500 square feet and the floors grow up to about 21,000 square feet at the top.”

Construction of the tower is set to start in early 2012.

Astles would not reveal his company’s target date to lease the remaining space.

“Our target is to achieve full lease-up as soon as is reasonably possible,” he said.

SNC-Lavalin executive vice-president Jim Burke said in a release that leasing space in the future tower will help his company expand its Vancouver presence and raise its corporate profile in downtown Vancouver.

Glen Korstrom
@GlenKorstrom
gkorstrom@biv.com

[osirisboy]

I guess that means they will be moving out of their Georgia street offices? I wonder how much space they have there, ie how much are they really expanding their presence downtown.

But great news nonetheless.

[LeftCoaster]

I think they have a couple floors at 1075 W Georgia and a few more offices scattered around.

Good to see SNC taking a big chunk, I would not be surprised to see them go for the building signage as well.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I think they have a couple floors at 1075 W Georgia and a few more offices scattered around.

Good to see SNC taking a big chunk, I would not be surprised to see them go for the building signage as well.

That would be great. Would that mean that the building would effectively be the SNC Lavalin Building? At any rate, it would lend a "businessier," more corporate feeling to downtown.

[incognism]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

That would be great. Would that mean that the building would effectively be the SNC Lavalin Building? At any rate, it would lend a "businessier," more corporate feeling to downtown.

As much as Bentall III is known as the BMO building, or Bentall V being referred to as the Bell building.

In other words, probably not.

[officedweller]

Before the rash of bank mergers - they used to also be known by the lead tenant's name -

Canada Trust Tower, Bank of Montreal Tower, National Trust Tower

[phesto]

Just to give you guys an idea of the strength of the downtown office market right now, Bentall has had interest from large tenants wanting to lease the remainder of the building, but they have elected to wait and lease to smaller tenants (this is a common strategy so that they don't have only a few large tenants with leases expiring at the same time).

Bodes well for other projects looking for tenants, and I think we'll hear some more good news soon

[PaperTiger]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Before the rash of bank mergers - they used to also be known by the lead tenant's name -

Canada Trust Tower, Bank of Montreal Tower, National Trust Tower

Well, we still call it the TD Tower , Scotia Tower and Royal Bank Building (for some reason everyone seems to say building for this one rather than tower).

In the end I don't think it will be prominent enough to be really known as anything, it’s just not really a landmark building. It will be like that second HSBC building beside the Shangri-La who knows what that one is called? ( and if you do know you really are a skyscraper nerd )

[s211]

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

Well, we still call it the TD Tower , Scotia Tower and Royal Bank Building (for some reason everyone seems to say building for this one rather than tower).

In the end I don't think it will be prominent enough to be really known as anything, it’s just not really a landmark building. It will be like that second HSBC building beside the Shangri-La who knows what that one is called? ( and if you do know you really are a skyscraper nerd )

That would be called 1188 West Georgia now, these days. Back when, it was Westar wasn't it?

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

Well, we still call it the TD Tower , Scotia Tower and Royal Bank Building (for some reason everyone seems to say building for this one rather than tower).

I was referring only to the Bentalls - which seem to have reverted to a I, II, III, IV and V naming system.
Pacific Centre is the onlt other significant multi-tower complex in town and it doesn't use a numbering system like Bnetall does - although a couple of the towers go by their street address.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I was referring only to the Bentalls - which seem to have reverted to a I, II, III, IV and V naming system.
Pacific Centre is the onlt other significant multi-tower complex in town and it doesn't use a numbering system like Bnetall does - although a couple of the towers go by their street address.

Some old fogies still refer to 'the Stock Exchange Tower' at Pacific Centre.

Last time I used that name, my friends looked at me like I was having a purple haze relapse.

[Locked In]

Originally Posted by phesto

Just to give you guys an idea of the strength of the downtown office market right now, Bentall has had interest from large tenants wanting to lease the remainder of the building, but they have elected to wait and lease to smaller tenants (this is a common strategy so that they don't have only a few large tenants with leases expiring at the same time).

Bodes well for other projects looking for tenants, and I think we'll hear some more good news soon

Good stuff! Thanks for the explanation and the promising news...

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Some old fogies still refer to 'the Stock Exchange Tower' at Pacific Centre.

Last time I used that name, my friends looked at me like I was having a purple haze relapse.

...and the IBM Tower.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Jimbo604

Re: 745 Thurlow (and Alberni)

Sportmart at this location has started its Closing sale, possibly meaning demolition is due to start sometime soon...?

I think developer website http://www.745thurlow.com said something like "early spring".

Based on the stacking plan at the website, SNC Lavalin is mid-tower (6 floors, 8-14) and McCarthy's is up on the top 4 floors (20-24).

http://www.745thurlow.com/leasing-sa...loor-plans.php

[s211]

I recall retail has to shut down in Feb...

[Metro-One]

I posted this in the downtown updates but it is probably better here:

While i am happy to see this tower go ahead, i will not deny i will miss the underground restaurants there, including what feels to me the most authentic Japanese restaurant we have (dim lighting, below grade, very Tokyo / Osaka feeling) and of course, Samba!

I really hope these two restaurants re-locate to similar feeling locations downtown.

It would also be nice if a similar underground restaurant feature was part of this building.

[SpongeG]

maybe one of them could relocate to that vacant restaurant space on robson at burrard - upstairs... its been empty for years after white spot left that location the ones that followed didn't last very long

[incognism]

Originally Posted by s211

I recall retail has to shut down in Feb...

The last day of operations for the karaoke place is February 25th.

[officedweller]

Also, ads in the paper today for the SportMart closing out - 30% off the whole store.