The Independent (180 Kingsway) | 64.7m | 19fl | Completed

[Vin]

Exactly, if the theory that old buildings should always be supremo, then newer buildings become tinier and tinier till they disappear. I say build something humongous to reverse that trend here!

[wrenegade]

I still have no problem with the height or density, and I still think this is a pretty lousy proposal. Messy, uninspired architecture, with faux elements trying to speak to the heritage of the neighbourhood. I don't think the podium is necessarily too heavy, I just think it's too haphazard and ugly. This won't destroy the neighbourhood like many in RAMP are saying it will, but I think we'll look back on it as one of those what-could-have-been-great projects, and it will just end up being another mediocre point tower, albeit a tall one, considering its surroundings.

[axestone]

Rize project getting some international and national press — saw these links on the Acton Ostry twitter feed:

This one is from the World Architecture News website and is some sort of feature about transit oriented development for a symposium to be held in Shanghai later this year:

http://www.worldarchitectureday2014....study_2014.pdf

This one has some images of what looks like a model:

http://aasarchitecture.com/2014/05/k...rchitects.html

And this one is in Canadian Architect, but it just has the same images as at the websites above:

http://www.canadianarchitect.com/new...2LbVz4.twitter

Can't understand the haters on this project… it seems to be delivering on being something unique and different, rather than the same old same old.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

I still have no problem with the height or density, and I still think this is a pretty lousy proposal. Messy, uninspired architecture, with faux elements trying to speak to the heritage of the neighbourhood. I don't think the podium is necessarily too heavy, I just think it's too haphazard and ugly. This won't destroy the neighbourhood like many in RAMP are saying it will, but I think we'll look back on it as one of those what-could-have-been-great projects, and it will just end up being another mediocre point tower, albeit a tall one, considering its surroundings.

That is a very messy neighbourhood, so I think this design fits in. In fact, I can't see a sleek glassy building fitting that area.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

I still have no problem with the height or density, and I still think this is a pretty lousy proposal. Messy, uninspired architecture, with faux elements trying to speak to the heritage of the neighbourhood. I don't think the podium is necessarily too heavy, I just think it's too haphazard and ugly. This won't destroy the neighbourhood like many in RAMP are saying it will, but I think we'll look back on it as one of those what-could-have-been-great projects, and it will just end up being another mediocre point tower, albeit a tall one, considering its surroundings.

Yep, its the new King Ed & Kingsway.

[logan5]

They're calling this "The Independent" now. One of the more elaborate presentation centres they're building. REGISTER NOW!

http://independentatmain.com/

[Jimbo604]

Uh oh Development Permit board consideration for this delayed from June 30th to July 14th!

Source: COV Dev application webpage for this dev

[officedweller]

FRom BIV:

Delayed development

Main and Broadway is changing with the construction of an eye-catching presentation centre for the development that Rennie Marketing Systems has christened The Independent.

While signage is up for the project, planned by Rize Alliance Properties Ltd., the presentation centre for the contentious project won't open until Rize secures a development permit. With a height rivalling neighbouring two-storey buildings, the structure is already attracting feedback, however.

“It's garnered some very positive interest in the project, primarily from Mount Pleasant,” said Chris Vollan, vice-president, development, for Rize.

The community will get another chance to comment on the project at a Development Permit Board meeting originally scheduled for June 30. It's been deferred to July 14, the city said, to let people enjoy the Canada Day holiday.

Vollan expects the new date will ensure greater community input.

http://www.biv.com/article/20140624/...axing-question

[SFUVancouver]

Heard that it was approved by the DPB this evening.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Heard that it was approved by the DPB this evening.

Yes. Parking will be cut way down from 399 spots, not sure to what. The DPB was falling over themselves complimenting the building, so I heard.

[djh]

Delayed development

Main and Broadway is changing with the construction of an eye-catching presentation centre for the development that Rennie Marketing Systems has christened The Independent.

While signage is up for the project, planned by Rize Alliance Properties Ltd., the presentation centre for the contentious project won't open until Rize secures a development permit. With a height rivalling neighbouring two-storey buildings, the structure is already attracting feedback, however.

“It's garnered some very positive interest in the project, primarily from Mount Pleasant,” said Chris Vollan, vice-president, development, for Rize.

The community will get another chance to comment on the project at a Development Permit Board meeting originally scheduled for June 30. It's been deferred to July 14, the city said, to let people enjoy the Canada Day holiday.

Vollan expects the new date will ensure greater community input.
http://www.biv.com/article/20140624/...axing-question

Yeah, I went by that presentation centre yesterday. I couldn't believe it wasn't a proper development. The scale of it looks like a permanent building. I can't quite understand why so much work needs to be put into a structure that will only be needed for a few months.

In my estimation, that building will stick around for many many years. The site is pegged for a skytrain station when the Millennium/UBC line gets extended, isn't it? So I would guess that the landlord would love to keep the site occupied once the presentation centre usage is finished, until such time as they need to sell it to the skytrain line project.

[quobobo]

Amazing. I think an approval and less parking is one of the best possible outcomes here.

[red-paladin]

Presumably the whole rest of the property will be built out before the sales centre.

[SFUVancouver]

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Rize has a long-term lease for the Main and Broadway property; first for the sale centre and ultimately for construction staging for the build. The project site itself is very tight and the building is effectively zero lot line (not quite, but close enough), so either on-street staging (problematic on all adjacent streets) or the adjacent Main and Broadway corner site, or likely both will be necessary. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Broadway from Watson to Kingsway were to lose a lane during construction so that flatbeds and concrete trucks can pull up. The #9 bus stop would hop to the other side of Kingsway where the #8 stops and the #99 would either stay in place or potentially move to the west side of Main and share the #9 stop for the construction years. It will be inconvenient but do-able.

The lack of a construction management plan, which isn't required at the DP stage of a project, only the building permit stage, was a complaint raised by the public at the DPB. I was in attendance and spoke in favour of the building and added my opinion that the residential parking ratio is likely higher than it needs to be for such a well-connected location, and were the SkyTrain already to be in place, the proposed parking ratio would undoubtedly have been lower. I had to leave after giving my deputation, so I was not present to hear the Board's commentary and conditions. I wouldn't expect the minutes to be up for some time, so we'll just have to wait unless Frances Bula, who was in attendance, posts something on her blog.

I have to say that I was pretty impressed by RAMP's opposition. Most of their commentators were meticulous in their presentation, persuasively presented their position, and to a person they clearly were firm in their convictions and genuine in their concerns. I don't agree with their position, but they did a great job presenting their case. They had power point presentations, hand-outs, divided their speakers into distinct thematic areas. They had a lawyer raise legal questions about the DPB's legitimacy; another questioned how the DPB could review a project that had substantively changed from the rezoning, which is actually the point of the required design development between the rezoning stage and the DP stage; someone questioned the accuracy of the shadow studies and backed it up by taking photos of on the spring equinox and summer solstice and compared where the shadows fell in their photos with what is presented in the shadow rendering; someone raised questions about Brewery Creek running through the site; several raised issues with the Community Plan process and the semantics of the language in the document that was used to justify the rezoning; several spoke about their objections to the scale of the project and its aesthetics; one person, as noted, discussed the lack of a construction management plan at this stage; one person the tricky geometry of truck movements to access the loading dock (I agree this is going to be extremely tight); etc. They respectfully stated their positions, backed it up with as many facts as they could muster, and weren't satisfied with the process and the changing designs that left them flatfooted responding to designs that had already been changed. I disagreed with just about everything they said, and in a couple of situations the speakers were simply misinformed, but there wasn't the vitriol I was expecting.

[Jimbo604]

Vancouver Sun - Controversial Vancouver highrise moves closer to breaking ground Twenty-one storey tower conditionally approved by permit board By Bethany Lindsay, Vancouver Sun July 18, 2014

"A controversial condo development planned for Mount Pleasant is one step closer to reality after it was conditionally approved by the Vancouver development permit board.

Rize Alliance’s 21-storey tower at Kingsway and Broadway was given the green light after a meeting of the three-member board on Monday. The developer still needs to meet the board’s conditions and receive final council approval before it receives a building permit. ...

The project, named The Independent, has spent seven years moving through the city’s approval process and has sparked outrage from some Mount Pleasant residents. ...

Although full approval won’t happen until the fall, Rize plans to open a presentation centre at Main Street and Broadway in early September to provide previews for potential buyers. ..."

[subdude]

Mount Pleasant group files suit over proposed Broadway and Main high-rise

VANCOUVER - A Vancouver community association long opposed to a proposed high-rise on Broadway at Main is taking the city to court alleging the project hasn’t been properly approved.

On Wednesday the Residents Association Mount Pleasant (RAMP) said it filed a petition in BC Supreme Court last week asking the court to quash the development permit issued to Rize Alliance (Kingsway) Properties.

It argues that the project, as approved by the city’s development permit board on July 14, isn’t the same one that city council approved in 2012.

The group says the new application would allow Rize to build 258 condos in 21 storeys and provide 399 parking spaces, while cutting back the amount of commercial space first contemplated.

Following a lengthy and well-attended public hearing process, city council approved a project for 19 storeys, 241 units and 320 parking spaces, as well as space for a Mount Pleasant food coop.

But in July, 2013 Rize announced it had redrawn the plan, in part to resolve outstanding community opposition the project. It broke the development into five separate buildings and removed a tall second-storey commercial floor that created a wall along the street.

But the plan was still strongly opposed by some community members, who said it was such a significant change that it required another public hearing. Despite that, Rize took the project to the development permit board, which approved the plan.

The opponents say they are challenging the authority of the board to issue a permit “for a project with no enacted rezoning, that is materially different from that presented at the public hearing, and is contrary to Council’s rezoning conditions.”

RAMP noted its lawsuit follows on 14 other similar community or neighbourhood challenges to the city over other development projects.

Calls to the city for comment have not yet been returned.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/met...182/story.html

[quobobo]

Looks like the rezoning has been approved. Count me as one very happy Mount Pleasant resident.

[SFUVancouver]

What RAMP doesn't seem to get is that a project almost always evolves between the rezoning (RZ) stage and the development permit (DP) stage. Council approved the project at a residential-commercial mixed use program and a 19 storey tower-podium built form. After further refinement, the project was approved for its DP at 21 storeys - within the same height envelope as the RZ 19 storey height - and after the retail picture changed - the food co-op couldn't get its act together - density was reallocated from commercial to residential.

I'm not saying that the project is without its flaws, but the assertion by RAMP that the DP is null and void because it's a bit different than what was approved at rezoning is simply incorrect.

[logan5]

Those panels (on the Broadway side) that are on the presentation centre, I presume are the same panels they are going to clad the tower in? Anybody?

[osirisboy]

So title change to approved now?