The Ultimate Vancouver Rumour Thread!

[VanCityDeveloper]

I understand there will be further potential change coming to the Marine Drive Corridor as it is my understanding there will be a public open house for initial community engagement in mid-October in respect to Fraser & Main

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by officedweller

From my engineer friend -

Latest concept for 1133 Melville:

• 132m to top roof slab
• 143m to top of roof windscreen.

UPDATE:

From the same friend - rumour has it that SOM has been replaced by KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox) as architects for this Oxford project.
Note that Oxford also used KPF for MNP Tower, so maybe there'll be more design than an efficient box..

To be confirmed.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by officedweller

UPDATE:

From the same friend - rumour has it that SOM has been replaced by KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox) as architects for this Oxford project.
Note that Oxford also used KPF for MNP Tower, so maybe there'll be more design than an efficient box..

To be confirmed.

Thanks for the info.

Let's hope Oxford has also changed its mind about the short height and doesn't waste one of the last remaining sites with no view cone restrictions.

[Joat]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Now that summer is wrapping up we'll start hearing about the next round of developments.
Without saying too much...
Rumour has it that there will be a proposal for a new office tower, the name of which will end with the number 6. It will not break any height records but will be significate in sqftage.
There will be another rumour of a proposal that could include a 750ft building in an area that only allows for 300ft. It most likely will not be allowed, but it will probably end up higher then current zoning. We probably won't see any physical movement on this proposal soon but it'll be a huge development that will vastly alter the downtown landscape.
There are a couple other developments in the works as well but it's shaping up to be a pretty quiet 2014 (relative to yrs past) for new proposals.

Originally Posted by jlousa

I won't be giving an more info on the potential 750ft building as it could jeopardize the proposal. I suspect we'll here about it by year end, or spring/14.

Still can't comment more on this one yet?

[Dylan Leblanc]

http://www.vancouversun.com/fine+mic...952/story.html

This Sun article has Jon Stovell of Reliance Properties saying his company is planning a 30 storey tower with extensive amenities such as study halls, dining halls, boardrooms and bike repair shops. Possibly a micro-loft development like others the company has done

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by jlousa

I won't be giving an more info on the potential 750ft building as it could jeopardize the proposal. I suspect we'll here about it by year end, or spring/14.

Ok, its Summer / 14. Whats the story?

As for 1133 Melville, there sure is a large boom of office buildings happening right now, mainly with the LNG boom primed to require some office space. That said, 1133 Melville would be far down the line to actually reach construction, so if it ends up being a disappointing design, then it is entirely possible that it won't see the light of day for another decade... plenty of time to revise height up closer to its full potential.

That said, Vancouver's skyline density is only going to get more amazing... height or no height.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Mininari

As for 1133 Melville, ...

Apparently the design is now glass curtain walled with a floorplate of intersecting parallograms, if I recall what my friend said correctly.

[jlousa]

Things are delayed until after the election, like I mentioned it was bound to be chopped down in height and it has. Still spectacular though.

[Genauso]

FYI: Vancouver's election date is Saturday, November 15, 2014.

(I also wanted to know about the new building to replace the old downtown post office site, across Georgia St from the Central Library. So I looked up the election date and I'm going to forget about it until winter.)

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Things are delayed until after the election, like I mentioned it was bound to be chopped down in height and it has. Still spectacular though.

Good to hear; I can live with a vague 'spectacular' right now. Can you comment on whether it will 'stand above' the table top at least? In anycase, good to know there are some more tall towers to look forward to and that we aren't built out yet, as per the view cones.

Also good to be back close to the action in Vancouver; always something to keep an eye on when I hop across the Strait for a visit!

[Henbo]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Can't comment, but you wont have to wait too long.

While we're at it, any more word on the mysterious "origami" building proposed beside 'The Landing' downtown? It was originally mentioned in the 'Downtown Vancouver Updates' page back in December

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Henbo

While we're at it, any more word on the mysterious "origami" building proposed beside 'The Landing' downtown? It was originally mentioned in the 'Downtown Vancouver Updates' page back in December

Still very much alive, but no news. Early stages can be slow going.

[Prometheus]

And let's not forget the mystery Gillespie tower (to go behind First Baptist Church), renderings of which elicited "gasps of awe and excitement" from an audience in San Francisco.

And this was pre-West End Community Plan, which now allows 60 storeys on that site. But you have to wonder how a tower on this site can be reconciled with the city's 80-foot tower separation guideline, since Patina surely cannot be more than 40 feet away.

[Tommyrey]

http://www.outofthedark.ca/

As a resident of Azura 2 across from George Wainborn park, we were sent a link to this website about a 50 story building proposed for 1450 Granville that would be built on the land previously set aside for non-profit housing. The residents are starting a petition drive but I am wondering how realistic this zoning change is.

[officedweller]

Yeah, that' the Vancouver House "twin" site for the "Granville Gateway" approved in the Higher Building Study a few years ago.

It's one of only a few sites in the City pre-approved for extra height.

It went through public hearing etc. way back in 2010.

Vancouver House is the first of the 2 towers.
Even if the 2nd tower is retained as a social housing site - it will still be tall.

Seems very much to be a fear mongering website, too.

Here's the Public Open House Presentation:

http://former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/...esentation.pdf

[LeftCoaster]

Yeah as far as I know the site is a done deal.

As an aside that is one of the worst websites I have ever seen. If you are going to argue against a development at least provide a somewhat professional looking argument with some semblance of truth to it. Their current website looks like an april fools prank.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Their current website looks like an april fools prank.

Mostly because their massing diagram shows a tower extending up from the lot lines - which would never happen.
They have on pic of a model showing a typical floorplate, but tall, and the difference is night and day.

[logan5]

Has there been an actual proposal? And when the heck is the Pattison development gonna start?

[spm2013]

...

[Hot Rod]

425 is extra height?