The Exchange | 115.7m | 31fl, 13fl | 400,000sqft. | Completed

[Echowinds]

I personally wonder how they can get the vines go all the way up the tower.

[Prometheus]

It is unfortunate that the ugliness of Jameson's south side will still be very much exposed.

Originally Posted by Built Form

All pix by Built Form

[LeftCoaster]

From straight south yes, but that is not a very common angle, from the street it will be quite hidden.

Also I think the height on this one needs to be updated, according to the diagrams it will be 130m to the top of the screen, which I would say is most certainly an architectural feature. Thoughts?

[red-paladin]

Presumably another tower could eventually be built in place of the remaining two properties.... eventually.

[smho]

After a long while, there's finally a policy report that will be going to council regarding the rezoning application that includes a recommendation to turn the northwest corner into a diagonal to improve the livability of some units in Jameson House.
http://former.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/...cuments/p2.pdf

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by smho

After a long while, there's finally a policy report that will be going to council regarding the rezoning application that includes a recommendation to turn the northwest corner into a diagonal to improve the livability of some units in Jameson House.
http://former.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/...cuments/p2.pdf

That is the most irrational, illogical and contradictory staff report I have ever read.

The Staff Report's Premises:

- "the Central Business District is extremely important to the City’s long-term economic strategy."

- "after extensive research and analysis, the [Metro Core Jobs and Economy Study] revealed that there was an anticipated 5.8 million sq. ft. shortfall in commercial capacity in the Downtown and that zoning and policy changes would be required to meet Vancouver’s long-term (30-year) job space needs."

- "rezoning of the remaining, viable commercially zoned sites in the CBD to maximize their job space potential is fundamental to Council’s objective of closing the 5.8 million sq. ft. gap."

- "to ensure continued economic vitality and competitiveness of this centre of commerce, longstanding planning policy in the CBD restricts residential development in favour of commercial uses and increased job space."

- "Area B [the Credit Suisse Site] forms a key part of the Central Business District."

- "there are no formal guidelines or policies established for tower separation between residential and office commercial uses."

- "there are no requirements for Horizontal Angle of Daylight (HAD) performance criteria."

- "there are a number of comparable residential and commercial buildings of similar or lesser dimensions of tower separation within the Downtown District."

- "the applicant was concerned and continues to have concerns about modifications to the tower floor plate, given the need for the office space to be appropriately configured to compete with other commercial buildings in the CBD and given the challenging economics and viability of downtown office development."

The Staff Report's Conclusion:

Therefore, we recommend the City accommodate the complaints of a group of residents who chose to live in the heart of Vancouver's commercial district, and who have absolutely no legal or policy grounds for their complaints, and force the jobs space-creator Credit Suisse to reconfigure and reduce the floor plate of its commercial building in the heart of the commercial district, thus imposing further business costs, reducing needed job space, and threatening the economic viability and competitiveness of this important commercial project. Because this is, like, totally consistent with the above-stated policy goals and the economic vitality of the Central Business District.

Outrageous.

[BodomReaper]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

That is the most irrational, illogical and contradictory staff report I have ever read.

The Staff Report's Conclusion:

Despite all of the above, we recommend the City accommodate the complaints of the residents of Jameson House living in the heart of the Central Business District and force Credit Suisse to reconfigure and reduce the floor plate of its building, imposing more costs, reducing job space, and making the building less economically viable and competitive.

Outrageous.

Simply astonishing, even by the standards of this city...

Two questions come to mind:
A) Will council pass this feat of logical contortionism? (probably yes, and without debate)
B) If so, would it spell the end for this great project?

Well, some consolation (if you could call it that) is that demand for space in the core will probably collapse thanks to the NDP, allowing the proponents to shelve it and come back in 10 years to a more rational staff/council...

[trofirhen]

Outrageous. Maddening. Unreal.
I think I speak for some others when I say that about this issue. WTF, if people don't like office towers, DON'T GO BUYING HOUSING IN THE CBD!!

This would appear to be only rational, and common sense, but in Vancouver ......

And jerking around the Credit Suisse tower design to please them ... what a way to show business professionalism. ha!
Welcome to Vancouver, where a four-lane road becomes a "major highway" or such ... mamma mia ....

[nova9]

Seriously, some of you on here have the strangest sense of hyperbole. And Trofirhen stop jumping on every emotion and every sense of outrage - you're not getting the full picture of living in vancouver from these drama queens.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by nova9

Seriously, some of you on here have the strangest sense of hyperbole. And Trofirhen stop jumping on every emotion and every sense of outrage - you're not getting the full picture of living in vancouver from these drama queens.

+100

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by nova9

Seriously, some of you on here have the strangest sense of hyperbole. And Trofirhen stop jumping on every emotion and every sense of outrage - you're not getting the full picture of living in vancouver from these drama queens.

Drama queens? who, please? This sounds a rather annoying issue, ready to muck up what seems rather a good office project. (the Credit Suisse building)
..... and excuse me for "jumping on every emotion of outrage" .... but there is a thing called freedom of expression, whether we like what is expressed or not. Thank you.

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

+100

OK OK, but is that to reinforce the remark against my statement, or a way of saying that this is not really a big deal?

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Drama queens? who, please? This sounds a rather annoying issue, ready to muck up what seems rather a good office project. (the Credit Suisse building)
..... and excuse me for "jumping on every emotion of outrage" .... but there is a thing called freedom of expression, whether we like what is expressed or not. Thank you.

Yes and he has the freedom of expression to express how it annoys him that you need to comment every time anything happens in Vancouver about how much of a hick town it is.

When was the last time you lived in Vancouver again? Forget that when was the last time you even visited?

It may be smaller and somewhat anti corporate but a hick town it is not. I would never use the word hick to describe anything to do with Vancouver. Frankly most hicks would probably be insulted you compared them to the uppity latte sipping liberals of Vancouver.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by nova9

Seriously, some of you on here have the strangest sense of hyperbole. And Trofirhen stop jumping on every emotion and every sense of outrage - you're not getting the full picture of living in vancouver from these drama queens.

While there may be a little hyperbole regarding the changes to this particular project, I'd say it is warranted in terms of the precedent this report sets for CBD development.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Yes and he has the freedom of expression to express how it annoys him that you need to comment every time anything happens in Vancouver about how much of a hick town it is.

When was the last time you lived in Vancouver again? Forget that when was the last time you even visited?

It may be smaller and somewhat anti corporate but a hick town it is not. I would never use the word hick to describe anything to do with Vancouver. Frankly most hicks would probably be insulted you compared them to the uppity latte sipping liberals of Vancouver.

Excuse me. I didn't think I had used the word "hick" or "hicktown" in this post, anyway. My intention was not to INSULT anybody, but rather, to point out how certain elements (and no, I don't have a label for them) always seem to put the brakes on things, and mess things around: a bit like the real viewcone zealots, and the "jet-pack" people who don't want cares in the city, that's all.

[Prometheus]

Back on point:

There is no hyperbole in pointing out that the conclusions of this report stand in direct contradiction to city policy.

That policy, which the report fully acknowledges, states:

a) That maintaining the integrity of the CBD is fundamental to the future economic competitiveness of Vancouver;

b) That job space in the CBD should be maximized at every opportunity;

c) That residential development is subordinate to commercial development in the CBD; and

d) That the guidelines regarding tower separation outside the CBD do not appy within the CBD.

Without any compelling reasons or precedent, the report recommends that the city set aside every single point of its own policy. Where a residential project should be subordinate to a commercial project, the report recommends the reverse; where job space should be maximized, the report recommends its curtailment.

The report's conclusions are clearly illogical and incongruous with established, sound policy.

If anyone has anything substantive to say on the issue, as opposed to hurling false charges of hyperbole, then by all means do so.

[jlousa]

People are making a problem where one doesn't really exist. This tower can be built while following the cities proposed recommendations. These recommendations would've already been discussed with the developer involved. They do not make the project any less feasible then it already was. Sure it's not an ideal situation for either party but no project ever is, there is always compromise.

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by smho

After a long while, there's finally a policy report that will be going to council regarding the rezoning application that includes a recommendation to turn the northwest corner into a diagonal to improve the livability of some units in Jameson House.
http://former.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/...cuments/p2.pdf

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Without any compelling reasons or precedent, the report recommends that the city set aside every single point of its own policy. Where a residential project should be subordinate to a commercial project, the report recommends the reverse; where job space should be maximized, the report recommends its curtailment.

The report's conclusions are clearly illogical and incongruous with established, sound policy.

• Video Link

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by jlousa

[The recommendations] do not make the project any less feasible then [sic] it already was.

That is not necessarily true at all. The staff report itself acknowledges that the developer continues to have concerns about the economic viability and competitiveness of the project with the suggested reconfigured floor plate.

Allow me to quote from the staff report:

the applicant was concerned and continues to have concerns about modifications to the tower floor plate, given the need for the office space to be appropriately configured to compete with other commercial buildings in the CBD and given the challenging economics and viability of downtown office development.

You can't just sit in the safety of your cubicle and declare that having to adopt a more awkward floorplate and reduce the amount of job space on almost every floor has no effect on the value of a commercial tower. That's absurd on the face of it.

[Metro-One]

How about in return, this city allows them to add 10 more floors

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

How about in return, this city allows them to add 10 more floors

That's cruel.

It's even more sad when you consider that under the city's policy for higher buildings, this site actually calls for a tower of 600 feet, in the absence of the viewcones.