8495 Granville St (Safeway) | 59, 43M, 25M | 18flrs, 14flrs, 8flrs | Completed

[Login650]

Originally Posted by TwoFace

Since it's their site they can do what they want.
But it's nice for them to "allow" other development on their site as well.

You're right that they can propose what they want, but since they're applying to the city for rezoning, in the end they can only do what the city approves

I guess my question was, should the city approve a weirdly massed development (in my opinion) because Safeway doesn't want structural columns interrupting their grocery store floor plan? Given the number of grocery stores in the base of residential buildings, this seems to be a quirk of Safeway rather than a necessity of grocery store design.

Do we now design our cities around the quirks of retailers?

[SpongeG]

i think they want to keep the low rise feeling along granville and keep the residential to the quieter residential side

I can't imagine safeway is that in control of it they are just a tennant

[officedweller]

The rezoning passed - and your answer to why there are no condos above the Safeway store.

Towers approved for Marpole Safeway site
Residents seek long-term planning for Vancouver neighbourhood

By Cheryl Rossi, Staff writer
May 19, 2011

Rezoning to allow a 16-storey residential tower on the Marpole Safeway site on Granville Street passed at city hall May 17.

Only COPE councillors Ellen Woodsworth and David Cadman voted against the plan which includes a new Safeway closer to Granville, a 16-storey tower on one corner of the store, a 15-storey tower at the corner of West 70th Avenue and Cornish Street and a nine-story building on Cornish. Of 357 proposed residential units, 31 will be rentals.

Gudrun Langolf, president of the Marpole-Oakridge Area Council Society, which runs Marpole Place, says everyone she knows is excited by development on Granville, but “it’s how we do that that’s important.”

She remains unhappy about the height of the new towers. Some residents wanted Henriquez Partners Architects and Westbank Projects, the developer on behalf of landowner Safeway, to spread the residential units across the top of the grocery store so a 16-storey tower—first pitched as 24 storeys—wouldn’t be necessary.

But Gregory Henriquez said condos in a tower would sell better than second-storey suites fronting busy Granville Street, and Safeway wanted flexibility to update the look of its store in the future.

Langolf said Woodsworth and Cadman echoed residents’ concerns about heights in a traditionally low-rise area of the city, a lack of adequate community amenities and traffic congestion.

Some residents called for a community plan for Marpole before rezoning was approved. Langolf wants “more organic” planning with “active listening and not defensive crap.”

She called the director of planning Brent Toderian’s assertion that the 16-storey tower wouldn’t be precedent setting “barnyard droppings.”

Langolf said some residents have become attached to the idea of Safeway providing a library with the redevelopment, but she isn’t sure whether it could be large enough to work.

She argued nothing in the development’s design references the nearby Fraser River or Musqueam heritage.

“I’m hoping we can change that,” she said. “Because it’s stupid to be right at the beginning of Vancouver when you come in from Arthur Laing [Bridge] and you just see a residential highrise that’s nondescript.”

Henriquez wouldn’t comment on possibility of including such elements in what he called early stages of design.

He expects the redevelopment to be complete in three years.

crossi@vancourier.com

© Copyright (c) Vancouver Courier

[squeezied]

great news!

[vancvrman]

Cheryl Rossi's May 19 Vancouver Courier article about the Marpole Safeway redevelopment says Gregory Henriquez expects the redevelopment to be complete in three years.

Can it be completed that fast?

The Development Permit Application has yet to be posted on the site. I'm guessing the Marpole Safeway would probably shut down at the end of 2011.

[SpongeG]

the development sign came and went already

[vancvrman]

Really?

I live in the area and the only sign I've ever seen posted there was the Rezoning Application.

[SpongeG]

they had a sign up that showed what was getting built

[jlousa]

vancvrman is correct, the rezoning has been approved but no development permit yet. The development permit is usually the easier step and shouldn't be difficult to obtain on this project. If G. Henriquez said completion is expected in 3yr then I'd do with that. Definitely doable if work starts ~yr end. I would imagine that Safeway would want to be back up and running well before any new supermarket at Marine and Cambie opens and before anything happens to Oakridge which would affect the Safeways business there.

[SpongeG]

i can't tell the difference between signs anyway only seen them in passing

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i can't tell the difference between signs anyway only seen them in passing

A simple way to tell at a glace what the signs are for is this: the white ones are development permit applications and the yellow ones are rezoning permit applications.

[SpongeG]

never knew that

why are surreys green? lol

[b8er]

first post. great site!! just wondering what people think about the rental units going for around 2 bux per foot? so a 485sqft place for around a grand? in MARPOLE!? 900 or so sqft 2 bedroom for around 2 grand... i sorta can't believe it. i grew up there and it really needs the shot in the arm (and more!) but i can't imagine anyone paying that much to rent there...

[logan5]

More rental units are needed to satisfy demand.

It seems like a few neighborhood activists have city hall terrified and keep production of new housing at a snails pace and in turn keep prices high.

I can't wait to move into my new condo on Cambie St.

[b8er]

Oh of course! I have no problem with more rental units! just the price as agreed upon being called "market value." Here's the quote from the rezoning report: "The provision of market rental apartments under the STIR program is consistent with Council policy encouraging more affordable housing in all areas of the City." They will be the most expensive rentals outside of Yaletown or West-End penthouses... Not sure who that helps. It's just more sanctioned and rushed inflation.

[vancvrman]

Update: A 2-man crew was at work on the sidewalk at Granville and West 70th this morning surveying for the new curbs and gutters necessary for the coming Safeway redevelopment.

The rezoning has passed and the rezoning sign has been removed. I wonder when the Development Permit Application is going to be posted?

[jlousa]

Here's the latest info regarding the development permit

Notification Letter
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...th/notiltr.pdf

Contect Plan and Data
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...textpldata.pdf

Site Plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...0th/sitepl.pdf

Street Elevation Plan 1
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...0th/steles.pdf

Street Elevation Plan 2
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...elevations.pdf

Landscape Site Plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/develop...capesitepl.pdf

[LeftCoaster]

Looks good, can't remember the details from before, are there any major changes?

Its too bad Westbank couldn't arrange to include the bank on the corner, would have really helped the design and the Granville frontage. Oh well I have faith in the rest of the development... and 3 FSR in that area is nothing to get upset over.

[phesto]

^It would've been nice to see RBC included back in a new redevelopment. I'm just guessing, but the potential loss of the drive-thru ATM might have been a factor as it is quite popular there and usually has at least 2 or 3 cars waiting.

I guess a lot of Westside folk don't like to get out of their luxury cars and walk 20 feet...

[vancvrman]

UPDATE: The Development Permit Application signs are now up at the Marpole Safeway site.

I wonder when construction is likely to start? In the Spring of 2012, perhaps?