Scot Bathgate continues his search for newly defined Vancouver neighbourhoods:
Check out the cool old grittiness on Western, Central, Southern and Northern Avenues – basically behind the southeast corner of Main and Terminal, continuing on from the new Brewery district. (Google map here.)
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These old buildings and warehouses could be restored into funky artist’s quarters and lofts, creating Vancouver’s mini version of Red Hook (Brooklyn) or Williamsburg. These areas should be preserved and restored to create a rough versus refined neighbourhood instead of monotonous new condos.
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Imagine some of the lots could be used for pocket parks or community gardens (if the soil isn’t contaminated). Huge funky potential in this area.
I’ve noticed the film industry loves using these buildings in their current condition lol.
If there is ever to be a streetcar line from Arbutus to downtown, with a spur to Yaletown and Downtown South, as documented in city plans and policy, the service yard will almost certainly need to be located at this site. If it goes to artists– another worthy use– the transit option would be foreclosed.
As one of the few remaining industrial districts in Vancouver it seems reasonable (at least to me) that this bit of the Eastern Core should be protected for continued manufacturing/service uses which may be neither trendy nor funky… though as the area on the other side of Main continues to build up, it feels inevitable that this little stretch will see increased hipster potential leading to full on “degritification”.
Artists have been living and working in this area for years. Shhhh…don’t tell anyone or they’ll soon be out on the street as the rents will climb and City inspectors get called in to evict. Leave it alone so some organic and unfettered life, businesses and arts can remain.
The City has historically opposed residential use on the Flats in favour of industrial use and the jobs (and taxes) that result. i.e. the former Grand Trunk Railway Station / Tech Park site was proposed to be the site of live work studios in the 1990s (I think) but that was rejected by the City.
The only authorized residential on the Flats proper are now in the Centre for Digital Imaging (part of BCIT). A GNW Campus hotel for 525 GNW was also approved in 2011, but I’m not sure if that is in the Digital Imaging building or another not-yet-built project.
There’s also a social services facility in one of the pics (i.e. shelter?).
There used to be a group of hipsters that played baseball on one of the side streets in that area. Never quite figured that out…I guess they thought it was a cool place to hang.