How many is this? At least three above-grade garages have been demolished recently: Thurlow and Alberni, and two at Telus Gardens. Two or more are on the chopping block – a big one at Granville and Cordova across from Waterfront Centre in particular. And while some of the parking will be replaced by the underground garages, the developers have a huge incentive to keep the number down. It’s likely that little of it will be available for general use.
The latest one to transform is a garage on Seymour, between Georgia and Robson. The garage will be kept initially, but may also be converted. (An interesting exercise – if it’s worth the trouble.)
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To be replaced by this:
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From Novae Res Urbis:
Vancouver’s urban design panel gave unanimous support to a new office tower adjacent to the downtown Scotia tower, to be built over the existing five-level, above-grade parkade. The garage, which serves the Scotia tower and Vancouver Centre underground mall, will be masked by a flared “rake expression.”
However architect Mark Thompson told the panel that some of the parking could be converted to office uses in the future.
“The 540-odd parking spaces are underutilized,” he said, noting the presence of a SkyTrain station below Vancouver Centre, and “the change in attitude since the Olympics. We believe that trend is either going to stay like that or continue.”
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It’s also good to hear the Musson Cattell Mackey rezoning would include retail uses at grade, to replace the lifeless street frontage on the right:
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The proposal also set off an interesting comment stream on Frances Bula’s blog here before it decayed into another TransLink bashing fest.
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UPDATE:
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The plans filed with the City do not provide for retention of the existing parkade structure – i.e. since the existing structure does not have six levels of underground parking.
http://former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/753seymour/index.htm
Presumably, the newly built 4 levels of above grade parking are the ones that would be convertible to office space.
Also, the plans show one “retail kiosk” together with a long office lobby fronting a plaza. The loading entrance has been moved south to be adjacent to the Vancouver House driveway shown above, so the L-shaped driveway now used by London Drugs for loading will be replaced by a dead-end, making movements for Future Shop and London Drugs deliveried more difficult. See page 5 of the floorplans at the link above.
“rake expression”? This looks more like post-911 deconstructionism.
Architecture aside, does anybody know how this application earned a density of 15 FSR rather than the CBD ceiling of 9? Further to this, anybody know the last time ANY development in the Downtown peninsula stayed within density rules?