It’s likely to be this. It’s also one of the coolest: it doesn’t even need to be heated.
.
As more and more small housing units get built, demand for mini storage units goes up – and small businesses use their services as well. Some of the existing buildings that meet the need for storage are also disappearing, especially Downtown. So the new buildings that are being developed are getting bigger – but none as much as this 8-storey design by Christopher Bozyk for a small site on the north side of Powell Street near the railtracks.
interesting…do you know exactly where this small site north of Powell Street is?
It’s here http://changingcitybook.com/2013/11/29/829-powell-street/.
Gord’s link doesn’t work.
Some municipalities distinguish in their zoning between “storage” i.e., warehousing, and “mini-storage”, trying hard to accommodate the former and dissuade the latter from taking over. Not so Vancouver. Storage in its broadest terms is still an outright use in Vancouver, and up to 60 ft in height, I think.
These buildings are designed with minimum floor to floor heights (hence 8 storeys in 60 ft.). Unfortuantely, I don’t think either the designers (in this case a very good one) or more importantly the client/operators are thinking about ultimate adaptive re-use to, say, working and/or living. I think this approach should be encouraged as more and more of these things come along in our cities.
Last and not least, Powell Stret is being totally pre-empted for mini-storage facilities, none of whic hwill have another life in the future. A vey poor use of industrial land.
agreed Frank! Do we really need more storage spaces in such a valuable location? A poor use of industrial lands indeed…
Check the height of the 3 storey building next door to this project in the picture – this one is a lot more than sixty feet. The zone limits height to 30.5m – that’s 100 feet high. It looks like this uses all that height allowance and the full 5 FSR the zone permits. As to the use – where should people, and small distribution businesses, keep all their ‘stuff’ if not in a big (interesting) box like this? If there wasn’t a need then mini storage would be empty and companies wouldn’t build any more of them. At least it’s not a low density set of single storey garage units on a two acre lot that you have to drive to in the suburbs.
Andy at ChangingCity – thanks for the factual correction. As for the opinion – meh. I agree with and respect Toby’s view about storage facilities like these being a waste of good workplace opportunities, he being a highly respected employer in the Strathcona community.
Thanks for the auspicious writeup. It in reality was once
a leisure account it. Glance complex to more added agreeable from you!
By the way, how can we be in contact?
Most likely this will be the most expensive mini storage facility on earth! Most self storage facility is located in more remote area because land are cheaper. Building one in the city? i think it is a crazy idea