Two new commercial spaces have opened recently in the West End, reflecting a subtle but noticeable change in a community where the retail environment has become rather tired. A new generation is arriving, and the clientele is demanding something different.
First, Greenhorn – an espresso bar with a light menu that occupies a storefront at 994 Nicola @ Nelson, part of a triplet of stores left over from the Days Before Zoning.
The drycleaner has been there in some form since … well, I forget, maybe the 1970s … but the other businesses have languished or turned over. The block survives only because of what’s called ‘grandfathering.’ There must be a continual commercial occupation or the underlying zoning reverts the use to residential, preventing the issuance of further business licences.
Makes no sense, of course, because this sort of mixed-use function is exactly what good planning calls for these days. But because there is no offstreet parking, it wouldn’t be allowed in this form today. So it’s captured at a point in time, and as a result the rents are lower than they otherwise could be if rebuilt to contemporary codes.
In which case you’d get this:
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This is the latest outpost of local roaster JJ Bean, in what used to be called Maxine’s Hideaway, a Mission-revival block with a very chequered history (as told by Miss604 here.) When the City gave permission for the rental tower now called The Alexandra under the STIR program, heritage advocates bemoaned its loss to façadism and critics the excessive bonuses, but the results aren’t bad (thanks to a deft touch by Henriquez Architects, who have considerable experience in the West End, discussed here.)
In addition to the perfectly placed patio, the interiors reflect JJ Bean’s willingness to go beyond the usual Starbuckian palate for coffee bars:
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The exterior touches on The Alexandra also bring some needed panache to the block at Davie and Bidwell, which hasn’t seen anything eye-catching since, well, Maxine’s, c. 1915.
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It doesn’t change the fact that the only true heritage of Maxine’s left is approximately six inches of exterior wall.
As to Greenhorns, its about time, Why hasn’t the current council removed the requirement of offsite parking in this kind of situation? It’s ridiculous for this kind of neighbourhood retail.
Every two story or three story building in the west end ought to be destined for re-development to 40+ stories to create more affordable housing. retail on the ground, next 2-12 floors subsidized rental housing, housing for the disabled, seniors, mothers with kids, the homeless, next 10 floors cheaper condos to buy, then 20+ floors of higher end market housing. That would solve homelessness, affordable rental housing and affordable ownership in a hurry.
Keeping land, 2 blocks from an ocean on one of the world’s most expensive real estate, undeveloped or grossly underdeveloped in not how one solves a city’s affordability or homelessness problem !
One way to force this redevelopment is to up the property taxes on those properties, as land with 40 stories is worth more than land with 3 stories.