Here is a first baby step towards the redevelopment of the Jericho Lands, former military base. Certainly, this is the highly symbolic first marker (logos and all) that the new quartet of owners have put upon the land. With a lot more to come.
A kindly person waited nearby with her dogs while I lined up this shot. We had a short conversation about the upcoming huge development project, and she was most concerned about the fate of the beautiful curving stand of trees visible in the upper RHS of my photo, and railed against massive condos. Let the community consultation begin.
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I’m willing to bet that the height and scale will be less than if the site were in other parts of the city, like that planned for Broadway Commercial or in development at Marine Drive and Cambie.
If the Broadway subway gets the go ahead, then density could and probably should be quite high. Development cost levies could pay for a station and a portion of the line. This is also a huge opportunity to make a walking and cycling centric community with the major feature being a grand walking and cycling parkway from 4th and Highbury to the SW corner of the property near 8th Ave and Crown. This would greatly improve the cycling access to UBC and would provide a great safe and convenient walking and cycling facility for the residents of the community. Also, it could connect very nicely with the Point Grey/York bike route. Davis, California has a good model for such a community. The central parkway would branch out into smaller parkways on which all the buildings would front. A totally separate road grid would connect to the rear of all the buildings. With this model, the walking and cycling network would be completely removed from the road network. Here is an example from Davis: https://goo.gl/maps/3FW6e It is a single family housing neighbourhood but is a good model for any community.
Perhaps we might see a return to nature, a living, functioning Salish Village, a restoration of the rain forest with giant cedars someday, medicine plants and places to forage, occupied by healthy people with a moral view of the biosphere. Why more of the same development destruction of the planet? A return to the First Nation Ways would be a fitting transformation for this symbol of occupation.
Dream on. Maybe some cedar siding so they 12 story tower can be called “Cedar Gardens” or “Rainforest Emeralds” or s.th. like that …
The “first” nation way exists only in remote regions. It is not doable in cities.
Give a successful example of this, please. Surely, if it can be done, it’s been done. Somewhere, no?
My guess is “Son of Oakridge”.
And at least one of the owners (Canada Lands @ 50%) is highly unlikely to forgoe the huge payday that could come from urban developments.
I agree with Arno.
I strongly suspect that Broadway Subway plans already include a Jericho Station, which in turn will affect the nature of development. The Prov Gov’t owns the large adjacent Jericho School property and might jump on the Jericho Lands development bandwagon. Perhaps this station will help persuade them to contribute a part of the Broadway Subway’s costs, to be recouped from Jericho School land development profits.
yes, Broadway @ Alma .. 2 blocks from Jericho lands .. but subway is currently only planned / suggested in MetroVan’s mayors’ proposal until Arbutus. Maybe by 2030 or more likely 2040 we will see it go all the way to UBC … although it should continue as a UBC loop to 41st and then back to SkyTrain and CanadaLine. Such a no-brainer for Vancouver.
Wow that`s an exciting notion. If they go big enough to get enough levies and CACs to extend the subway from Arbutus to Jericho, then it`s only a short skip away to UBC! If you’ve gotten the line all the way to Jericho, maybe the political capital could be found to extend it just a wee bit farther to UBC. That would be such a transformative thing for the city. Actually, just “going big” at Jericho would be transformative for the city. It would basically crack open Point Grey for middle income folks and really bring the west side of the city into the city. Right now it is an enclave.
Still, I can’t imagine wealthy Point Greyers will stand for any major densification on the site. They will go insane.
On the other hand, Point Grey isn’t exactly Vision’s base. Vision had to make a hasty retreat on density from Grandview Woodlands so not to anger their people. Point Grey isn’t voting for them anyways, so what do they have to lose?
http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2014/11/16/interactive-map-shows-you-how-your-vancouver-neighbourhood-voted/
Pretty mixed neighborhood with wealthy greens, NPA and liberal voters .. a real mish mash. Recall that David Eby defeated the Premier in that riding in May 2013 and that the current MP is Liberal. Plus the land is native I thought ? Do local residents’ opinions matter anyway in densification discussions ?
In terms of scale, I’m willing to bet it will be more like SEFC than Oakridge, with more integrated and less formal open spaces. A beer, Ken and Arno?
The Jericho Lands are not your lands unless you belong to the Musqueam, Squamish, or Tsleil-Waututh Nation.
“Canada Lands always aims to create projects that highlight a site’s historical tradition for future generations of Canadians to enjoy.” CLC Website
“Historically the forebears of the First Nations buyers have lived on this parcel of land for centuries. The village of Ee-almough was on the shore of English Bay nearby within living history and expropriated without remuneration in the last century.” John Blenkiron
Every First Nations settlement in the lower mainland consists of single family homes and often a community long house.
All you descendents of Europeans need to stop speculating and betting on what will happen to these lands less you give someone the idea of a destination casino! Not your land anymore!
AFAIK, the Jericho Lands are not to be traditional First Nation land, or added to their reserves. As a part of the ownership deal, FN agreed to this, and agreed to abide by City of Vancouver zoning. Further, Canada Lands (a Federal Crown Corp) owns 50%, with 3 FN owning the other 50%.
More detail here. http://www.vancouversun.com/business/commercial-real-estate/Huge+land+deal+opens+tracts+Vancouver/10252565/story.html?__lsa=fd30-cd02
My guess remains “Son of Oakridge”, with a Broadway Line station incorporated into its heart.
Where “first” nations really first ? See here, for example: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleo-Indians
I thought this land, now called BRITISH Columbia was conquered by the British 200+ years ago ?
Jeff – the First Nation’s plans for the south end of the Burrard Bridge includes a number of very tall buildings, as do the plans for the First Nation lands at the north end of the Lions Gate Bridge.