4545 West 10th Avenue - Second Enquiry (Archived Link)One does not have to be an expert at ranking well… pretty much everything, to know that out of all our city’s retail nodes, the West Point Grey Village is suffering the worst. As a UBC alumni myself, I watched that decline everyday for years as store... Continue Reading →
April 27th, 2023 Public Hearing – Intergenerational Memories Renew Vancouver’s Cedar Heart
Public Hearing – April 27th, 2023 With the grey dreary skies, and chill in the air, it hasn’t really felt like spring this year, which thankfully the weather forecast suggests should change this Thursday. However, this evening won’t offer Item #1 any reprieve, as this mix of market, and below-market rental homes remain limited by... Continue Reading →
Plans To Renew The Jewish Community Centre Cakewalk Through The Urban Design Panel
950 W 41st Ave (DP-2022-00208) - Jewish Community Centre Phase OneOne might imagine securing commitments for tens of millions of dollars in federal, and provincial funding would be the biggest challenge the Jewish Community Centre's expansion and renewal would face. Of course, If there’s anything Hannah and I have learned since we attended its open... Continue Reading →
An Unneighbourly Bicycle Blockade Stifles Vancouver’s Youthful Ambitions
5812-5844 Cambie St (DP-2022-00210)Five years ago, when Hannah and I first attended an open house for a proposal at this site across from the Oakridge Centre, what we saw looked very different from today. Since then, the anger some felt about these changes has dissipated once the Cambie Corridor Plan’s Third Phase was approved in... Continue Reading →
July 12th, 2022 Public Hearing – Vancouver Neighbourhoods Stand To Gain Over A $100 Million From Loopsided Trades
Public Hearing – July 12th, 2022Update: July 14th, 2022 - Thanks to the reporting of Denise Ryan, we have learned the reason why Item#2 was justifiably removed from this agenda, and you can read about this building's complicated past here.As city council scrambles to find dates to hear the remaining public speakers on several controversial... Continue Reading →
July 7th, 2022 Public Hearing – A $26 Million Community Face-lift Helps Calm Vancouver’s Identity Crisis
Public Hearing – July 7th, 2022It’s not as bad as flushing a toilet on a live stream, however our city council must be embarrassed by how Tuesday’s meeting ended. Too many ignored the mayor’s warnings to stay at their computers, with their webcams on to maintain quorum, bringing the night to an immediate end before... Continue Reading →
July 5th, 21st, & 28th 2022 Public Hearings – An International Union Blooms As Parkside Residences Face A Local Blockade
Public Hearing – July 5th, 2022Update: As the July 5th meeting lost quorum during Item #5, it has been removed from the agenda, and will be forced to start over on July 28th. As for Item #6, it will continue as normal, and begin at 6pm on July 21st.With the news that the Broadway Commercial... Continue Reading →
Expo Garden’s First Step Forward Earns A Warm Response Despite City Engineer’s Great Failure
750 Pacific Boulevard (DP-2021-00830) - Block A (Phase 1), Expo Gardens (Plaza Of Nations)I imagine spending seven years locked in a legal battle with your neighbour might make anyone feel colourful, especially if it involved a 10.2-acre waterfront property worth $800 million. Yet, I never expected the Urban Design Panel’s latest review of the Plaza... Continue Reading →
Urban Design Panel Recommends Open Heart Surgery For Vancouver’s Landmark Art Gallery
688 Cambie St (DP-2021-00171) - (Vancouver Art Gallery)Even reaching this Urban Design Panel review could be seen as a win for the plans to build a new Vancouver Art Gallery, as it’s been six years since its pre-application open house. That doesn’t account for the time spent searching through 12 locations before this site was... Continue Reading →
May 24th, 2022 Public Hearing – The Heather Lands Shared Vision Renews A Community Relationship
Public Hearing – May, 24th, 2022 With over 130 speakers left to hear from on the Broadway Plan this week, I assume city council are grateful to whoever scheduled the Heather Lands as the lone item for this public hearing. With an election in the fall, they had to be seen as doing something, and... Continue Reading →