Pre-Existing Disease COVID Economic Stress Uncovers Longstanding Vulnerability in Vancouver RE Market

We’re pleased to announce we’ve completed a major project to reprocess the entirety of the Building Department and Permits and Licensing Department’s architectural drawings collection in our holdings. Birks Building, lobby and staircase elevations, 1912. Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-0002: LEG2285.00242 The drawings depict the entire range of structures built in the city in the 70 or so years from the institution of the building permit application process to the early 1970s. The series also includes original drawings created by Building Department staff in the fifteen years or so up to 1936, during which time the Department was responsible for design and renovation of buildings for City use. “Old City Hall” (425 Main Street) floor plans for alterations to make the council chamber. Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-2038: LEG2285.33315 Pretty much every kind of structure that was built in the City, other than single family homes, is represented in the collection. There are retail buildings of every kind, including a wide variety of buildings related to cars, including dealerships, repair shops and gas stations: Perspective rendering of the Johnston Motors service station, 9-15 Kingsway Avenue, 1944-1945. Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-1089: LEG2285.23455 There are industrial buildings and complexes, the full spectrum of manufacturing buildings, and transportation infrastructure: Elevations and sections of the New England Fish Company wharf, North foot of Gore Street, 1919. Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-0258: LEG2285.18979 There are hotels, apartment buildings, and conversion of single-family homes to rooming houses: Elevations of the Huntingdon Apartments, 1155 Gilford Street, 1941. Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-0606: LEG2285.09820 Du Mont Auto Motel, 3090 Kingsway, 1946? . Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-1132: LEG2285.25644 There are private and public hospitals, including almost the entire history of Vancouver General Hospital buildings up to the early 1970s: McGill Block, 800-block West 10th Avenue, 1914. Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-1962: LEG2285.01836 Dozens of files depict structures in city parks, including 43 files for structures in Stanley Park and the Zoo alone: Elevations and sections of Malkin Bowl, Stanley Park, 1934? . Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-0163: LEG2285.06444 Elevations of the bear grottos, Stanley Park Zoo, 1960? . Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-1721: LEG2285.20325 There are entertainment venues, such as sports and recreation facilities, theatres and movie houses: English Bay Pier, 1925. Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-0778: LEG2285.15909 There are schools across the City built for all three School Boards: Hastings Elementary School, 1912? . Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-0087: LEG2285.18365 There are public buildings of many types, including a number built at and for the Pacific National Exhibition, and featuring a number of rides and other Playland attractions: Space Tower, elevations and sections, 1968. Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-1932: LEG2285.22599 There are churches, assembly halls, legions and social clubs: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 1925. Reference Code: COV-S393-1-AP-0514: LEG2285.02185 These records were transferred to the Archives in the 1970s, as a result of the Permits and Licensing Department microfilming the records and disposing of the originals. Most of the drawings came into the custody of the Building Department and its successor, the Permits and Licensing Department, as supporting documentation for building permit applications. After issuing the permits, the department seems to have separated the drawings from the remainder of the file, issued them a new file number and in many cases, accumulated drawings from multiple permit applications to form a new filing system by property. Files for properties owned or used by the City often include drawings created by the Building Department itself, added to drawings by outside firms. For industrial and other sites with multiple buildings, drawings of the various buildings were often aggregated into one file. In most cases after 1912, the permit number the drawings were originally associated with was written on the back of the outer drawing of the roll, likely to allow tracking from the drawings back to the original permit file. The reason for the separation of the drawings from their original files is unknown, though it is likely that the drawings were set aside for future reference if later permit applications were made for the building. From what we can tell, this collection did not as a rule include drawings of single-family homes, as it seems that that the Building Department either didn’t retain them after the building permit was issued or systematically purged them at some point before microfilming. As Vancouver did, the municipalities of Point Grey and South Vancouver had their own Building By-laws and building permitting and inspection administration. With the amalgamation of the three municipalities in 1929, building permit application records from the southern municipalities were integrated into the files of the Vancouver Building Department. These files were often then labelled as Vancouver Building Department records, and Building Department file numbers added to them. Most of these drawings do not have South Vancouver or Point Grey permit numbers on the back of the drawings, as it appears these municipalities did not repurpose submitted drawings in the way Vancouver did (and still does). Reprocessing the files has allowed us to correct and in the majority of cases, make significant additions to the file level metadata and conduct a comprehensive review of access restrictions. The descriptions have been transcribed from the Reading Room card catalogue, corrected and expanded, and uploaded to the AtoM database where they are now fully-searchable by researchers. One significant addition to the metadata is links to all identified records creators. Over 900 architects, engineers, contractors, signage companies, federal and provincial government departments, departments in all three municipalities, decorators, equipment suppliers, and companies in various industries are linked

We have access to a new peer review thanks to the ATIP prowess of Andrew Koltun. This one is for the Automation Tools on Privately Sponsored Refugee Applications Automation Tools on Privately Sponsored Refugee Applications The Automation Tools on Privately Sponsored Refugee Appliations – Peer review completed GAC Here is the Google Docs link for those who are looking on their cellphones and cannot see the preview. While I am still reviewing (and incorporating this into a presentation I am giving on Friday), my initial thoughts are that this is consistent with my concern of pro forma peer review summaries being provided by IRCC as part of the AIA process. On behalf of AIMICI, I wrote a brief earlier this week today where I raised that as public stakeholders we would like to see what Global Affairs Canada actually said, rather than what IRCC’s summary was. This is probably the most favourable (with almost no criticism) peer review I have read to date.   The post Another Peer Review We’re Making Public: Privately Sponsored Refugee Automation appeared first on Welcome to Vancouver’s Immigration Blog.

A couple of blocks of Seymour Street developed into the ultimate shopping desination (if you were popping out to buy a truck). Federal Motors, and GMC Trucks were on the next block to the south, and International Motor Trucks put their showroom here, on the 1100 block. Built in two phases, International moved here in 1927 when the expanded from their smaller premises at the north end of the same block, on Davie Street. The initial building was the northern (right hand) half, seen in this 1927 Vancouver Public Library image. According to the permit it was developed in 1926 by Mr. J. E. McAllister at a cost of $8,500. Charles James McAllister was born in Wiarton, Bruce County Ontario in 1869. He became a blacksmith, and arrived in Vancouver around 1891, initially working for the CPR. He worked on East Hastings, initially we think for John McAllister, another blacksmith who had The Columbia Carriage Works there. It seems likely they were related, and Charles lodged with John when he first arrived. Charles married Ellen Percival in 1898. She was born in Manitoba but lived in Vancouver from 1887. They had a daughter, Elva, in 1899, and a son, Clarence in 1903. In 1905 they were living on this site at 1145 Seymour in a house that Charles had built a year earlier (just visible on the edge of the 1927 image). In the 1911 census Charles was still a blacksmith. In 1921 E J McAllister got a permit to carry out repairs and raise the house. Charles J McAllister was still shown living here in the street directory, and in 1928 was president of McAllister Spring Co, (based in 1162 Seymour) and still living here, as was his son Clarence, who worked with him. We’re not sure if there really was a J E McAllister who owned the premises, and almost certain there was no E J McAllister (at least, not in any street directories) but Charles J McAllister lived in this location for over 20 years before the garage was built. Whoever developed the garage probably hired Bedford Davidson to design and build it. If not, they copied the other garage designs Mr Davidson was resposible for in the area. The house at 1145 Seymour had rooms to let between 1927 and 1931, which is when we think it must have been replaced by the extended showroom. By 1933 when our main image was taken, the building had been doubled to 100 feet wide. Charles McAllister died in 1956 at the age of 87. His obitiary noted that he owned McAllister Spring Co for 45 years, having set it up when he stopped working for the CPR. International Harvester Co moved into the building at 1135 in 1927, and were listed until 1950. United Upholstery moved into the building in 1951, and were here until 1957. In 1958 a new bowling alley was announced; Norman Loomer was going to spend $15,000 on remodelling the premises and installing the equipment. He already had Seymour Recreations at 1105 Seymour, and when Loomer Lanes opened in August they allowed both 5 and 10 pin bowling in ‘the most modern lanes in Canada’. In 1964 they were the Holly Lanes, but by 1967 Budget Office Furniture had taken the space, and was here to the mid 1970s, but by 1975 Dorwell Office Equipment had taken over, and by the early 1980s it was the Furniture Division of Williams and Mackie. Today it’s part of a twin tower strata project called Brava, designed by Hewitt and Kwasnicky, and developed by Onni and Amacon in the early 2000s, completed in 2005. On this part of the street there are townhouses, but the Vancouver International Film Centre run the theatre to the south that’s part of the complex. Image sources; City of Vancouver Archives CVA 99-4547 and Vancouver Public Library 1420

You may have heard that City Council is contemplating a planning process to revitalize Granville Street downtown. This idea was first floated a couple of years ago, and is a positive move. A draft Terms of Reference was discussed by Council on January 18 of this year, and there will be further debate coming up this week. While we’re generally supportive of the initiative, we feel that the scope of the proposed work could be bolder. From our perspective, the current approach is constrained by two key factors: an unnecessarily limited geographic scope and the need for a stronger, more comprehensive and unified focus on the role of the street as a central public space. With this in mind, we’re sharing seven key suggestions that we thing would improve the proposed Terms of Reference and result in an improved planning process for this important public space. (1) Expand the Granville Street study area so that it stretches “shore to shore” across the Downtown Peninsula As currently envisioned, the proposed planning area covers the five block stretch between Robson Street and Drake Street. This area coincides with policy geographies set out in the Downtown Official Development Plan (DODP) dating from 1975. Given the prominent role that Granville Street plays, the various urban design and transportation considerations at play, and the way visitors and residents actually use the street, we feel this insufficient. In our opinion, the current focus on the entertainment district would be better served were it to be part of a study area that spanned the full 12 blocks between Granville Square and the Granville Bridge. This would allow for a more integrated consideration of critical rapid transit connections, an assessment of the existing (2009) public realm treatment (which needs to be refreshed), the inclusion of other large rezonings (the Bay, Granville Loops), not to mention the broader public life opportunities that come with treating the street ‘as a whole.’ The street has a number of different character areas, but what makes it exciting is the opportunity to make them work together. We note that the original Council motion (referenced on page 2 of the report) directs staff to deliver “a scope of work and budget for a future planning program for Granville Street Downtown.” This pan-peninsula scope is important. (2) Bring special attention to key intersections While the idea of a promenade is important, one of the important features of Granville Street downtown is its centrality on the downtown peninsula. Intersections are key punctuation marks in the sequencing of the street – ones that invites a pause, curiosity, decision, transition and more. They are also, functionally, linkages to and from other key areas – such as Robson Square, the civic facilities of Georgia St, the Davie Street Village. A larger geography allows for more attention to be put on these core intersections, and suggests the possibility of developing more substantial connections (and related public realm connections) to nearby amenities. Public space is a network – so let’s ensure this program approaches Granville St. with this sort of ‘systems’ thinking. (3) Ensure laneways are included as part of the planning effort While the focus of the planning program will be on Granville Street, there is a further opportunity to bring additional focus and attention on improving laneways in the study area, turning these spaces into vibrant people places. Some important initial work has been undertaken by the DVBIA and others, but this planning program could accelerate this work in a more comprehensive fashion. How can these sizeable areas – often overlooked because of their secondary functions – be enhanced and better integrated into the fabric of the downtown? Done strategically, this could enable additional programming opportunities for restaurants and cultural spaces, or provide additional seating or gathering opportunities. The scale of these areas – often more intimate than the city’s main streets – makes them an important opportunity. (4) Consider Howe/Seymour transit opportunities An assessment of opportunities for Granville Street would be further strengthened by incorporating Howe and Seymour into the conversation. During the lengthy construction of the Canada Line, these streets effectively took over bus routing functions that were normally on Granville. As was noted during the Council discussion, there is only a limited right-of-way on the street. This brings a related challenge in establishing priorities – is the street a bus “mall” or a pedestrian promenade? A space for moving people, or a place for people to linger, gather, spill out of cultural facilities? It is difficult for the street to do both without needing to make compromises. Can we be bolder here? Perhaps it’s time to think about the role of Granville as part of a network of key pedestrian primary streets – in the same vein as current thinking about Water Street, Robson, and other key areas. (5) Ensure public space is the central focus of the Terms of Reference It was encouraging to hear staff recognize Granville Street’s long and storied role as a significant public space in the city. Looking forward, a focus on ensuring the highest quality public realm and a thoughtful activation of the street will be critically important. In our opinion, and given the array of tools that the City has at its disposal, there is a need to better centre the role of public space and public life in the present Terms of Reference. While public space functions are named in a number of

Oxford Properties has submitted their rezoning application for 11 East 4th Avenue, a 24,185 SF site at the northeast corner of East 4th and Ontario Street in Mount Pleasant. The proposal for the site is to allow for the development of a 8-storey mixed-use industrial building and includes: 78,000 SF of office/lab space; 78,000 SF of industrial space; 6,800 SF of ground floor retail space; a total density of 6.70 FSR; and A building height of 146 ft. This application is being considered under the  Broadway Plan. The site was acquired by Oxford in 2021 for $30,500,000, or $187 per buildable SF based on the application. The architect for the project is Chernoff Thompson Architects. The full rezoning application can be viewed here: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/11-15-e-4-ave The post Oxford Unveils Plans for Mount Pleasant Commercial/Industrial Project appeared first on Vancouver Market.