Uncategorized

We looked at an image of the Empress, and her next-door neighbour, the Phoenix, in a post we wrote six years ago. Then we saw a horizontal slice of the buildings, but this Archives image from 50 years ago shows the full vertical extent of a tall building on a 25 foot lot. The $90,000 construction was developed by L L Mills, and designed by his brother-in-law who worked in Independence, Kansas, and who almost certainly got the job because he was married to Lyle’s sister, Emma. Lyle Le Roy Mills was born in the US, in Iowa, and in 1912 when he obtained the permit for the building he was 43. His wife Elsie was from originally from Sweden, shown in the 1911 census as three years younger, (although actually three years older). They had married in Seattle in 1904, and were living in the West End with an extended family; Lyle’s mother, Margaret who was 85 was living with them, and Elsie’s mother, Carrie Swensen, and her sister, Ellen. Lyle’s brother, Oscar and his wife Cora were also living at 1967 Barclay with their children, Oscar Le Roy, 13, and Earl Van, 11. Oscar worked as a barman at what was described as the ‘world’s narrowest tallest hotel’ when it was built. Lyle and Elsie had married in Washington state in 1904, and it wasn’t Elsie’s first marriage as she was recorded then as Elsie Anderson. After a few years Mr Mills ran into problems. In 1916 it was alleged that a young woman stayed at the hotel without registering. On the strength of the allegation (which was never tested in court), Mr Mills was threatened with the loss of his hotel licence. Mayor McBeath, and the City’s Licence Inspector held the view that the board could arbitarily cancel a licence. They suggested that if he wanted his day in court, Mr Mills could always appeal. Lawyers appearing for Mr Mills initially persuaded other board members that they could only cancel a licence after a conviction in police court, but a temporary suspension was agreed Unwilling to drop the case, the board launched its own inquiry, and called the girl to give evidence. She admitted staying with two men for two nights without having registered. Detectives said that they had seen the girl leaving the hotel, and the hotel clerks were called and confirmed she was not registered. But they also stated that they, and Mr Mills, did not know she was staying, and they were under instructions to not allow unaccompanied women to use the hotel rooms. The lawyer for Mr Mills throughout the proceeedings objected that they lay beyond the board’s powers, and that there was no proof (or accusation) that Mr Mills knew of the woman’s presence. Just as the board were about to debate suspending the licence, Frank Lyons, the lawyer, produced writs claiming damages against the board members for usurpation of powers, and an injunction preventing them from suspending the hotel licence. “Remember that I am telling you now that you have no power, no authority, no right; your action is unfair, improper, illegal, unjust.” The mayor wasn’t willing to back down, and by the summer of 1917 the case was in the Supreme Court, where Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper was representing Mr Mills. (He was a former conservative politician, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General for Canada). There had also been something of a PR disaster for the hotel, when a sensational case arose concerning the death of Mrs Nora Cowan. She fell – or jumped – from a fifth floor window, and died as a result. The circumstances filled the papers for days. A coroner’s jury handed down an open verdict after hearing that Mrs Cowan (married to a soldier serving in Europe) had met Vernon Cole (a married man with a wife and children) and after several drinks in the hotel had appeared to have had too much alcohol, and had been taken to a room usually occupied by one of the hotel barmen. A doctor (a friend of Mr Cole) had seen she was asleep, and she was left alone. Mr Mills had briefly interacted with the party, as he was a friend of Mr Cole, but there was no suggestion of any inpropriety on his part. Nevertheless the mayor used the episode as another reason for the removal of the licence, and this time the board agreed. Sir Charles Tupper declared the board’s actions to be illegal, as they had determined to remove the licence and then tried to find grounds to support that position. There was a week’s delay in the appeal to the Supreme Court while the mayor was unavailable, on a trip to Winnipeg, and a week later when the mayor was again unable to attend as he was on holiday in Calgary. Eventually Justice Murphy held the hearing, and having heard extensively from Sir Charles Tupper (who continued to denounce the board for depriving the hotelier of his $200,000 investment with no direct evidence of any wrongdoing), he nevertheless determined, a week later, that the board could suspend or cancel the licence as they saw fit, without having to follow the normal rules of evidence or procedures of a court. Six days later Walter J Robinson, a baliff, was offering the contents of the hotel to meet a debt of $1,450 against Lyle L

The Vancouver Sandwich Challenge was a success featuring creations from restaurants around greater Vancouver. Each restaurant featured their sandwich creation from September 20 – October 13, 2024. Our media judging panel determined the ultimate winners of the challenge, and this was quite the task as each judge who tasted each creation with a rigorous process based on taste, originality/uniqueness and presentation/appearance. The Winners are: 1st Place (TIE) : {108 points} Pizza Rubato Napoletana Panuozzo alla Mortadella Price $14 Created by: Duman and Ilaria Description:  Made with our “00” flour dough, this sandwich aims to bring back the classic mortadella sandwich and spice it up with some Rubato creation and trademarks. As always, we try to create something unique, where a mixture of flavors combine and explode in your mouth, while never compromising the quality of the ingredients we use. Despite the fact that mortadella has a strong, distinctive flavor, we balance it all out with the saltiness of pistachio and sea salt flakes, the creaminess and sweetness of stracciatella, and the spiciness of hot honey.  Ingredients:  Pistachio Pesto Sauce, Mortadella, Stracciatella, Crushed Pistachio, Chili Infused Honey, Sea Salt Flakes, Olive Oil. All wrapped in our fresh dough made with only the finest “00” flour from Italy. Available: all the time Offered: for dine-in, pick-up and delivery options are available besides dine-in.  Pizza Rubato Napoletana 561 W. Broadway, Vancouver Tel:(604) 909-0773 Web: https://www.pizzarubato.com/ Instagram @pizzarubato 1st Place (TIE) : {108 points} Food by Fanta My Favourite Sandwich  Price: $23 Created by: Chef Parinya and team Description: My Favourite Sandwich starts with a ciabatta bun spread with our zesty herbal pesto. We top it with smoked Montreal beef, Brie, mozzarella & Gruyère, red wine braised onions, drizzle of curry mango jam mixed with honey mustard and diced dill pickle. After a quick toast, we add sliced house pickled green beans and finish with crispy rice for the ultimate bite. Served with fries seasoned with Tom Yum seasoning and Sriracha mayo & honey mustard dipping sauce. Ingredients: herbal pesto (Thai basil, cilantro, thyme, Russian garlic, pine nuts, almonds, lime juice, lime zest, parmesan, Thai chili), Montreal Smoked Beef, Brie Cheese, mozzarella cheese, Gruyère cheese, curry mango jam, honey mustard, dill pickle, pickled green beans, and crispy rice. Available: Lunch and dinner Offered: dine-in, takeout and delivery Food by Fanta 20542 Fraser Hwy #107, Langley Tel: (604) 427-0166 Web: www.FoodbyFanta.com Instagram @foodbyfanta 2nd Place : {89 points} Stega Eatery Sandwich Al Pastor Price: $14.40 Created by: Mariia Minohina and Enrique Taracena Pacheco Description: Sandwich al Pastor opens with the exquisite scent of fresh ciabatta, enhanced by exotic notes of roasted pineapple. The fragrant annatto seeds of the Caribbean exude facets of earthy citrus, peppers, and sweet seduction for your palate and your palate only. Ingredients: House mayo, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, chicken al pastor, roasted pineapple, cheese on ciabatta. (Dairy Free, Gluten-Free alternative available) Available: All the time Offered: In-store and take-out Stega Eatery 301 W Cordova, Vancouver Tel: (778) 839-8088 & 1778 Colombia, Vancouver Tel: Web: https://www.stegaeatery.ca/ Instagram @stegaeatery 3rd Place: {76 points} Jamila’s Afghan Cuisine  Ugly Afghani Sandwich Price: $12.99 Created by: Malik Description: One of our carefully created menu item is ugly Afghani sandwich, we have taken it from different angle with crafted flavour of ground meat, marinated with Afghan spices and pan cooked with fresh little green peppers and onions, placed in homemade Afghani bread that will blow you away, Ugly Afghani Sandwich comes with choice of beef or chicken. Available: all the time Offered: dine and take out Jamila’s Afghan Cuisine  2586 Commercial Drive, Vancouver Tel:(604) 620-7686 Web:https://thejamilas.com/ Instagram @jamilas_afghan_cuisine_ In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Sandwich creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge. The Winners are: 1st Place People’s Choice: Food by Fanta My Favourite Sandwich  Price: $23 Created by: Chef Parinya and team Description: My Favourite Sandwich starts with a ciabatta bun spread with our zesty herbal pesto. We top it with smoked Montreal beef, Brie, mozzarella & Gruyère, red wine braised onions, drizzle of curry mango jam mixed with honey mustard and diced dill pickle. After a quick toast, we add sliced house pickled green beans and finish with crispy rice for the ultimate bite. Served with fries seasoned with Tom Yum seasoning and Sriracha mayo & honey mustard dipping sauce. Ingredients: herbal pesto (Thai basil, cilantro, thyme, Russian garlic, pine nuts, almonds, lime juice, lime zest, parmesan, Thai chili), Montreal Smoked Beef, Brie Cheese, mozzarella cheese, Gruyère cheese, curry mango jam, honey mustard, dill pickle, pickled green beans, and crispy rice. Available: Lunch and dinner Offered: dine-in, takeout and delivery Food by Fanta 20542 Fraser Hwy #107, Langley Tel: (604) 427-0166 Web: www.FoodbyFanta.com Instagram @foodbyfanta 2nd Place People’s Choice: Pizza Rubato Napoletana Panuozzo alla Mortadella Price $14 Created by: Duman and Ilaria Description:  Made with our “00” flour dough, this sandwich aims to bring back the classic mortadella sandwich and spice it up with some Rubato creation and trademarks. As always, we try to create something unique, where a mixture of flavors combine and explode in your mouth, while never compromising the quality of the ingredients we use. Despite the fact that mortadella has a strong, distinctive flavor, we balance it all out with the saltiness of pistachio and sea salt flakes, the creaminess and sweetness of stracciatella, and the spiciness of hot honey.  Ingredients:  Pistachio Pesto Sauce, Mortadella, Stracciatella, Crushed Pistachio, Chili Infused Honey, Sea Salt Flakes, Olive Oil. All

Jordi Honey-Roses, Silvia Casorran Martos, and Xavier Matilla, warmly greeted the British Columbian planners as we approached the intersection of Carrer de Roc Boronet and Carrer de Sancho Avila—ground zero of the first Superilla experiment. As mentioned in Part 9, the pioneering urban planning project focused on making the city more livable, sustainable, and community-centered— addressing modern environmental and social challenges. While earlier mobility plans laid the groundwork, the concept was included in the   2013-2018 U rban Mobility Plan (PMU) . However, it was under the Colau administration that the first pilot project was launched in El Poblenou. The city sought to reduce car dependency and prioritize sustainable transport like walking, cycling, and public transit, while expanding limited public and green spaces in the densely populated city. The core concept reorganizes parts of the city into “superblocks,” clusters of nine city blocks that restrict car traffic to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and green spaces. Interior streets are closed to through traffic but remain accessible to residents, emergency services, and deliveries. The aim: to reduce noise, pollution, and accidents while creating more public spaces for walking, playing, and socializing. The first experimental Superilla was in El Poblenou—where we now stood— a neighborhood undergoing transformation as the 22@ Innovation District with a mix of residential and industrial spaces. The intersection where we sat offered the ideal setting for our hosts to explain the key elements of the pilot: streets closed to through traffic and converted into green areas, pedestrian paths, and public seating. This transformation followed a tactical urbanism approach—low-cost, small-scale interventions that tested new ideas and encouraged community involvement. This allowed the city to experiment with innovative solutions before making long-term investments, allowing flexibility and adaptability. Key elements of this transformation included: Restricted traffic access for residents and essential vehicles only. Expanded sidewalks and pedestrian zones. New green spaces for gathering and socializing Dedicated cycling paths, for safer, non-motorized transport safer. In keeping with an evidence-based approach, the City and Honey-Roses gathered and analyzed data immediately after its implementation to assess effectiveness. It wasn’t perfect —conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles arose, However, perfection wasn’t the goal—learning was. Despite initial imperfections, the Poblenou experiment quickly showed clear benefits: reduced air and noise pollution, fewer accidents, and increased public space usage by the local community. These were in line with Barcelona’s goals. It needed to evolve. Remarkably, the next iteration didn’t take place in the same area. Though the transformations in Poblenou were “unrefined,” the community’s attachment to them was so strong that they largely remain to this day. Some areas, like Carrer dels Almogàvers, continue to be improved as a new pedestrian axis, and new public spaces, such as Plaça Isabel Vilà, have emerged. The next Superilla experiment was set in a higher-profile location:  around the iconic Sant Antoni market designed by Antoni Rovira i Trias in 1882, at the other end of the Eixample. Here, the Superilla concept transformed into something even more ambitious—moving to its second three stages. We hopped on our bikes… *** Other pieces in the Barcelona Chronicles : Part 1 – Introduction Part 2 – Cerdà and Colau: Two Key Figures Part 3 – The Barcelona Housing Policy 2015-2023 Overview Part 4 – Defining Affordable & Social Housing Part 5 – Supplying Affordable Housing Part 6 – The 30% Measure and Others Part 7 – Vancouver v. Barcelona – Foundations Part 8 – Barcelona v. Vancouver – Strategies Part 9 – The Eixample and the Superilla Part 11 – The Superilla…Evolved Part 12 – Vancouver v. Barcelona – Urban Design Part 13 – Reflections on Two Cities ** Erick Villagomez  is the Editor-in-Chief at Spacing Vancouver and teaches at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning. The post The Barcelona Chronicles: The Superilla Pilot appeared first on Spacing Vancouver.

Specializing in Vietnamese fusion this new restaurant located in the East Village neighbourhood is owned by Chef Kevin Nguyen who has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry.   Chef Kevin moved to Vancouver 3 years ago from Saigon, Vietnam and has worked at some of the cities finest restaurants before opening his own. Over a couple of visits I have had a chance to explore much of the menu and my favourites were the Truffle Crab Spring Rolls; Lemongrass Chicken Skewers; Crispy Chicken Fried Rice; Saigon Caramelized Tuna that is served with vermicelli and herbs; the Caramelized Assorted Vegetables – Rau kho quẹt is a large serving of cut-up veggies that included steamed King oyster mushroom, carrot, gailan, green bean, cabbage, yellow pepper with a tasty caramelized vegan dipping sauce;  The Beef Pho – Phở Bò is one of their star dishes here with a flavorful broth, it has a 24-hour beef bone broth, brisket, rare beef, Pho noodles served with basil, cilantro, and beansprouts. I also loved the Creme brûlée iced coffee; and had their unique Tamarind coffee jelly drink as well as the Mango Papaya Salad; The Vegan salad rolls (2 rolls) served with peanut sauce; and the Banana Brownies with avocado whip and ube coconut ice cream. The Saigonvile is located at 2129 E Hastings Street in Vancouver. You can follow them on Instagram @thesaigonville  By: Richard Wolak

It’s all about the best sourdough pizza and more at this new East Van pizzeria. The amazing crust that gives the pizza a chewy texture and a delicious base to the creative toppings and crusts that co-owners Chef Steven Che and his partner Jan Natividad have put together at their pizzeria. The menu features Classic and Adventurous pies, and some of those are plant-based as well, they have covered the gamut. We tried 3 different pizzas, a classic and two adventurous along with both salads and it was all so good. They also feature a few different flavoured crust options as well as dips.My favourites of the pizzas that I tried were both Adventurous and the combinations are incredible: In Brussels – (adventurous) – garlic white sauce, mozzarella, roasted brussels sprouts, caramelized onions, candied seeds, balsamic glaze, rosemary honey, lemon zest, fresh garlic, parmesan (on their Sesame & Rosemary Honey Crust) Manak-ish – (adventurous)tomato & white sauce, mozzarella, spiced impossible beef, pepperoncini, caramelized onions, roasted potatoes, chili oil, pomegranate molasses, cilantro & parsley (on their Olive Oil & Zaatar Crust). You can’t go wrong with the classics either especially if you have this one which is all about mushrooms. Fun Guy – (classic) garlic white sauce, mozzarella, roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions, fresh garlic, parmesan, fresh parsley, a touch of balsamic. They also have salads and I thought that both of these were great. Kreamy Kale Salad – creamy garlic dressing, candied sunflower & sesame seeds, shaved parmesan, dried figs; and the Sweet & Sour Roasted Cabbage Salad – charred cabbage, sweet vinegar dressing, toasted sesame seeds & cashews, cilantro. I can’t wait to return for a couple more of my favourite Adventurous pizzas as well as to try some more of their pizza pies. Just Pizza is located at 1629 Kingsway in Vancouver. You can follow them on instagram @justpizzaplease  By: Richard Wolak

The morning was overcast, but the mood was bright as our group of visiting BC Planners emerged from the Metro station into El Poblenou , Catalan for “new village.”  It was a special day. We had ventured beyond the typical tourist spots into the southeast of the Eixample to learn about Barcelona’s innovative Superilla —or “Superblock”—initiative. This wasn’t just any tour. It was a walk-and-cycle Masterclass led by an all-star team: Jordi Honey-Roses, Research Professor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Silvia Casorran Martos, Sustainable Mobility and Urban Transformation Advisor and Xavier Matilla, Chief Architect of Barcelona (2019-2023) and Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, who played a pivotal role in the creation and evolution of the Superillas. It truly was a special day. To understand the Superilla initiative, however, we first need to revisit the Eixample’s history and evolution. As covered in Part 2 of the Barcelona Chronicles, its revolutionary design was created by Ildefons Cerdà in 1859. It features a unique grid pattern of octagonal blocks, designed after extensive analysis of factors Cerdà believed would improve urban health and quality of life for its citizens. In contrast to the narrow, winding streets of Barcelona’s Old City, the Eixample’s wide, straight avenues intersect at right angles. This grid was meant to ensure equal access for everyone and accommodate the rise of automobiles and public transit. Cerdà’s chamfered corners—cutting the block edges into octagons—enhanced visibility, traffic flow, and safety, while increasing sunlight and air circulation. In fact, it is said that the grid’s structure and orientation were designed to take advantage of the main winds. Nothing was left to chance. His vision aimed at better design and social equity, creating spaces that benefited all classes, not just the wealthy. The “manzanas,” or blocks, were designed to include housing, commerce, and industry, fostering balanced, self-sustaining communities. Each block had a central open courtyard to provide residents with sunlight and fresh air, and building heights were controlled to maintain this. Buildings that were too tall would undermine the public good.  Analyzing the conditions of the working class, who could not afford to rent healthy homes, Cerdà developed strict housing criteria that addressed hygienic, social, economic, and political issues he deemed important. First, housing had to provide each person with sufficient sunlight and air. Second, each unit had to accommodate a typical family. Third, the creation of new housing had to be done without increasing rents. Finally, it needed to increase the number of house owners. To Cerdà, the overall result would be urban tranquility and public order. Although Cerdà developed different housing types to address a variety of income levels, the dominant building type developed was a 3-4 storey building type with a commercial ground floor, where building owners lived on the second floor, used the base level for their businesses, and rented the floors above. Each building also had a central light well, separate from the block’s central courtyard, ensuring sunlight and air for all residents. Cerdà’s original 3-4 story height limit changed over time. Buildings briefly reached 10 stories due to speculation, but this blocked residents’ access to sunlight and air. Casting shadows across public spaces for developers’ profits was rejected. As a result, most buildings today are 5-8 stories, creating a dense urban area with sunlit streets that everyone can enjoy and vibrant commerce. It’s worth emphasizing that the building types and their associated population density were—and continue to be—equally distributed across Barcelona. In contrast, North American planning practices historically regulated freestanding houses with low densities across the majority of the landscape, with higher densities focused in specific areas. This would have major consequences.  While urban squares were common at the time of Eixample’s design, public parks were not yet widespread. England’s Birkenhead Park, the first publicly funded civic park, had opened just over a decade earlier and had not fully influenced urban planning. So, although Cerdà reserved large areas for parks, they were never realized. Instead, the courtyards served as green spaces, similar to urban blocks in other European cities, particularly in the Netherlands. The Eixample’s flexible block structure allowed for various building types across neighborhoods, but over time, the courtyards were absorbed into residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Although the grid and its blocks provided a wonderful degree of freedom to the city’s organization and transformation, the city lost its many “green” spaces. Modern efforts have attempted to restore these spaces focusing on ecological and resident-friendly design, but much has already been lost. Two factors are key to understanding the Superilla initiative. First, as the city grew and modernized, Cerdà’s idealistic vision was compromised by the rise of car culture. The wide streets intended for pedestrians and greenery became overrun by vehicles. The open intersections, meant for traffic and social interaction, were converted into traffic-heavy junctions. The Eixample, like the rest of the city, struggled with congestion and pollution. Second, the courtyards that once served as open spaces were increasingly developed. This left a severe shortage of public green spaces, with today’s average standing at just 2 square meters per inhabitant—despite the creation of Parc de la Ciutadella and Montjuic . As awareness of the importance of green space grew, Barcelona sought solutions. The Colau administration’s people-first approach provided the political will to experiment towards improving citizens’ daily lives. The result? One of the most innovative urban experiments of the last decade: one that required a shift

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.

The Main Street part of this retail store and apartments (the part that’s in this image) were developed in 1910 by J B Mathers, who hired A J Bird to design the building, and C S Gustafson to build it. Mr. Mathers invested $30,000 in the building. Two years later he developed the Wenonah, a three-storey building a few blocks to the south, designed by W P White of Seattle. We looked at that building a while ago, and researched the developer’s history. He hired the same architect to add to the back of this building too, on East 8th. Mr. Mathers was from Ontario, born there in 1863. By 1895 he was a lumber merchant in Manitoba where he married Joanna Morrow, and they arrived in Vancouver in 1901. He became a financial broker, and accumulated property and directorships in the city. He built a brick and stone building on West Hastings in 1904, the same year as his West End house. By 1913 he was President of the Trustee Company of Vancouver, Ltd. and a director of an insurance company, a quarrying business, a cannery and the West Vancouver Land Co. He continued to own this building, with $4,000 in repairs in 1920. There were permits to him for $7,000 of repairs and alteratons in 1928 built by Mr. Howard, and two for $1,500 by Dixon & Murray and $1,325 by  A. B. Cushing Mills a month later. Mr. Mathers died in 1936 while visiting San Diego. There are a number of other images of the building in the Archives; in 1937 F W Woolworth and Co occupied the southern half (having first set up here in 1929), and G Percival, ‘Dry Goods, Ready to Wear’ had the northern half. By 1978 Woolworth had taken the whole store, as can be seen in our 1992 image. Today it’s home to a clothing store, 8th & Main, with 12 apartments on the upper floor. In earlier versions of the plan for Broadway and Main, older commercial buildings like this were limited in terms of their redevelopment potential. The arrival of SkyTrain along Broadway and new Transit Oriented Development requirements means this site is more likely to be redeveloped. Image sources: City of Vancouver Archives CVA 332-25 and CVA 99-5010 1416

Strand has submitted a new rezoning application for their site at 360 West 2nd Avenue, which was previously approved for rezoning in 2021 for a 7-storey for lease industrial and office project, branded ‘Three Sixty‘. Previously approved 7-storey office/industrial project. Office market conditions and the subsequent adoption of the Broadway Plan have led to design changes incorporating extra height, density and residential rental units, and removal of most of the proposed office space. The new proposal anticipates a 19-storey mixed-use building that includes: 203 rental units; 33,319 SF of industrial space; 16,424 SF of office space; a total density of 11.81 FSR; A building height of 211 ft. This application is being considered under the  Broadway Plan. The application requires  Official Development Plan (ODP)  and  Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) amendments. The architect for the project is Yamamoto Architecture. The full rezoning application can be viewed here: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/302-360-w-2-ave The post Strand Revises West 2nd Project to Include Rental Units appeared first on Vancouver Market.

This building was given a permit in 1903 as 171 Water Street, when Oscar Brown hired J M McLuckie to design and build a single storey warehouse.  His fruit and vegetable business moved in, and adopted 175 Water as the address. In 1913 the same company hired F H Rayner to add two more storeys. By that point Oscar Brown himself had much less involvement with the fruit and vegetable business that occupied the building. He arrived in Vancouver in 1899, aged 23, and was initially in partnership as Brown and McGregor. He had arrived from California, having been involved in the orange growing business in Riverside before moving here. He became sole proprietor after a couple of years, and retired to California having sold the business in 1913. Initially he had premises on the northeast corner of Abbott and Water Street, suspended on piles over the beach. He was an investor in other property, including a building on Powell Street (where we looked at his biography). In Vancouver he had health challenges, and was advised to return to a warmer climate, so moved to Santa Barbara where he died in a motor car accident in 1928, when he was 53. He apparently never married. US Census records say he had been born in Arkansas, (and when he died he had a sister living there, in the Ozarks), but his obitiary said he was from St Louis, Montana. In 1914 Richard Marpole was running the business (and hoping somebody picked up a pearl heart brooch lost on Hastings Street). A year later a french bulldog was lost here, answering to the name of ‘Chunky’. He was obviously returned, as Mr. Marpole was looking for him again in June 1917. Richards’s father, also called Richard, died in 1920. He left an estate worth over half a million dollars, including this building which was valued at $43,000. Two thirds of the estate was left to his son (with the other third in trust to his grandchildren). Richard stayed as president of Oscar Brown, but also had a coal business under his own name. In 1936 Oscar Brown Co operated from 165 Water (which we think was the store in this building, operating under a new street address), and the BC Coast Vegetable Marketing Board were in the upper floors, at 175. Harry Paterson worked for the board, which got into a dispute with Chung Chuck and Mah Lai of Ladner, who grew potatoes. He stopped the Chinese growers on the Fraser avenue bridge (baton in hand) and seized their potatoes, heading to a Vancouver warehouse for export (but not through the Marketing Board, who the growers found ‘unsatisfactory’). The courts granted an injunction preventing the Board from interfering in the export. In our 1973 image Gastown was being reinvented as a retail area, rather than a warehouse district, and the main floor had the Dresser Drawer Boutique, selling Mexican silver, hand-tooled leather and imported dresses and kaftans. It was replaced by the Calico Cat, a gift store. The office space upstairs was renovated in 1984, and today the store is Michelle’s Import Plus, selling souvenirs, t-shirts and gifts for the visitor market, while upstairs there are law offices and a finance company. Image source: City of Vancouver Archives CVA 1095-08060 1415