the-home-front:-exploring-vancouver-neighbourhoods-online-–-vancouver-sun
|

Exploring Vancouver neighbourhoods online

Bymichael

Get a feel for different communities without leaving home Published Nov 18, 2024  •  Last updated 47 minutes ago  •  3 minute read RealTours on location in Chilliwack visiting different homes for sale and exploring the neighbourhood. Photo by Supplied by RealTours Interested in poking around a Vancouver or Lower Mainland neighbourhood from the comfort of your laptop or phone? RealTours is a series of episodes hosted by Stephen Tadgh on the Canadian real estate platform REW, exploring areas like Vancouver, Port Moody, Coquitlam, Cultus Lake and Langley. Tadgh does the research and legwork to give home seekers — or those simply curious about an area — insight into what it costs to buy in these areas and more. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Vancouver Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Vancouver Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account or Article content “We wanted to capture the essence of what living in a place truly feels like from the perspectives of the people already rooted there. Each community is chosen based on a blend of current real estate interest, unique local character, and, of course, the demand from our audience who want to explore beyond the standard market metrics like price per square foot or available listings,” says Tadgh. Behind the scenes with Stephen Tadgh Tadgh created the first episodes of RealTours in 2022, mere months after moving to Vancouver from Ireland. As a new immigrant, he was naturally curious about Vancouver and surrounding areas. He wanted to look around. “Coming from Ireland, where community identity and storytelling are deeply embedded in culture, I connect to people through shared stories, not just places. That background has been instrumental in RealTours,” he says. The team researches each area’s local history, demographic trends and real estate data and then hits the ground to meet people who live there and find out about the local community and favourite spots, says Tadgh. They look at what real estate exists in the community if someone wants to buy today, and they don’t shy away from the potential ‘cons’ of living there. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Article content Article content “I am acutely aware of the optics of being an Irish immigrant who’s lived here for less than three years dictating how these neighbourhoods are immortalized on our screen. To present a sugar-coated version of these communities would be, in my opinion, a grave injustice,” he says. Pride and prices One of the biggest surprises for Tadgh is the sense of identity and pride people who live in these different communities have, he says. “It was very easy as a newcomer to group certain neighbourhoods together indiscriminately. Like Burnaby, for so long, it has been that area outside of Vancouver with the towers. But then you spend some time in Burnaby Heights and realize that there is a whole other vibe and history that exists there versus southern Burnaby or Metrotown.” Real Estate ownership in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland is, to put it politely, disheartening at the moment, says Tadgh. Something they’re trying to do with RealTours is show the diversity of homes available for home seekers interested in specific communities. “Want to live in Kitsilano but can’t afford the multi-million dollar listings by the beach? Why not take a look at the new stratified units made possible through zoning regulation changes?” he says. Article content How to use RealTours People can learn about an area’s past, present and future by referring back to these episodes, says Tadgh. “While we may not go back and visit an area for a number of years, the Guide on REW.ca can keep you informed about the changes in the community.” What’s next? “I’ve been told I’m not allowed to speak too much right now; however, all I’ll say is if you are in Alberta, Northern B.C. or the Okanagan, then I’d love to hear

‘it-feels-like-a-cash-grab’:-vancouver-residents-speak-out-against-broadway-plan-high-rise-development-–-ctv-news-vancouver
| | |

Vancouver residents speak out against Broadway Plan high-rise development

Bymichael

A group of Vancouver residents are speaking out against a proposed 18-storey high-rise development for W 14th Street and Yukon. “It doesn’t feel like the most appropriate thing for this area,” said Graeme Webber, a resident who lives in the neighbourhood. “It feels like a cash grab.” Signs in the neighbourhood posted on lawns read ‘Save 14th & Yukon’. The 100+ unit building was proposed as part of the city’s Broadway Plan to add more density along the new Broadway subway line. The neighbourhood currently boasts primarily detached homes or small apartment buildings approximately three-stories high. “Densification is important,” said Webber. “But it’s already a densely packed neighborhood.” Webber says he’s concerned that public services wouldn’t be able to handle an influx of residents. He tells CTV News that his son is currently on a waitlist to attend a nearby kindergarten. “As it is right now, we have to drive twenty minutes to get my kid to his elementary school,” said Webber. Eleanor Clark offered her support to the group, despite living several blocks away. She tells CTV News that another Broadway Plan development near Birch and 13th Street will eventually force her to move. “It’s happening everywhere,” said Clark. “I think they need to actually talk to people – talk to people that live in houses that are being destroyed, or four-story walk-ups that are being destroyed, and find out their stories and what it means to be displaced.” The Broadway Plan was approved in June 2022 and aims to transform a large section of Broadway into a second downtown. “I recognize change is difficult,” said Lisa Dominato, Vancouver City councilor. Dominato wouldn’t comment specifically on the development at 14th and Yukon, as the proposal still has to go before a public hearing, but she speak on the Broadway Plan’s vision. “We are trying to be responsive to what we’ve heard year after year after year is the issues of housing need, addressing the lack of the rental vacancy in the city, the inability to live here, to address affordability,” said Dominato. Dominato acknowledged that federal funding is needed to improve infrastructure, adding how City staff are currently reviewing the Broadway Plan and a new report is expected in the coming months. “We’re working collaboratively with the province, with the federal government to advocate for more infrastructure dollars to support the housing. They go hand in hand.” This comes as Council approved its first Broadway Plan high-rise on Thursday after a lengthy public hearing. The building is set for East 10th and St. George. For Webber, he hopes the city takes a close look at what makes sense for each neighbourhood. “We’d like it to be done more thoughtfully, more intentionally and not just trying to maximize density and put the smallest units in the tallest buildings possible,” said Webber. 

since-its-first-condo-in-1970-vancouver-has-become-the-poster-city-for-a-global-phenomenon-–-vancouver-sun
|

Since its first condo in 1970 Vancouver has become the poster city for a global phenomenon

Bymichael

Douglas Todd: Condominiums now make up 30 per cent of homes across Metro Vancouver, the highest proportion in North America. Hundreds of millions more have been recently built in Japan, China and other nations. Get the latest from Douglas Todd straight to your inbox Published Nov 15, 2024  •  Last updated 2 hours ago  •  5 minute read Mikal Mityok stands outside Balsam House, Vancouver’s original condo complex. It was built in the quiet Kerrisdale neighbourhood in 1970. Photo by Douglas Todd The city of Vancouver’s first condominium complex is a modest, pleasant-looking six-storey building. Built in 1970 at 5350 Balsam, it continues to provide 24 units on a quiet, leafy street in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood. You could say it’s a historic site. Balsam House, as it’s known, marks the dawn of Vancouver’s remarkable condo revolution, which has gone on to change the face of many of the world’s major cities. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Vancouver Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Vancouver Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account or Article content Balsam House is the prototype for a strata property scheme that now governs 33 per cent of all housing units in the city of Vancouver, as well 30 per cent of those across Metro Vancouver. That’s the highest ratio of any North American urban region, making Vancouver the poster city for condos. Vancouver-style condo mania is global. The world’s highest building, the 828-metre Burj Khallifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is in large part a residential condominium complex. And no longer is New York City characterized mostly by commercial office towers like the Empire State Building. The megalopolis’s most notable landmarks are now pencil-thin glass condominium skyscrapers on so-called Billionaires Row, such as the Steinway Tower and 98-storey Central Park Tower. The condominium model, also known as strata ownership, has provided the basis for the swelling of Vancouver, Toronto and many other cities since the Second World War, according to Douglas Harris, a University of B.C. property law professor who cheerfully acknowledges he has a fixation with the phenomenon. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Article content Article content It’s “one of the defining institutions of our time,” said Harris, who describes the condominium structure as technically “a form of land ownership that combines private ownership of an individual unit in a multi-unit building with a share of the common property… and a right to participate in collective governance.” Harris persuasively argues the novel legal structure has changed the face of home ownership. “The numbers are staggering.” Among other things, “condofication” has inaugurated a global shift to much more dense urban living, he says, which has greatly inflated land prices. Condominiums, Harris says, have also generated a “massive” transnational movement of wealth and people into cities, inaugurated a heightened level of real estate capitalism and, in effect, created a new form of private governance. The sun sets on Central Park Tower and the Steinway Tower on Billionaires’ Row in New York City, making these residential condominium projects more notable landmarks than the city’s commercial office towers, like The Empire State Building. Photo by Gary Hershorn /Getty Images Michael Mityok, interviewed as he emerged from his 800-square-foot condominium unit in Vancouver Balsam House, was largely unaware of the historical importance of the place he has lived for seven years. Mityok simply expressed contentment with his condo complex, with its mature strata council members and sound-muffling concrete construction. “It was actually built properly,” he says, unlike many that followed, resulting in — among other things — the city’s notorious leaky condo crisis. Article content Mityok also enjoys his ethnically mixed Kerrisdale neighbourhood, in which nearby condo projects built decades ago, in contrast to those constructed today, come with expansive gardens. He estimates the two-bedroom unit he bought for $700,000 is now worth just under $800,000. That price tag is nothing compared to the many glamorous newer

vancouver-woman-narrowly-misses-being-hit-by-falling-window-downtown
| |

Vancouver woman narrowly misses being hit by falling window downtown

ByEmma Crawford

Posted October 13, 2024 2:19 pm. Last Updated October 13, 2024 5:20 pm. Editor’s note: a previous version of this story had said a window had fallen from the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. The window had in fact fallen from the Fairmont Pacific Rim Estates — a residential building near the hotel. A Vancouver woman says she was seconds away from being hit by a glass window that fell outside a downtown building and smashed onto the sidewalk. Val Jones says she was at the corner of Burrard and West Cordova street around 2 p.m. Saturday when she heard a crash behind her. “At the same time as I looked back, I started running forwards because I can see glass just shattering about five feet behind me,” said Jones. Jones says she was initally confused and then got an adrenaline rush later at a coffee shop. She says there were two families with children nearby, and the glass may have also damaged a nearby car. “Afterwards, I went into the hotel and I actually told the concierge and he had no idea anything had just happened either.” Jones says this is one of her fears while living in the city and suspects if she had waited two extra seconds, she could have been hit by the window. She now wants answers about how this could have happened. “I would love to know how a window falls out of a hotel, especially a hotel that’s been there for quiet some time,” said Jones. “This is obviously something that is a public saftey concern.” Kerrie Bowders, director of marketing and communications for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, confirms the glass fell from the Fairmont Pacific Rim Estates and says nobody was hurt. 1130 NewsRadio has reached out to the building’s management for comment.

new-report-outlines-impact-a-large-earthquake-could-have-on-vancouver
| |

Vancouver large earthquake potential impact

ByEmma Crawford

Posted November 7, 2024 10:39 pm. Last Updated November 7, 2024 10:44 pm. A new report from the City of Vancouver and Natural Resources Canada has outlined how a 7.2-magnitude earthquake could impact Vancouver, and it highlights six neighborhoods in high-risk areas. In the report, Vancouver’s West End, Yaletown, the Downtown Eastside, Kitsilano, Fairview, and Mount Pleasant have the highest risk of damage from a large earthquake. The report also stated that if a large earthquake centred at the Georgia Strait were to occur, there would be over 1,300 casualties and over 6,000 privately owned buildings that would be damaged in Vancouver. The co-author of the report says the economic impact on the city could be more than $17 billion, with a $30 billion loss provincewide. “If we don’t fix these buildings, then when an earthquake happens, people are going to be out of those houses, those homes, and those buildings,” said Dr. Tiegan Hobbs, a seismic risk scientist with Natural Resources Canada. “Everybody will be out all at once while we have to rebuild everything, as opposed to these programs where we might have to move people out to fix a building but we can do it in stages and work towards it slowly for many years or even decades.” Hobbs said in the report that three problematic building types should take priority with the retrofitting process: older concrete highrises in the West End and downtown, and older brick and wood residential buildings. While this retrofitting process is still in the works, Vancouver City Coun. Pete Fry says it will be important to secure funding from the provincial and federal governments as they map out a seismic risk-reduction strategy in the future. “On receipt of the report, the next step would be to come up with a plan for how we can approach these risks in a sensible and measured way, recognizing that we already do have a crisis with housing and affordability. This is not an inexpensive undertaking, and if we want to replace these high-risk seismic buildings, it is going to cost a lot of money, and it’s going to take some time,” Fry said. “It’s a complicated undertaking, and I hope that this also informs conversations not just here in the city of Vancouver but with the region, the province, and of course the federal government, because it is going to need an ‘all hands on deck’ approach, especially when it comes to private property.” Hobbs says that while the numbers the report has outlined are “doom and gloom,” the odds of a large earthquake hitting the city within the next 50 years is around 5 per cent. This report will be brought to Vancouver City Council in their next meeting on Tuesday.

host-first-nations,-bc.-govt-to-build-2,600-below-market-homes-in-vancouver
| | | | |

Host First Nations, B.C. government to build 2,600 below-market homes in Vancouver

ByCharlie Carey

Posted September 19, 2024 9:39 am. Last Updated September 19, 2024 10:24 am. A new housing project on the lands of the  xʷməθkʷəy̓əm  (Musqueam),  Sḵwx̱wú7mesh  (Squamish), and  səlilwətaɬ  (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations will create 2,600 new affordable homes. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE! The homes will be at Heather Lands, an 8.5-hectare (21-acre) lot between West 33rd and West 37th avenues on Heather Street, just east of Queen Elizabeth Park. The province says buyers will be able to purchase the homes at 60 per cent of market value — with 40 per cent of the cost covered by provincial financing. In an announcement Thursday, Premier David Eby explained the financing agreement isn’t a grant or a subsidy, it’s a loan from the province. “The 40 per cent is repaid at the end of 25 years, or when the owner sells. … What we have created here, together, is a financing tool that protects taxpayers, that minimizes impact on public budgets, and yet, at the same time, delivers affordable housing now,” Eby explained. “And when the loan is paid back by the homeowner, [it] protects affordability in the future,” he added. Eby shared that the homes will be sold as 99-year strata-leaseholds with Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. “The unit prices will be determined at the time they actually go up for sale, but if they were for sale today, under current market conditions, a studio apartment on the site would sell for $620,000. Under this program we’re announcing today, that same studio apartment will sell for $370,000,” he said. “On this site today, the market price for a two-bedroom condo is $1.3 million. Under this program that we’re announcing today, that will be $780,000.” Eby added priority will be given to first homebuyers, and there will be “strict” criteria around income and asset ceilings for would-be purchasers. “I want to assure you that we will have strict rules and screening measures in place, and anyone who thinks that they can game the system when we detect that, there will be serious consequences.” The province says that to cover the 40 per cent of purchase prices, it will need to finance an estimated $670 million. If purchasers would like to buy out the remaining 40 per cent of the value of the home, Eby shared owners are able to do just that, “but if they exit in advance of 25 years, then they need to pay the appreciation in the value of the property as well.” “Say property values go up, they would have to pay that share of the government’s appreciation of the property as well. And say, property values go down, they would still have to pay the full amount back to the government that was loaned at the first instance,” he added. More to come.

vancouver-chinatown-project-pivots-from-condos-to-social-housing
| | | |

Vancouver Chinatown project pivots from condos to social housing

ByKenneth Chan

The Brickhouse development site on the southern edge of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown will be pivoting into a 100% social housing project for its residential uses, removing all of the previous strata market ownership condominium uses. This follows the property’s sale to the Hogan’s Alley Society last year. As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized in April 2024, Bonnis Properties sold their property at 796 Main Street and City’s 2021-approved development plans to Hogan’s Alley Society in November 2023, with the non-profit organization paying the developer $20 million. On the same day the deal was finalized, the federal government’s Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) provided Hogan’s Alley Society with a $25.2 million mortgage. The property is a 12,800 sq ft lot that is largely vacant but contains several small structures — the 1910-built two-storey building fronting Main Street, which contains the Brickhouse Late Night Bistro and Dive Bar, and a 1925-built single-storey building fronting Union Street, which previously housed the Jimi Hendrix shrine. Location of the approved design for 728-796 Main Street, in relation to the future developments on the city-owned blocks to the south, including Hogan’s Alley (right city block). (Studio One Architecture/Bonnis Properties) Brickhouse development site of 796 Main Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive) Artistic rendering of the 2021-approved design for 728-796 Main Street, Vancouver. (Studio One Architecture/Bonnis Properties) This week, the City of Vancouver noted it had received an application to allow a change in residential tenure to 100% social housing. The building’s height will also increase slightly from 116 ft to 127 ft, which will enable more floor space — an increase in the floor area ratio (FAR) density from a floor area that is 6.79 times larger than the size of the lot to a density of 7.4 FAR. Other details on the revised project are not available at this time. This application, first submitted in June 2024, is being considered under the City’s Affordable Housing Policies. In February 2021, after a long delay, the previous makeup of Vancouver City Council approved Bonnis Properties’ rezoning application to redevelop 796 Main Street into an 11-storey building with 94 homes, including 75 strata market condominium homes and 19 social housing units, as well as over 6,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses. Artistic rendering of the 2021-approved design for 728-796 Main Street, Vancouver. (Studio One Architecture/Bonnis Properties) Brickhouse development site of 796 Main Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

vancouver-island-resort-for-sale-costs-less-than-some-bc-homes
| | |

Vancouver Island resort for sale costs less than some BC homes

ByRyan Hook

If hospitality comes naturally to you, the Beachcomber RV Resort on Vancouver Island could be your dream property. Priced at $7.5 million, this unique resort offers an exceptional blend of proximity to the city with a serene, secluded atmosphere amidst the breathtaking Pacific Northwest scenery. Plus, it’s a more affordable option (with the chance to bring in revenue) compared to some of the province’s opulent mansions. Colliers International/Unique Properties Accessible via a picturesque rural road, Beachcomber RV Resort is 20 minutes from the Swartz Bay Ferry terminal and a short drive from downtown Victoria. The waterfront RV Park and campground features 60 seasonal RV sites with partial hookups with plenty of room to grow the resort. Nestled on just under 10 acres of stunning land, the Beachcomber RV Resort boasts over 1,300 lineal feet of low-bank, walk-on ocean frontage. Colliers International/Unique Properties The resort features three main components. The upper level, located at the end of Campion Road, is perched on a bluff with breathtaking views of the Southern Gulf Islands and Mount Baker. This area includes a 1,176-square-foot residence, perfect for enjoying the expansive vistas. The lower terrace, situated at sea level, is home to the RV park, which includes 60 seasonal RV sites — many just steps away from a beautiful, swimmable beach. Colliers International/Unique Properties The resort operates seasonally and generates income through the rental of serviced RV pads. Sites offer 15 and 30-amp power and water hookups. The resort’s 1,223-square-foot, two-bedroom caretaker’s home and office offer comfortable accommodation for an owner or manager, and the property’s flexibility allows for seasonal, nightly, or weekly rentals. Colliers International/Unique Properties As detailed in the listing, the Beachcomber RV Resort’s land designation means it could be rezoned to accommodate further tourist commercial development, such as cabins, a boutique resort, or even luxury residential development. In a market where $7.5 million might buy you a single-family mansion in Victoria, the Beachcomber RV Resort appears to offer some exceptional value and a unique chance to own a resort destination on Vancouver Island.