The Future of Woodward's

The Woodward's building, located in the 100 block of West Hastings in Vancouver, has long played a pivotal role in our city. It once provided food, household goods and employment to many people in the local community and beyond. Today, it is the focus of a neighbourhood's hopes and dreams.

The City of Vancouver purchased the Woodward's building from the Province of BC in March 2003. The City began a unique process to involve the community and other Vancouver residents in designing and planning the redevelopment of the building in a way that is socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.

Since Woodward's closed in 1993, the building has sat vacant and several previous attempts to redevelop it failed. It has also been the focus of much debate about what should happen with the site.

Meanwhile, in the immediate neighbourhood, there has been an exodus of legitimate business and a lack of new investment. High unemployment among residents and poverty have resulted in a number of social issues that have unquestionably affected the health and well-being of the community.

Several government and community initiatives over the last few years have started to result in some improvements in the neighbourhood.

However, the redevelopment of the Woodward's building is, both practically and symbolically, key to the revitalization of the Downtown Eastside.


History

The building was built in 1903 by Charles Woodward, as the second location for the Woodward's department store. Woodward's pioneered the concept of one-stop shopping; the store included a food floor, household items, men's and women's fashion, and provided cheque cashing, travel booking and other services. The store was well-known for carrying a large variety of goods that were not available anywhere else. The store soon became a feature attraction in Vancouver, and it expanded over 12 separate phases to a final size of 12 storeys. It occupied approximately 2/3 of the city block. The popularity of Woodward's attracted many other businesses to the area. In 1944, the landmark "W" was installed on the top of the building on a 25 metre replica of the Eiffel Tower, replacing a pre-war searchlight-beacon which had until then been the building's hallmark. The beacon, which was visible at night from as far away as Abbotsford and Mission, was shut down at the beginning of World War II because of its potential use as a landmark for aerial attacks.

Woodward's fortunes declined as customers gravitated to more suburban malls, but the Vancouver location was also greatly impacted by the transfer of the Eaton's department store from its location at West Hastings and Richards (a few blocks away), to the uptown location of Pacific Centre kitty-corner from The Bay, which signalled the demise of West Hastings Street as the central retail district in the city. In the 1980s, Woodward's sold the food floor - long known for its quality and its line of unusual specialities - to Safeway. During the same time, the area around the Woodward's building started to decline socially and economically. In 1993, Woodward's went bankrupt and closed its doors. Many of the store's suburban locations were sold to the Hudson's Bay Company for conversion to Zellers and Bay stores, but there was little interest in the historic downtown building. The closing of the Woodward's store precipitated an even more rapid decline in the area.


Structure

The building grew over a many years in incremental phases, so the structure varies in each area of the building. The majority of the building was concrete slabs and columns with only the original 1903-08 building using massive heavy timber construction from the old growth forests that were available near Vancouver at the turn of the 20th century. Much of the square footage of the building was not retail space; mazes of stockrooms comprised the much of the building's space, outside the view of customers.

On the morning of September 30, 2006 all but the oldest original portion of the Woodward's structure was demolished with a "roll-over" implosion by Pacific Blasting which signaled the beginning of the construction of the new complex of buildings.


Redevelopment

In 1995, the building was acquired by Fama Holdings. The firm developed a plan to build private housing in the building. However, many of those in the neighbourhood strongly objected as it was felt to be important that the project incorporate social housing. The provincial government of British Columbia decided to fund some social housing as part of the project. However, Fama and the province could not come to an agreement, and the project died. The building stood largely vacant, except for the occasional film shoot.

In 2001, the province bought the building from Fama for $22 million. A variety of options were pursued to develop the building. In 2002, the building was occupied by an organized squat that demanded that the building be developed into social housing. Eventually, the city forced the squatters to leave.

In 2003, the City of Vancouver purchased the building for $5 million, and began a unique public consultation process, asking the community what they wanted from the redevelopment. After a two stage competition between three developers, in September 2004 the city selected Westbank Projects/Peterson Investment Group to develop and Gregory Henriquez of Henriquez Partners Architects to lead the design of the new buildings. The 300 million dollar project, includes 536 market housing units,125 singles non-market housing units to be operated by PHS Community Services,75 family non-market housing units to be operated by Affordable Housing Society,anchor food store and drugstore, shops, community and public green space,federal and civic offices, a daycare, and a new addition to the SFU downtown campus: the 130,000 sf School for Contemporary Arts. The oldest part of the complex (built 1903–1908) will be restored, and will serve as non-profit community space which will include space for Aids Vancouver among many others. Construction began in winter of 2006, with a completion scheduled for the fall of 2009.

The "W" neon sign, which topped the building on the Eiffel Tower replica, was removed before the demolition and will be refurbished and installed when the new development is complete.


Facts

- Approved in principle by City of Vancouver Council on September 13, 2005.
- Integrated into the complex will be the 150,000 square foot School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University.
- The $280 million project was unanimously approved by the city's Urban Design Panel December 7, 2005.
- Total of 736 residential units: 536 market, 75 non-market family, 125 non-market singles.
- February 27, 2006: Development Permit Board and Advisory Panel review meeting.
- April 22, 2006: In just under 12 hours the entire complex of condominiums was completely sold-out, in what was more than $200 million worth of property.
- On June 23, 2006, between 11 a.m. and 12 noon, the landmark "W" sign was taken down, closing the block of Abbott between Hastings and Cordova. The "W" will be refurbished and reinstalled in a different location within the new project during 2009.
- All 536 units in the project sold in one day.
- Although much of the multi-phase building was prepared for destruction in September 2006, save West Hastings Building slated for heritage status, actual demolition took place at 8:00 a.m., on Saturday, September 30, 2006.
- Total buildable area is 1,160,862 square feet providing about 976,000 square feet of net space.


Project Size
905,000 sf consisting of:
· 125 Single Non-Market Housing
· 75 Family Non-Market Units
· SFU - Centre for Contemporary Arts
· 536 Market Housing Units
· Potenital Federal/City Department Office Space
· Indoor Atrium and Garden Area
· Outdoor Public Open Space, Urban Park and Plaza
· Roof Gardens

Architect
Henriquez Partners Architects

Completion
Spring 2009

Developer
Westbank Projects Corp. & Peterson Investment Group Inc.

Cost
$280 million

Construction Commencement
February 2006

http://www.woodwardsdistrict.com/
http://vancouver.ca/corpsvcs/realestate/woodwards/index.htm


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Before demolition in 2006
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Demolition work in 2006
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/Vancouver_Woodward%27s_2006.jpg

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IMPLOSION in 2006

On September 30, 2006, much of the Woodwards complex was demolished. Only the original 1903 building was kept, and will be restored. Below are videos of the rolling implosion of the buildings:

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zQD1O718LqU

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Construction from 2006 to Summer 2007

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07.23.06
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09.26.06
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10.02.06
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10.30.06
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1.26.07
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2.27.07
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4.28.07
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5.31.07
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6.27.07
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7.25.07
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Thanks for the pics.
I think they have done a very superior job on this development.
Despite the long process and attempts at rejuvenating the sit I think it will definatly be worth the wait.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the rest of the DownTown Eastside when it is completly. It could be a real catalyst for the area as long as Green doesn't get his hands on it.

Very complete presentation of the project, excellent job mr.x. Many thanks.

Truly a turning point for the Eastside area.

The very high condo prices in DT Van made this possible, with the market residential subsidizing the non-market. In a weaker condo market, as in the 90's, this project could not have happened.

I was amazed how fast these units sold. As a buyer, I would have been somewhat concerned about living with such a large percentage of non-market neighbors and by having so many different entities responsible for management of the building. Disputes are bound to arise. I hope they have set up good arbitration mechanisms.

I am very much looking forward to the completion of this comlex and the placing of the shiny, new, big, red W back to it's home. I hope that they keep it lit all night.

These major project threads should be stickied, so that there easy to follow and add to.

as a former employee of woodwards i am greatly interested in the redevelopment of the site. went by yesterday and was impressed by the speed of construction, 5th floor of market tower now being worked on.

are they really going to plant those giant trees atop the market building? that and the foliage along the wall looks quite neat.

Sad that the majority of the building was demolished. Needless to say, the character of the original interior would have been awesome to incorporate into lofts...while the new tower could have been built atop.

^Would have been nice but the developers as well as everyone else involved early on realised that it would have been way too expensive.

The plan is to have the trees on top lick the renderings/model. Henriquez and Partners is one of the most underappreciated firms in the country, most of their stuff is acutally very impressive. I happen to know quite a bit about this project as I have some serious money invested in it. If anyone has any questions just ask.

Love this view...and the triangular shape...kinda like the Flatiron Bldg. in NY...well sorta, LOL

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/1453/woodwards2dy3.png

^ there's actually a Flatiron project in Vancouver under construction:
http://www.emporis.com/images/6/2006/05/458783.jpg

is that supposed to be the triangle corner? it doesnt give the same effect

Woodwards webcam:

http://www.camcentral.net/directurl/westbank/woodwards/

http://24.82.128.81/axis-cgi/jpg/image.cgi?camera=1&dummy=1189032208463&compression=40&resolution=CIF

I'll just throw a couple questions out here, maybe someone knows.

I'm a bit curious about where all this green roof stuff is going... Not just for Woodwards, but in general. Are these roofs easily approved? I thought there was some issue with insurance companies refusing to deal with this, as there have been leakage problems in the past... I just want an idea of how much more of this we'll see on top of buildings.

Also, perhaps this is already answered somewhere here, but any idea what sort of retail is going in? How many and how big?

:cheers:

i can only remember going into Woodwards once - i went when it was closing down and i don't remember anything about it at all

kinda weird

I remember the Woodwards at Oakridge really well though

The green roof issue is only an issue on residential developments, insurance is fine with commercial green roofs as com. buildings tend to have building operators and are constantly monitored and tended to. The insurance companies are nervous with res buildings as they tend to be lacking in maintenance. I imagine the solution will be the creation of a new industry of monitoring green roofs to ensure the warranty stays valid, no quarterly inspection and insurance is voided. Everything is still in discussions.

The green roof issue is only an issue on residential developments, insurance is fine with commercial green roofs as com. buildings tend to have building operators and are constantly monitored and tended to. The insurance companies are nervous with res buildings as they tend to be lacking in maintenance. I imagine the solution will be the creation of a new industry of monitoring green roofs to ensure the warranty stays valid, no quarterly inspection and insurance is voided. Everything is still in discussions.

Yeah, "green" roofs and swimming pools on the roof make me nervous as a property owner.
Major potential for water damage and require an inordinate amount of maintainance expense.

I don't know if they're any more likely to leak than a standard roof, just that when a leak occurs it can be virtually impossible to track down where a problem might originate. At least that's what I've been told. So all you can really do is use buckets or some other unorthodocs means to deal with the water.

I'll just throw a couple questions out here, maybe someone knows.

I'm a bit curious about where all this green roof stuff is going... Not just for Woodwards, but in general. Are these roofs easily approved? I thought there was some issue with insurance companies refusing to deal with this, as there have been leakage problems in the past... I just want an idea of how much more of this we'll see on top of buildings.

Also, perhaps this is already answered somewhere here, but any idea what sort of retail is going in? How many and how big?

:cheers:

I actually asked about this a short while ago of someone who knows the ropes. Apparently the BC Insurance body put a moratorium on green roof insurance that only applies to extensive green roofs, not intensive. Here's the difference:

Intensive vs. Extensive Gardens: Intensive gardens have thicker soil depths and generally require more management and artificial irrigation systems. The plants chosen for these gardens must thrive in the specific roof environment they inhabit. Intensive gardens are heavier than extensive gardens, requiring more structural support. Extensive gardens have thinner soil depths and require less management and structural support. They do not require artificial irrigation. Plants chosen for extensive gardens are low maintenance, hardy species and do not have demanding habitat requirements. The idea of an extensive planting design is to have a self-sustaining plant community.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency Glossary (http://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/glossary.htm#i)

Now this might be counter intuitive since it means that the BC Insurance agency is willing to insure big thick green roofs but not thin ones. My hunch is that this is because there has to be significant architectural and structural forethought to safely incorporate an extensive green roof in a project. An intensive green roof that could be added to an existing roof that wasn't designed to accommodate it, opening the door to liability issues for an insurer.

There are a number of green roof projects going through the development process in Vancouver right now and they are having no difficulty getting insurance or approval by consulting engineers and the city.

Maybe also because the intensive ones need to be maintained and monitored - so the likelihood of disrepair is lower. The extensive ones sound like they could be left to rot.

***********

I heard London Drugs is moving into the Woodward's project.

I heard it was a nightmare for the structural engineers because London Drugs demands a specified column spacing, SFU's arts spaces require a different column spacing and the condos have a different column spacing - and they are all stacked on top of each other.

London drugs is moving in, although still unoffical I beleive they haven't made it public, don't remember. They will be located on the Hastings side same as will SFU, there will not be any market housing over the London drugs only SFU and then 75 SROs atop that. The column spacing isn't a major issue as it's been known from the start, it is obvious with retail the columns need to be spaced differently then with residential and it's all new contruction.

I think the bigger issue will be with the heritage building with has existing columns but will house the Save-On foods/Woodwards Food floor on the ground level. That will take some creative engineering

I think the bigger issue will be with the heritage building with has existing columns but will house the Save-On foods/Woodwards Food floor on the ground level. That will take some creative engineering

Perhaps some strategically located floor-to-ceiling pyramids of canned food on display?

i heard somewhere that the developer bought 7 buildings across the street from woodwards on hastings aswell

The column spacing isn't a major issue as it's been known from the start, it is obvious with retail the columns need to be spaced differently then with residential and it's all new contruction.

What I heard was that the different column spacing results in big cost increases due to additional transfer beams/floors between floors (with none of the parties willing to compromise to aid the design).

Not sure about cost increases due to that, as it would've been calculated from the get-go. More expensive sure, and maybe that's what they meant to say.

As far as across the street, as far as I know most of the buildings are still for sale, they are simply asking too much right now. As far as I know Westbank doesn't have any buildings across the street, but it's certainly possible another developer does have 7.
Concord does own 5 properties on the south side of Hastings one blk over, between abbott and carrall. Macdonald also has something on the go on that same blk.

FYI - Here's a recent article from a CBC News page talking specifically about green roofs. It goes on a bit about the problems with them. However, it sounds like they're only going to become more popular, with growing concern about saving energy and the environment these days...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/environment/green-roofs.html

Well now it is offical, guess it wasn't before, London Drugs is moving to Woodwards, 33,000sqft+ on two levels of 17.000sqft each, the sun also stated there was an unnamed supermarket and a bank moving in.

^ thx for the heads up!



London Drugs to build two-storey outlet in Woodward's development
Major food store and bank also committed, chain's president reveals

Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun
Published: Saturday, September 08, 2007

London Drugs is the first retail outlet to commit publicly to the redevelopment at the old downtown Vancouver Woodward's site.

The B.C.-based Western Canadian chain will open a 33,878-square-foot, two-level store at the site in the fall of 2009. Both the main-floor and second-floor sections will contain approximately 17,000 square feet.

In size, it will be on a par with some of the newer outlets in the 66-store chain.

Construction will begin this fall.

In a telephone interview, London Drugs president Wynne Powell said there is always a risk in moving into any new neighbourhood, but he feels confident that his store's foothold in a revitalized Downtown Eastside is the right one. He said a major food store and a bank are committed to the redevelopment, although neither party has gone public with its plans.

"When we agreed to go into this revitalization, we wanted to make sure there was an attractive enough traffic in this area to make sure Woodward's comes back as a business success," said Powell.

"When you look at other areas of Vancouver, you see that when people work together as a team there are profound changes that come to a neighbourhood, and we believe that will happen here."

London Drugs joins Simon Fraser University in committing to the redevelopment.

The new store will have all the departments that other London Drugs outlets contain, including pharmacy, photographic services, consumer electronics, health and beauty, computers, audio-visual equipment and food. It will have a specially designed area for kitchenware, a computer repair department, and a photo-finishing centre, which is somewhat surprising in this age of digital cameras.

"Four or five years ago, we invested multimillions of dollars in state-of-the-art photo finishing equipment, and we believe there's a future in printing photographs," said Powell.

"As people take digital photographs, they're coming back to print them on photographic paper.

"If you have a computer failure and you lose all your baby pictures and no longer have them because you didn't back them up -- if you've printed them on archival paper it protects them for generations to come."

mandrews@png.canwest.com


© The Vancouver Sun 2007

so they have room for London drugs a bank and a grocery store...

how much retail is planned in total? will there be a lot more? or only a couple more? anyone know?

The bank is acutally news to me, the supermarket and drug store were always in the cards, as is civic /provincal and federal office space as well as some office space for non-profit organizations. There is alot of small retail that isn't leased yet but nothing big, I imagine with SFU onsite there will be at least one coffee shop and probably a pizza by the slice type of deal. There is retail planned along the bottom to both towers, as well as a large daycare in the heritage building.
The total development is acutally 1.1 million sqft which is still currently the largest single development permit issued by the city.

The total development is acutally 1.1 million sqft which is still currently the largest single development permit issued by the city.

As I understand it there is a pretty clear distinction between the area of a project and the area of a single cohesive building.

The Fairmont Pacific Rim is considered to be the largest single building under construction by square-footage at approximately 800,000 sq ft and while the new convention centre is larger at 1.1 million square feet, it isn't necessarily a single floorplate building. I assume the convention centre's area includes parking beneath the public plaza and the new seaplane aerodrome. The Woodwards complex is 1.1 million sq in a cluster of adjacent buildings and it is considered a single project in the same way as the convention centre.

^^ that is correct^^^ The fairmont will be the largest single building, while Woodwards as a whole was a larger permit sqftage wise. Not sure if the convention centre sqftage permit was larger or not, someone will have to look that up.

Looks like Stan Douglas is doing a large public art piece for Woodwards.

i notice the old W sign is on one of the lower buildings

i wonder if they will keep it on all night? that would get pretty annoying fast if you lived in one of the towers having a red light glow

That is correct, the W will be on top of the elevator shaft on the heritage building, which is the lowest one. Unsure about the plans to keep the light on all night or not. The sign itself was a requirement by the city, I imagine even if they decide to keep it on all night, it would only last a year or so before the starta votes to save money by reducing the hours it's on.

Quite true - but it surprised me that the Electra's lights (triangles up the sides) were not only turned back on, but restored to their blue and green colours.

Progress as of earlier today...

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/101_0005.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/101_0006.jpg

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http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/101_0009.jpg

nice. thanks

Pics taken today by Vanman:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/vannmann/DSC01424.jpg

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Thanks for the updates.
I am often not a fan of much of Vancouver's high rise developments as I find most rather sterile but I think Vancouver has created a truly excellent example of pedestrian friendly high-rise development which maintains its sense of community. This development is a great example of urban vision.
Decades from now Vancouverites will be proudly reflecting on how they maintained the building's architechural stlye and not torn it down and just put up another glass high rise. This development will be a feather in Vancouver's cap.

Nice progress.
Thanks vanman for photos and mr.x for posting.
I hope when I visit Van next summer that it will be done.
This is a huge project that will vastly improve the area around it.

This tower will enhance the skyline by adding height eastward...

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2134/p1040903yv0.jpg

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My photos ( SFUVancouver in SSP | Vancouverite in SSC )

I'm really excited to see what happens with this project.....hopefully its significant to change at least a few blocks either way for the better.

This project is having me to think again about living in Gastown or that part of Gastown at least!

Looking east from the pedestrian bridge at Granville and Cordova.
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/3884/p1050354lm8.jpg
(My photo, taken February 4th, 2008)

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/6184/p1050356aj9.jpg
(My photo, taken February 4th, 2008)

I'm not digging the glass. Maybe I'll come around when they start adding the brick detailing but it just isn't happening for me right now.

Here's a picture which comes from the website http://www.woodwardsdistrict.com/
Taken on March 31st.

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/5162/woodwardda3.png (http://imageshack.us)

Here's the last update on the woodward website (June 22nd 2008).

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/4509/woodwardjune2008id1.png (http://imageshack.us)

If anyone just pass closeby with a camera, some pix would be much appreciated :)

Here's the last update on the woodward website (June 22nd 2008).

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/4509/woodwardjune2008id1.png (http://imageshack.us)

If anyone just pass closeby with a camera, some pix would be much appreciated :)

do you go to SSP? there are lots of pictures there of it...

Update by Delirium@SSP

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/vannmann/Picture207.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/vannmann/Picture204.jpg

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Nice progress. Great update Vanman.

I hope they have an "unvailing ceremony" when the big "W" is ready on the roof!

i cannot wait to see if vines grow along those red metal strips along the side. it would look so awesome...if it reaches that high.

and it'll be nice to see that big red W in our skyline again. now THAT is iconic.

The W won't be on top of the W-43 building. It will be on top of the office building elevator shaft which is located at Hastings and Abbott. It will be visible from the water though as well as a large part of the city.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/TallBuildings058.jpg
One I took yesterday.

Looks great. Thanks =D

As promised pictures from the roof. Weather wasn't the best today.
I've come back and editted and added some more pictures



http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/jlousa/W43-3small.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/jlousa/W43-4small.jpg

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http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/jlousa/W43-6small.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/jlousa/w43-7small.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/jlousa/w43-8small.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/jlousa/w43-9small.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/jlousa/w43-10small.jpg



Left these in as a bonus, they are from Habour Centre of the development around Woodwards.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/jlousa/W43-1small.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/jlousa/W43-2small.jpg

simply superb. you know, from this vantage point, gastown looks like a mini-brooklyn to go with our mini-manhattan.

thanks jlousa!

^^Yeah...love the density of Gastown/east side...

Obviously, the redevelopment of Woodwards was to act as a catalyst for revitalization of the area; has there been many small developments yet around the area? From new-builds to store-front renovations?

well, i love the renovations they did on the flack building just adjacent to victory square. does that count?

Nice...the archway over the main entrance has been re-created, and it looks incredible!

^^Yeah...love the density of Gastown/east side...

Obviously, the redevelopment of Woodwards was to act as a catalyst for revitalization of the area; has there been many small developments yet around the area? From new-builds to store-front renovations?

Yeah there has been plenty of redevelopment underway in the area and there is alot more planned.

Just a few pictures of some of the recent renovations to the buildings along Carrall Street near to Gassy Jack square. It's starting to look really nice now. I love how they are keeping consistent with the black/red with a lot of the buildings - including Chill Winston's and Modern on the other side of the square.

New Irish Heather and Salty Tongue in "Abrams Block" on the east side of Carrall:

http://www.songsthelordtaughtus.com/temp/1.jpg

Old Irish Heather location (anyone know what is going in there?) and renovations to Blakes:

http://www.songsthelordtaughtus.com/temp/2.jpg

Six Acres:

http://www.songsthelordtaughtus.com/temp/3.jpg

The red on Wodwards is awesome. It completely fits into the character of Gastown despite its size, unlike some of its neighbours including the smaller tower from the same development.

From the Revolving Restaurant taken today

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/7518/img0241sg8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Nice shot! The harbour Center is quite a bit taller than this building.

A few pictures I took about a week ago.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/BuildingsOct-Nov08018.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/BuildingsOct-Nov08020.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/BuildingsOct-Nov08024.jpg

I really love this metal part of the facade:
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/BuildingsOct-Nov08023.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/BuildingsOct-Nov08025.jpg

I was going to get some more recent pictures but it gets too dark too early these days.

Great pictures, awesome building. I wonder if it would have looked better if they staggered the 3-storey sections of metal screens into a checkerboard pattern...

Great pictures, awesome building. I wonder if it would have looked better if they staggered the 3-storey sections of metal screens into a checkerboard pattern...

Yeah, I agree, to break up the verticality of the building.

Those decorative mesh screen things are pretty cool. It looks like they may block some of the views through the windows though, and require frequent painting if they are meatallic.

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/3132630870_ed529a465d_o.jpg


from flickr.

^^

Wow, looking good. I love the effect and color that the metal screens give the building.
Great example of how attention to small details can make a big difference.
Lesson for aspiring architects here.

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/3232018814_8918d0fb45_b.jpg
flickr.

^^
Presence of this building looms large. Huge plus to the area.

I wish someone would put a coat of paint on that parkade across from Waterfront Station.

It was then...

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/3195515931_ec54dd716b_b.jpg
from flickr.

^It seems like so long ago.

Miss the the big 'W' sometimes...

^^ We'll get it back.

^^
Wow, now we know what to compare with when the restored version is put up.
Great old pic.
Nice find again Yellow!

This pic is a little old but I just love the effect on this photo..


http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/3114003402_714cdceb9d_b.jpg
by flickr.

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/liquid.jpg
photo by liquid, flickr.

I love the new Woodward's district. I especially like how they are keeping the iconic "W" in the redevelopment. Woodward's is rising like the phoenix from the ashes.

will the W light up? or will the people living in the towers whine about the light it gives off?

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/beach650.jpg
by beach 65o, flickr.

That's so beautiful! I really can't wait until they start growing things!

Trees has been planted these last days on the top of the building. I'll try to take some photos sometimes soon...

This is by far my favorite development right now. It is a stunning mix of new and old design. The 'flatiron' view from Gastown is incredible. Give it a few years for the vegetation to take hold and it will be unbelievable.

Apropos, how far up the building can we expect the vines to grow?

Apropos, how far up the building can we expect the vines to grow?

Theoretically, all the way up.

taken today

http://i41.tinypic.com/30rmohv.jpg


http://i41.tinypic.com/zwxogx.jpg


http://i41.tinypic.com/5eajk2.jpg


http://i40.tinypic.com/2v1rfcz.jpg


http://i43.tinypic.com/sg1w7t.jpg


and this pic taken from Canada Place


http://i39.tinypic.com/s4p11t.jpg

^^ Excellent pictures.

more :nuts:




http://i41.tinypic.com/zkri4j.jpg


http://i39.tinypic.com/x6crkp.jpg


http://i44.tinypic.com/287g5kj.jpg
:banana:

Wow, you must have a really good camera. These two towers are looking good, thanks for posting!

The metal panels and grill work make it really interesting.This project is turning out better than expected. Great pics!

I like it! I hope the future vine invasion won't obscure all of the red metal grills...I love the way they look!

An interesting article and interview of the architect Gregory Henriquez from today's Globe and Mail website:

Woodward's tests an architect's passion Development: Gregory Henriquez juggles diversity, density and drama as major project nears completion
KELLY DECK

From Friday's Globe and Mail

March 20, 2009 at 12:07 PM EDT

There is a gargantuan new residential and commercial development on the site of the old Woodward's building in Canada's most troubled postal code, Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The project is an exciting attempt to, in a single stroke, remake a depressed community. As it happens, for the past three years, the project has been going up just down the street from my office, and as it's climbed above the Gastown skyline, its ambitions have intrigued and inspired me.

Of the development's 536 suites, about 40 per cent are going to non-market housing, which means the place will be an admixture of the advantaged, less advantaged, students (the property will house Simon Fraser University's new Centre for the Contemporary Arts), shoppers and workers (at the drug and grocery stores, non-profits and other retail units).

The man behind the master architecture plan is Gregory Henriquez. Not only will his vision reshape the atmosphere of the Downtown Eastside, his ideas of integrated development may become a model for cities worldwide.


------------------------------
I caught up with Mr. Henriquez recently to tour and talk about the project.

Tell me about yourself first, and what you bring to this work.

I'm a fourth-generation architect. The sort of work that I'm passionate about is work around social justice. It's really what I call cultural sustainability. It's the buzzword nowadays: Everyone talks about sustainable buildings - the green stuff. But the best thing that you can do in terms of sustainability is design a building that society values and will be around in a hundred years.

The big issue that my profession has to confront now is how to engage the ethical role of architecture in society. The thing that makes Woodward's special is that this is the first time on a large scale that there's non-market housing and beautiful market housing integrated in one community.


This is a community with a patchy history, and figuring out what it needs is no mean feat. How did you approach it?

We have the Portland Hotel Society, a group of non-profit service providers on the Downtown Eastside. I've also worked in that community for a number of years and I have an understanding of the spatial issues people confront. For example, in one section of Woodward's are 125 units of single, non-market housing - and everyone has bicycles and all the stuff they bring in. In Vancouver, all the bicycle rooms are in the basement, which would be insane, so we developed a way for them to bring bikes up into their units and mount them on the wall.


What do you anticipate the property will bring to the community?

There's going to be thousands of people there every day. There's SFU, which is going to have five performance venues and five practice venues and a thousand kids on-site every day. We're going to have a London Drugs and a Nesters food store, and the first bank to move back into the Downtown Eastside in 20 years. There are a series of spaces for non-profit groups in the community as well, in addition to the National Film Board and a bunch of other federal offices.

As a single project, its diversity is unparalleled. It's a huge social experiment and it's going to be very exciting.


When does it come to life?

The project has been under way for six years. We hope to have people in some time in May or June, 2009, then through to September with phased occupancies. Then the institutions will move in.


What was the hardest part of the project?

It was just crazy in terms of its scale and complexity. It is the most complex mixed-used project in the history of Vancouver, and people in my office have dedicated their life to it. The difficulty is the number of moving parts.


How has your being a West Coast designer influenced the project?

I don't see myself as a West Coast designer, I see myself as a downtown Vancouver designer. I believe in density, in urbanity; I think that the diversity of our community here is something that's beautiful and it should really be embraced as a model for other parts of the world.

The future is in hybrid projects - where market, rental and affordable housing get merged into the normal fabric of our city. I think that if we embrace the philosophy, in one generation we could end the homelessness and affordability problem. We're such a wealthy country, the fact that we can't deal with this important issue just seems silly.


When you talk urban vitalization, whom do you talk to?

It's mostly the community activists. Some planners get involved. Very few architects, sadly. Generally speaking, the architects often get more involved in the aesthetics of the project and become the fashion victims.


Did you look to other projects internationally where this has been done?

There is nothing like this anywhere we know of. This is really a one-off.


This is a genuine milestone for you. What's next?

We're still in the middle of this, and this is as good a project, program and site and client group that I could ever imagine having. If this is the end of my career then I'm okay with it. I've done more than I ever thought I could do in one life.


They've sold all of them, haven't they?

Yes, they sold out in about eight hours. There was a lineup overnight around the block. I was worried that no one was going to buy. But it's all working out better than I imagined.

http://photos-f.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2707/79/110/537325252/n537325252_6329845_258483.jpg
Source: My Photo, Hosted on Facebook

http://photos-g.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2707/79/110/537325252/n537325252_6329846_5954272.jpg
Source: My Photo, Hosted on Facebook

http://photos-h.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2707/79/110/537325252/n537325252_6329847_608293.jpg
Source: My Photo, Hosted on Facebook

http://photos-c.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2707/79/110/537325252/n537325252_6329850_3697393.jpg
Source: My Photo, Hosted on Facebook

http://photos-d.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2707/79/110/537325252/n537325252_6329851_5314500.jpg
Source: My Photo, Hosted on Facebook

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/workinonit.jpg
taken by workinonit, flickr.


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/JisforJetsetter.jpg
by J is for Jetsetter, flickr.

That first picture is stunning. Make it our next banner!

Thanks for the amazing photo updates!

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/Aneagleinyourmind.jpg


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/aneagleinyourmind2.jpg


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/aneagleinyourmind3.jpg

All photos taken by an eagle in your mind, flickr.

^ Thanks yellow fever for sharing :)

I know that person from Flickr....he's in my contacts !

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/roland.jpg
photo by Roland, flickr.


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/leehchris.jpg
by leech chris, flickr.

http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/StanleyParkEnglishBay056.jpg


http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/StanleyParkEnglishBay039.jpg

My photos.

^^
Superb shots from a different perspective!

Handsome buildings, but the scragly trees on top remind me of someone with thining hair, LOL.

I'm holding out for the W to go up before declaring this project completed!

CTV annouces opening. Residents moving in. Has nice short video.
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090820/bc_woodwards_building_090820/20090820/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

Great looking project!

I hear that the new W sign up at the top is scheduled for installation in October.

I hope that is big and well lit.

We need to set up a small prize pool for the first to take a pic of it.:lol:

What would I get? :D

Pride =)

Woodwards in the NY Times Real Estate section:


Square Feet
Redevelopment Project Doubles as Social Experiment


Farah Nosh for The New York Times
The mixed-use Woodward's project is at the edge of a rundown neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — This city of elegant luxury condominium towers and grand public spaces won the right to hold the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in part because of a promise to create “the inclusive Olympics.” But critics have long complained about a blotch on the city’s self-image as an urban utopia: the Downtown Eastside, a notorious high-poverty neighborhood known for its concentration of homeless people and drug and crime problems.

The city, which has a population of 578,000, has long listed the area as a target for redevelopment, but some community groups have balked because of concerns about displacing low-income residents.

Now the first step in that redevelopment is under way: Woodward’s, a 1.1-million-square-foot project with an inclusive design. The project, which is costing 500 million Canadian dollars (about $475 million), is one of the biggest redevelopments in city history.

It is also controversial — because of a tangled history and a high-stakes social engineering approach. “There is so much riding on this project,” said Ian Gillespie, chief executive of Westbank Projects, one of the developers. “Everyone sees it as a panacea for huge social problems.”

When completed in January, the project will encompass four interconnected buildings with a central atrium on the edge of the Downtown Eastside, just a few blocks from the business district.

It will feature 536 market-rate condominiums, 200 “affordable” rental units, a supermarket, a drugstore and Simon Fraser University’s School for Contemporary Arts. It will also have 31,500 square feet of office space for nonprofit organizations, 59,329 square feet of federal and city office space, a bank, a restaurant and a rooftop day care center.

“It is a microcosm of the city,” said the project architect, Gregory Henriquez.

The other project partners are the Peterson Investment Group, the city government and Simon Fraser. The site, which covers a full block, originally housed the Woodward’s department store, which closed in 1993. That building has a contentious past, including several failed development efforts and a three-month occupation by advocates for the homeless.

The latest chapter began in 2003, when Jim Green, a city councilman and affordable-housing promoter, refused to support the city’s Olympic bid unless the British Columbia provincial government, which owned the land, agreed to several conditions. To upgrade the bleak area, “I needed Woodward’s and 200 units of social housing,” recalled Mr. Green, who is now a consultant.

The gambit worked. The city purchased the site for 5.5 million Canadian dollars — one-quarter the market rate — and then selected a pair of odd bedfellows as winners of a design competition.

Mr. Henriquez is an award-winning designer of affordable housing and the co-author of the book “Toward an Ethical Architecture” (Simply Read Books/Blue Imprint, 2006). Mr. Gillespie is known for building the most expensive luxury condominiums in Canada, including the Fairmont Pacific Rim, a downtown Vancouver waterfront property now selling for 2,400 Canadian dollars a square foot.

Mr. Henriquez said the project was intended to revitalize the Downtown Eastside, but not to gentrify it. To meet this objective, the development will pack many diverse tenants onto the site — a strategy that Mr. Henriquez described as generating “body heat.”

For example, one of the four buildings, a 32-story tower, will include 75 rental units for low-income families; 170 market-rate condos; the offices of the National Film Board; and Nesters Market, the first new grocery in the neighborhood in more than 15 years. The building is the first in the city with both subsidized housing and condominiums. The various pieces of the tower have separate owners.

The neighboring Flatiron-style triangular tower features 43 floors of market-rate units — but reserves one floor as housing that will be accessible for people with physical disabilities. Westbank will retain ownership of the building’s ground-floor restaurant space.

As part of the development deal, the city will own Woodward’s Heritage building, which preserves a section of the original department store’s 1903 facade. It will house the day care center, local government offices of drug policy and Downtown Eastside planning, and nonprofit organizations.

The fourth structure houses the Simon Fraser campus, which is costing 71 million Canadian dollars, and includes London Drugs, a ubiquitous local chain, and 125 studios for low-income singles, many with mental health and addiction problems. These units and the 75 family units are being financed by 48 million dollars in city, provincial and federal funds.

The building parcels are owned, respectively, by Simon Fraser, Westbank and the city.

To lure condominium buyers to the Downtown Eastside, the development team issued a provocative marketing slogan: “Be Bold or Move to Suburbia.”

Apparently, many people here had a sense or adventure, although thriftiness may also have played a part. Westbank presold all of the Woodward’s condominiums in 2006. The price was about 500 Canadian dollars a square foot, about 200 dollars less than comparable units downtown at the time, with similar water and mountain views.

Westbank and Peterson provided 15 zero-interest second mortgages to help people of moderate income purchase market-rate units in the development.

Financial incentives are also in place for the commercial spaces. To help cover the neighborhood’s “economic shortfalls,” Woodward’s retailers will receive a 10-year suspension on property taxes, said Michael Flanigan, the city’s project manager. In exchange for building on the site, Westbank itself received a 250,000-square-foot density bonus, which can be applied to a project in a higher-rent part of town.

Many stakeholders expressed confidence in Woodward’s regenerative potential. “We anticipate 5,000 people on the site daily,” said Dan Bregg, president of Buy Low Foods, which operates Nesters Markets. “Over time, this corner of the neighborhood will see rejuvenation.”

With five performance sites, Woodward’s “will be a real meeting place for culture downtown,” said Ann Cowan, executive director of the Simon Fraser University campus.

But some community groups, many of which participated in the design process, are reserving judgment about Woodward’s big-tent approach to development.

The Portland Hotel Society, a Downtown Eastside nonprofit group that runs the only site in North America where addicts can legally inject drugs like heroin and cocaine, will manage the Woodward’s singles housing. “We have committed to a naïve rainbow vision that all the different groups are going to get along,” said its executive director, Mark Townsend. “Whether that works remains to be seen.”

Mr. Henriquez said design details were intended to help smooth over class differences. Special window panels are being installed in the singles units to deter residents with mental health or addiction issues from taping over the glass to keep out the light, and offending condominium dwellers.

Then, there is the 10,000-square-foot atrium at the center of the development, a soaring glass-topped 24-hour public venue that Mr. Henriquez likens to a train station. It includes a basketball court and interpretive art displays. “Everyone will mix in this space,” Mr. Henriquez said.

Flanking the entry, which is accessible from an outdoor plaza, is a 50-foot photographic mural by the Vancouver artist Stan Douglas commemorating the 1971 Gastown riots, a seminal event in Downtown Eastside history, pitting police officers in riot gear against about 2,000 people who were protesting drug laws and undercover police raids.

With so many public and private interests involved, the Woodward’s challenge was “how to give everyone a part in the movie, yet not be so burdened by their interests you could actually create something,” Mr. Gillespie said.

“Come back in a year,” he said, “and see how this social experiment turns out.”


Source: New York Times

I love Woodwards!

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/6451/woodwardsfromvictorysqu.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2306/woodwardsfromdominionbl.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/526/woodwardsflatironfromca.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2126/woodwardsflatironbasede.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/5062/woodwardsatriumentrance.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/431/woodwardstiledec809p117.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

The next best thing to streetcars.
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/1226/nextbestthingtostreetca.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

I simply cannot recall seeing so many people on this block since the last Woodwards Windows Christmas displays almost twenty years ago.
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/8264/woodwardsconstructionco.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/6915/p1170094.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/4741/p1170095.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/5394/woodwardsthroughatriumd.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6127/nestersatriumentrancede.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

It was packed.
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/850/nestersbusydec809p11701.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

Welcome back dollar-forty-nine days! Vancouver missed you.
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8743/nesters149daysdec809p11.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

Nesters' Abbott street entrance.
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3093/nestersabbottentrancedem.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/6654/woodwardsfoodfloorsignd.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

London Drugs has street presence but actually enters from the atrium. That one fact completely changed my opinion of this space.
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6636/londondrugsfromhastings.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/7504/londondrugs1dec809p1170.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/8904/londondrugs2dec809p1170.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3614/londondrugs3dec809p1170.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4424/londondrugs4dec809p1170.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/7848/woodwardsfromabbottandh.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/4577/woodwardsfromabbottandk.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, December 8th, 2009

Via SFU Vancouver of SSP Vancouver

Any pictures of the new "W" sign?

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/rjjago.jpg
photo by rjjago, flickr.


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/zathrus.jpg


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/zathrus1.jpg
photos by zathrus, flickr.

^^ Thanks for the pics, it seems quite a bit brighter than the old sign, maybe they should have matched it to the red on the building.

It would have been awesome if they could put that sign on the top of the taller tower.

It would have been awesome if they could put that sign on the top of the taller tower.
Would it have broken the height restriction? :|

I don't think they would even notice. :D

The W looks great!
YF, you won the contest to first photograph the W!
The tower it sits on looks very much like the original. I wonder if it's the same or if it's new steel.

Thanks DrT! happy to see your post again!

Boon or bust for the Downtown Eastside?

With an injection of the middle class into the area, many wonder if it will be a lifeline or a death-knell for the neighbourhood
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Boon+bust+Downtown+Eastside/2501539/2501540.bin
Pam Williams and Jesse Lawrie return from a morning shopping trip in their new neighbourhood. The pair have moved into the new Woodward's complex in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
Photograph by: Ward Perrin, PNG

VANCOUVER — Mike Meyer is hauling two breakfast bagels and some grapefruit juice in a Nesters Market bag along West Cordova, heading to his home in the new Woodward’s development.

Meyer and his girlfriend, both twentysomethings from Calgary, moved into the building — an eclectic mix of the old refurbished department store, new gleaming towers, and mainstream businesses — in October, and were suddenly immersed in an unofficial social experiment in the Downtown Eastside.

Are the Woodward’s residents embracing the traditional neighbourhood, as the shoppers in the iconic department store once did?

Are they supporting local businesses and stopping to chat with low-income neighbours, or do they walk briskly past on the way to Robson Street?

And is the injection of the middle class — right into the heart of the Downtown Eastside — a lifeline or a death-knell for the troubled neighbourhood?

Like any emotionally and politically charged debate, it depends on whom you ask.

Meyer, 26, and his 23-year-old girlfriend moved from Yaletown to Woodward’s because it was closer to her job, and the rent for their condo was reasonable. Since they both came from Calgary, neither had a romanticized past with Woodward’s — it was really just another condo project.

They were cautious at first about moving into a neighbourhood that is home to many of Vancouver’s homeless, most of whom struggle with addiction and/or mental illness.

But, Meyer said, that worry quickly dissipated. The people on the street, he said, inspired sympathy, but not fear. At first he gave them spare change, but now he buys them sandwiches or passes around leftovers from a restaurant meal.

Meyer, who has worked in construction and snowboard sales but is taking time off right now, said most days he and his girlfriend never leave the ’hood.

“We live in a four-block radius. We do everything here,” he said.

They frequently have a pint at the Irish Heather. They go out for Mexican food at La Casita across the street. They had just bought breakfast at Nesters, and often shop in London Drugs and bank at the TD, which are all in the Woodward’s development.

A development project like this can be beneficial, says David Eby of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, because it contains about 200 units of social housing, allowing people of different economic backgrounds to live in the same building — an experiment that has been successful in some U.S. cities.

However, protections have to be put in place to ensure such developments don’t drive up rents in the neighbourhood, and that an equal number of low-income buildings are also constructed.

“There are great facilities in it and hundreds of social housing units, which are positive. People who are homeless are excited to be moving into the Woodward’s building. But the issue is whether the city will act to dispel the Woodward’s effect so people aren’t displaced,” Eby said.

Wendy Pedersen, of the Carnegie Community Action Project, said there are condo and business owners who support the low-income community, but she fears that as more computer-savvy, well-spoken, middle-class property owners move into the neighbourhood it will tip the balance away from the rights of the poor.

“That is the big problem with Woodward’s — because there isn’t a plan to control ‘change’ in the neighbourhood,” Pedersen said, adding what the community desperately needs is more housing specifically for low-income people.

“That’s the underlying story that people don’t realize: We can’t just rely on Woodward’s projects to build the number of units that we need.”

As long as middle-class neighbourhoods reject having social housing in their backyards, argued Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre project coordinator Harsha Walia, this community should not accept expensive buildings on its streets.

“The Downtown Eastside is a last safe haven for people who are non-judgmental, for people who understand the barriers that others face,” Walia said.

While she said she doesn’t want to generalize about every person living in Woodward’s, she has witnessed some low-income residents being poorly treated by shoppers in the new mainstream stores or by pedestrians on the sidewalks.

Vancouver city hall spokeswoman Theresa Beer said city staff thought it was premature to speak to The Vancouver Sun about the interaction between new and traditional residents in the area, as people and businesses are still moving into the long-anticipated project.

She was not aware of any recent bylaw complaints involving homeless people near Woodward’s, and said Vancouver police told her they do not track crime complaints by such specific locations.

Houtan Rafii, project manager with developer Westbank, acknowledged there will always be anti-Woodward’s people in the Downtown Eastside, but said the response from people in the building’s 533 market units has been “overwhelmingly positive” so far.

There have been few, if any complaints for Westbank to handle between new and existing Downtown Eastside residents, he said.

He said the building remains popular, noting few original buyers are now trying to flip their units.

Woodward’s has a storied history in Vancouver. It was a place that many longtime residents fondly recall visiting for shopping trips. But the iconic department store closed in 1993 after falling on hard times, and its redevelopment has been many years in the making.

Pam Williams, 23, has lived in Woodward’s since October after finding her former hometown of Whistler too expensive. She loves the local stores, she said, and feels safe living in the neighbourhood.

“It’s becoming one of the best places to live, because everything is right downstairs,” Williams said during an interview outside the JJ Bean coffee shop in the Woodward’s development.

Her friend Jesse Lawrie, who also lives in the building, said he likes the mix of old and new in the Downtown Eastside, when it comes to residents and businesses.

Added the 26-year-old mechanic: “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else now.”

lculbert@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

(Lori Culbert, The Vancouver Sun (http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Boon+bust+Downtown+Eastside/2501539/story.html), 2010)

Woodwards is such a great addition cant wait to see more buildings go up in that area :cheers:

one thing is certain that vancouver skyline is expanding to the east and south sides of the downtown core :)

The red building looks like the Flatiron building in NY.

yes it looks like one. which was often shown on tv before..

:eek2:

From SFUVancouver

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/526/woodwardsflatironfromca.jpg

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http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af28/Hongkongese/downtown/IMG_3493.jpg

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