CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW
STANLEY PARK COAL HARBOUR HARBOUR GREEN PARK DEVONIAN HARBOUR PARK COAL HARBOUR COMMUNITY CENTRE & PARK CARDERO PARK MARINA PARK 10 MINUTE WALK 5 MINUTE WALK LOST LAGOON PUBLIC ART AT FLAG PLAZA TRIANGULAR, TREE-LINED SITE Contextual Green Space
CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW CONTEXTUAL GREEN SPACE & AMENITIES 1445 & 1455 West Georgia St. is located close to Coal Harbour s public amenities and green spaces, and is within easy walking distance to Stanley Park. The merger of Georgia and Pender Streets forms a triangular, tree-lined setting in a highly visible location Flag Plaza, the triangular public green space west of the site, offers an ideal public focal point for a significant work of Public Art CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW 23
NICOLA TO CARDERO ST ART GALLERY Q. E. THEATRE Georgia Street Urban Plazas West Georgia Gateway - Nicola Street to Cardero Street City Center - Art Gallery Cultural Precinct - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW GEORGIA STREET URBAN PLAZAS West Georgia St. is Vancouver s most prestigious and ceremonial street. There are three distinct and recognizable public open spaces along West Georgia St. A. WEST GEORGIA GATEWAY - Merger of Georgia St. and Pender St. adjacent Crown Life Plaza B. CITY CENTRE - Vancouver Art Gallery C. CULTURAL PRECINCT - Queen Elizabeth Theatre 1445 & 1455 West Georgia St. is a highly visible site at the West Georgia St. urban plaza CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW 25
CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW TRIANGLE WEST NEIGHBOURHOOD Triangle West is a 16-block wedge bounded by Coal Harbour to the north, the West End to the south and the Central Business District to the east, where the Pender St. and Hastings St. grid merges with the major city grid, aligned with Georgia St. Triangle West was initially seen as the expansion area for downtown office space, but when regional policy decentralized business development throughout the lower mainland in the early 1990 s, Triangle West s office zoning shifted to a choice of use and development favoured housing. With this shift to residential, a development plan and guidelines for this area were established with an objective to create a more pedestrian environment with open spaces and upgraded streetscapes. Slim residential towers were prescribed in order to create a sense of openness while preserving and maximizing views. The site is located in Triangle West, Downtown District, Georgia Character Area (G), Sub-Area B (Cardero to Bute Streets) Triangle West is characterized by: Irregular shaped properties Double frontages No lanes Sloping north-south streets CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW 27
1529 WEST PENDER 1499 WEST PENDER 1415 WEST GEORGIA FLAG PLAZA NICOLA ST THE SITE (1445 &1455 WEST GEORGIA ST) RESIDENTIAL TOWER BROUGHTON ST RESIDENTIAL TOWER West Georgia Streetscape (North Side) 1415 WEST GEORGIA Pender Streetscape (South Side) RESIDENTIAL TOWER THE SITE (1445 &1455 WEST GEORGIA ST) (Existing service frontage) NICOLA ST FLAG PLAZA
CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW SITE CONTEXT IMAGES EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS The existing buildings occupy the majority of the site The existing buildings present a solid frontage along West Pender St. with service-oriented, back door functions along the narrow city sidewalk CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW 29
View of Flag Plaza Nicola Streetscape looking East View of Flag Plaza & Crown Life Building from Pender St.
View of Site from Georgia St. at Cardero St. View of site from Crown Life Plaza CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW 31
WEST PENDER STREET FLAG PLAZA NICOLA STREET CBG 33.43 (10.19m) 48.26 (14.70m) 7 (2.13m) 211.55 (64.48m) DIMENSIONS WITHIN SETBACK 198.06 (60.36m) 122.66 (37.38m) CBG 35.53 (10.83m) BROUGHTON STREET CBG 38.52 (11.74m) CBG 51.61 (15.73m) WEST GEORGIA STREET Property Line City Setback Line (7ft) Aerial View of the Site Residential use pattern in red
CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW THE SITE This unique location forms an 18,158 sf (1,687 sm) flatiron-shaped site at the pivotal intersection where West Pender St. merges with West Georgia St., at Nicola St. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SITE: Fronts three streets with no lane access Sloping site (16 ft drop from Georgia St. to Pender St. along the east property line and 5 ft drop along the west property line) Marks the beginning of the topographical rise to downtown from the western approach on Georgia St. City setback introduced on Pender St. for preserving open space further reduces the site width 7 ft, leaving a 48 ft frontage on Nicola St. A small public landscaped island, Flag Plaza, west of Nicola St. completes the point of the street merger Site is surrounded by existing residential towers on the north, east, and south. It is framed on the southwest by the Crown Life commercial building and elevated water feature LAND USE Downtown District Area G, Triangle West existing policy is choice of use, favouring CD1 rezonings for housing on suitable sites. The residential use pattern clearly illustrates a growing residential community. PROPOSED LAND USE - All Residential CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW 33
UP DN DN DN UP DN UP UP UP UP DN THE EXISTING INTERSECTION 1529 W. PENDER NICOLA ST 1499 W. PENDER WEST PENDER ST curbcut curbcut curbcut curbcut 1415 W. GEORGIA EXISTING COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS 1455 1445 WEST GEORGIA ST 1450 W. GEORGIA
CITY PROPOSED INTERSECTION REDESIGN 1529 W. PENDER NICOLA ST 1499 W. PENDER WEST PENDER ST curbcut curbcut 1415 W. GEORGIA WEST GEORGIA ST The City is in the process of redesigning the West Georgia-Pender St. intersection, as per the Downtown Transportation Plan. The redesign increases public open space and improves pedestrian access at this busy location 1450 W. GEORGIA 1445 & 1455 West Georgia St proposes engaging Flag Plaza and raising the single vehicular/bicycle lanes to create a level pedestrian area, completing the triangular site Note: Intersection redesign is part of a separate City-led process. The final design and materials are subject to change. CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW 35
PENDER STREET DOWNTOWN DISTRICT GEORGIA STREET WEST END TRIANGLE WEST Identified sites for Higher Buildings West End Zoning SUB-AREA 2 Cardero to Bute Streets
CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW RELEVANT CITY POLICIES GENERAL POLICY FOR HIGHER BUILDINGS (June 25, 2014) - KEY POLICIES: Establish a significant & recognizable new benchmark for architectural creativity and excellence Make a significant contribution to the beauty and visual power of the city s skyline Demonstrate leadership & advances in sustainable design & energy consumption Achieve 45% reduction in energy consumption, compared to 2014 VBBL Provide a lasting and meaningful public legacy to Vancouver Provide a significant on-site contribution to downtown network of green and plaza space Include activities and uses of community significance and do not contribute to adverse microclimate micro-climate effects Not involve a Class A heritage building Minimize adverse shadowing and view impacts on public realm GENERAL BUILDING POLICY FOR REZONINGS (Amended June 25, 2014) Minimum LEED Gold Certification Achieve 22% reduction in energy cost compared to ASHRAE 90.1 2010 GEORGIA STREET CHARACTER AREA (G) (December 2003) - OVERALL OBJECTIVES: Reinforce dominant processional & formal character and orient major elements to Georgia St. Contribute to the skyline with interesting roof outlines Seek reasonable balance between respecting and creating views from existing and new residential developments Continue to define the street edge through building elements or landscaping / Provide visual interest for pedestrians Create a high quality environment within the public realm Provide significant street level green spaces, visually prominent from Georgia St. De-emphasize vehicular functions Minimize shadows on public and semi-public open spaces Minimize adverse wind/micro climate effects on pedestrian area CHARACTER AREA: SUB AREA 2 (Cardero to Bute St) - ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVES: Reinforce the sense of approach to Downtown District Provide for anticipated increase in pedestrian movement along Georgia to West End and waterfront HIGH DENSITY HOUSING FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN GUIDELINE Minimum 35 per cent two bedroom to four bedroom units CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW 37