Former mayor Sam Sullivan was the first person I heard talk about the idea of “industrial densification” as a way to get more stuff onto Vancouver’s limited amount of land. I’ve heard the idea pitched several times since then. But every time I talk to commercial brokers or industrial-land developers about it, they just roll […]
Industrial land developers encouraged to stop sprawling, start building dense and smart
November 14th, 2012 · 23 Comments
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Vancouver buys Ramada Hotel on Kingsway for $15.5 million to provide low-cost housing
November 12th, 2012 · 27 Comments
This story started floating around the community about three weeks ago. For whatever reason, the city has chosen not to announce the sale. But my sources told me it went through Oct. 30 and people at Collingwood Neighbourhood House are starting to ask for meetings with the city to get more precise ideas on what […]
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TransLink starts consultations on service “optimization” as it becomes a service more concentrated on serving existing customers than shaping future demand
November 9th, 2012 · 284 Comments
Transportation experts talk about the two functions of transit. It can primarily serve, which means putting most of your transit where existing demand is. Or it can be used to shape — so transit lines are built or routed into areas where demand isn’t strong yet, but the hope is that if transit goes there, […]
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Full application for Oakridge mall redevelopment into city, with terraced towers, floating canopies and more
November 7th, 2012 · 82 Comments
The application to transform Oakridge into a community of 2,800 units in nine towers and a bank of townhouses, a park on the roof of the mall, and more is sure to generate a lot of public interest in the coming months. Open houses are next week, Nov. 15 and 17. My Globe story with […]
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City has plans to re-do the awful north plaza of Vancouver Art Gallery
November 2nd, 2012 · 55 Comments
A recently tender on the city website is advertising for an architect/landscape architect team to pre-qualify for work on a re-design of the north plaza, to be done soon because of urgent need for re-waterproofing between the surface and the Vancouver Art Gallery vaults below. Not a moment too soon, many will say. At the […]
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Alleged brothel in Kerrisdale says in lawsuit that it was denied city permission to operate because of nimbys
November 2nd, 2012 · 2 Comments
I don’t need to add anything to a story like this, which is as good as a novel, really. (Except one update. After deadline, city staff confirmed to me that whatever is operating at 5763 Balsam is doing so without a business licence. As per this message from the city: The business’ request for a […]
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As federal money for pre-1994 housing projects is set to expire, many wondering how thousands of units will be maintained
October 30th, 2012 · 64 Comments
This country saw a lot of good, cheap, affordable housing built in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Much of it was due to two things: federal dollars directly into social housing and federal tax laws that encouraged people to invest in private-market apartment buildings. Many of the region’s minimum-wage or low-income households are holding themselves […]
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The salary increases in the CUPE 15 with the city are 6.75 per cent over four years, a little bird says
October 30th, 2012 · 37 Comments
This, from a source. At staff meeting the following numbers were provided for 4 yr agreement (really 3 now due to gap between expiration of past contract and current agreement) Year 1 1.25% Year 2 1.75% Year 3 1.75% Year 4 2%
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Last pre-settlement post from CUPE 15 indicated the offer to city “reflects New Westminster” and union was getting ready to get noisy
October 28th, 2012 · 49 Comments
This from CUPE 15’s website, Oct. 26 It’s time to sign a deal. At 8:00 a.m. this morning your Bargaining Committee presented an “Offer for Settlement” to the employer’s bargaining team to renew four collective agreements covering over 2,500 CUPE 15 members. Our inclusive settlement offer was carefully built from a comprehensive package the employer […]
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Vancouver and one city union reaches deal but no details available until after vote, they say
October 28th, 2012 · 2 Comments
This seems odd to me. I can’t recall in my time hearing about the city settling with one major union (the inside workers, in this case) and not the other. And no details? Can someone enlighten me as to whether this is normal practice and I’ve somehow missed it before? Posts referring to This is […]
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