The buoyant housing market is reaching every corner of British Columbia, June sales figures show. Dollar volume sales increased in all 12 of the province’s real estate boards compared to June 2003, though three saw slight declines in the number of units sold.

Even the B.C. North Real Estate Board based in Prince George, which lagged behind other regions in sales activity at this time last year, has joined the boom, said B.C. Real Estate Association president Gordon Maroney.

“We’re really cooking on all 12 burners,” he said.

The BCREA recorded 9,566 unit sales worth $2.75 billion on the Multiple Listing Service in June, versus 9,050 sales worth $2.3 billion a year earlier. That represented a 5.7-per-cent increase in volume and an 18.5-per-cent increase in value, year over year.

The June totals were down from the previous three months, however. Home sales topped 10,000 units across the province in each of March, April and May — for the first time in three consecutive months. In March and April, dollar volumes exceeded $3 billion.

Maroney attributed the month-to-month decline to the seasonality of the business. In June buyers, sellers and realtors all begin to think about summer vacations.

“Traditionally it trails off in June, July and August and starts to pick up again around Sept. 15,” said Maroney, a Delta-based agent. While autumn sales may feel the pinch from higher interest rates, the province is still on track to surpass the record of $24.2 billion set in 2003, he said.

In the first half of this year 53,058 homes changed hands, 17.5 per cent more than the same period in 2003. The dollar total was $15.2 billion, a 34-per-cent increase year over year.

“I think we’ll do well regardless,” Maroney said of 2004 sales.

© The Vancouver Sun 2004

New owners of condominiums frequently ask, “What is strata?”

Historically, the law allowed landowners to subdivide their land into two or more separate pieces. The owner of any piece of land also owned the buildings on it.

What if the owner of a building wanted to subdivide a building into several parts with separate owners? Although owners could subdivide land, the law did not easily permit them to subdivide their buildings into separately owned parts.

As I explain in The Condominium Manual, the strata concept is the solution. A strata development is a special way of subdividing land and buildings for separate ownership with common features and shared expenses.

A strata development consists of strata lots, common property and common assets. The part of the property that an individual separately owns is called the “strata lot.” Informally, we often call this part the “strata unit” or a “condominium.”

The Condominium Manual explains the condo concept and how the Strata Property Act works, all in plain language. Among other things, the book covers strata fundamentals, strata operations, including meetings and voting, bylaws, including rental and age restrictions, and repairs. Since the first edition in 2002, the book has virtually become a standard reference tool among experienced strata property managers and realtors who focus on the strata market.

For example, strata property managers and owners regularly use The Condominium Manual to answer questions about bylaws, including rental restrictions, which are a ubiquitous source of disagreement.

Owners often ask, “If the strata corporation passes a bylaw prohibiting rentals, can I still rent my condo? There are several ways for an owner to avoid a new bylaw that restricts the owner’s ability to rent a condo.

For instance, The Condominium Manual explains how every owner automatically gets a grace period: ” … [t]he general rule is that a bylaw that prohibits or limits rentals does not apply:

* If there is a tenant occupying a strata lot at the time of the bylaw’s passage, until one year after the tenant ceases to occupy the unit, or

* One year after the bylaw is passed, whichever occurs last.

This means that in every case where a rental restriction bylaw is passed, its application must be delayed for at least one year. In cases where a rental restriction bylaw is passed while a tenant is occupying a strata lot, the bylaw will not apply until one year after that tenant has moved out.

Owners also continue to ask about the hardship exemption. They say: “If a bylaw prohibits me from renting my condo, can I still apply for permission to rent under a hardship exemption?

I prepared the newly released second edition of The Condominium Manual to keep readers up to date with many of the most important court decisions since the Strata Property Act came into force on July 1, 2000.

Als vs. The Owners, Strata Corporation NW 1067 is, perhaps, the most important new hardship case. First, although the Strata Property Act fails to define the term hardship, the Als case says the definition in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary may serve as a guideline. That work defines hardship as, “hardness of fate or circumstance, severe toil or suffering, extreme privation.”

Second, an owner who applies for a hardship exemption must present sufficient evidence to show that the rental restriction causes hardship to that owner.

Although the court did not address the extent of proof required, it is likely that an owner must show hardship on a balance of probabilities. That is, the owner must show that it is more likely than not that the rental restriction in question creates hardship to that owner.

Third, although it is relevant to show that the strata unit has decreased in market value such that the owner will suffer a loss if forced to sell the unit, this factor alone is not sufficient to prove hardship without evidence of the effect of the loss on the particular owner’s financial position.

Owners often ask me about age bylaws, typically “when is an age restriction enforceable?” In our province, the B.C. Human Rights Code treats an owner differently from a tenant.

In a development with residential rentals, an age restriction is not enforceable against tenants if the restriction sets the minimum age at less than 55 years.

For example, a strata corporation’s age-restriction bylaw that restricts occupancy to persons who have reached 45 years of age cannot be enforced against tenants who are younger than 45 because that amounts to discrimination against tenants on account of age.

Similarly, even if the tenants are older than 45 but their children are not, the bylaw cannot be applied to the children. That would amount to discrimination against the tenants on the grounds of their family status. For readers who are especially interested in this subject, The Condominium Manual devotes a chapter to explaining how age restrictions work.

Mike Mangan practices law in Vancouver and teaches at the University of B.C.

The Condominium Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to the Strata Property Act ($39.95 plus GST) is currently available at Fireside Books (2652 Arbutus) and the publisher, the British Columbia Real Estate Association (600 – 2695 Granville). It can be ordered over the phone from the real estate association’s office (604-683-7702) or over the Internet at www.bcrea.bc.ca

Members of the Condominium Home Owners’ Association may also buy the book through their organization.

© The Vancouver Sun 2004

Aging baby boomers — and what a drag it is getting old — can take solace in the fact that the B.C. housing market could hardly be kinder to them.

Those who own a home have seen historical appreciation and now they can not only choose from a bewildering array of retirement housing (no one calls them old folks homes anymore except the old folks) and can even make money in real estate while they rock on the porch.

In Greater Vancouver there are now 4,827 units of “congregate” housing that provide housekeeping, laundry and meals, up 34 per cent from just a year ago.

One-quarter are located in Vancouver; the rest mostly in Burnaby, White Rock, Langley and the Tri-Cities area.

Seniors housing is now the fastest-growing niche in the housing market and with the number of seniors over age 75 expected to increase significantly over the next 15 years, it will remain there.

Some of the higher-end projects (rents from $4,000 and up per month) have spas, fitness centres and theatre-style media rooms, beauty salons and libraries.

So how can an investor benefit from the trend?

The demand for retirement housing in B.C. is so pronounced that you can make money in the sector while waiting to retire. Investment options range from buying into a fee-simple retirement community, buying a suite in a retirement rental pool or buying shares in real estate investment trusts that specialize in the seniors market.

“If there was ever a growth market this is it,” said Gerald Parfeniuk, president of Cares Real Estate Marketing Corp. (www.caresmarketing.com/) of Coquitlam who has worked with a number of developers of strata retirement communities.

An example is the St. Andrew Lane golf-course-linked community at Parksville on Vancouver Island. At St. Andrews, homes start at around $275,000. A typical buyer selling a $600,000+ house in Greater Vancouver, can buy a retirement home and invest the rest.

CPAC, a Langley-based company (www.cpac-care.com/), takes a different approach. Having finished its White Rock (Crescent Gardens) and Langley (Langley Gardens at Walnut Grove) they now offer a third phase for the 55-plus retiree.

Says Linda Prout (604-806-1093): “This development has the ‘New York‘ lifestyle complete with concierge and an ‘upscale’ environment.”

Two-bedroom units in the Langley complex will range from $180,000 to $280,000 for some 1,280 square feet. Prout: “Seniors are looking for lifestyle, security and will use the large size TV, card rooms and special exercise equipment.” Having a very successful project, the company now is opening in Qualicum . . . The Gardens at Qualicum Beach with display suite open June 3.

Some of the retired owners invest in real estate investment trusts and publicly listed companies that focus on the retirement housing market.

The biggest in Canada is Toronto-based Retirement Residences REIT, which recently purchased Lifestyle Retirement Communities Ltd. for $140 million in a joint venture with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

Investors can also buy full-service retirement suites directly which are then placed in an organized rental agreement.

Calgary-based Investicare Group Inc., which recently completed retirement lodges in Calgary and Red Deer, is an example.

Investicare does not build the retirement properties but arranges investment packages after buying the land and getting all permits in place. The retirement lodges are full service, meaning they offer the option of three meals a day, cleaning services and round-the-clock nursing care for those who need it. The average age of residents is 82 but investors can be of any age.

Investors own the suite outright. The suites can then be placed in a rental pool until the owners use it for their own retirement home. In Red Deer, for instance, the Investicare suites sell from $99,900 to $122,900 and typical rents are $1,395 to $1,995 per month. Investors have seen cash-on-cash returns of around nine per cent. When appreciation is factored in, long-term returns could be closer to 15 to 22 per cent.

Another Alberta developer is Leaside Developments. Reports Leaside’s Michael Page: “We pick smaller communities that offer amenities suitable for retirement. They provide the users an incredible environment. For instance in Olds, Alta., our company offers in its Legacy Village (www.town.olds.ab.

ca/cib.html) full-size apartments designed with in-suite laundry and fully equipped kitchens — independence, privacy but also companionship. Featured are heated parking, oak kitchens, nine-foot ceilings, two suite cleanings per month and yep — you can have pets. Also offered are owner’s lounge, private dining room, library and computer centres, exercise and games room, woodworking shop, hydro spa and guest suites. Having sold out Phase I, Phase II is now available from $116,900 to $206,900. Look it up at www.active-seniors-housing.com

Investing in the right retirement condo offers both stable rentals and potential appreciation. For instance, in the Legacy Village project you can invest, get a 10-per-cent return and rent the unit out for now and move in later. This type of investment will become an option-rich market — benefits change from development to development.

As always, check out the owners and developers first . . . as in what did they build before and who can you call that bought one of their properties? Who does the management after all units are sold? Is there a rental pool and can you get out of you want to? Then shop for projects, realtors and developers just as you would for any other real estate.

© The Vancouver Sun 2004

Site of the proposed East Fraserlands development lies between the Fraser River and Everett Crowley Park, south of Marine Drive between Boundary Road and Kerr Street.

It’s big, it’s bold, and everybody who’s involved in creating it hopes it will be beautiful.

It will house 10,000 people, some say as many as 15,000, living in single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums and as many as 15 high-rise towers ranging in height from 15 to 22 storeys. It will include, at least according to the latest proposal, park space, a riverfront walkway, a school, community centre, child care facilities, seniors housing, non-market housing, and a commercial “high street” with shops, restaurants, a 40,000-square-foot supermarket, and an equally large drug store.

It’s the East Fraserlands project and over the next 20 years it’s going to rise like a phoenix out of the concrete ashes of a mile-long rehabilitated industrial site along the banks of the north arm of the Fraser River between Kerr Street and Boundary Road.

You don’t have to be a visionary to see the potential in the site. It’s the kind of place where you can hear sparrows sing and watch brightly painted tugboats churning up and down the river, artfully nudging log booms destined for the ceaseless maw of the nearby mills.

Chances are you haven’t heard very much about the East Fraserlands project. For about a year, the city and the developer, ParkLane Homes and WesGroup Properties, two companies controlled by Peter Wesik, have held discussions with a citizen’s group, the East Fraserlands Subcommittee, that has an avowed policy of not talking to the media.

This is a huge residential project and it’s going to influence the surrounding neighbourhoods the way a black hole influences everything around it in space. It’ll be one of the biggest residential projects ever in Vancouver, and it’s about to take place on one of the last, large, undeveloped parts of the city. The entire site, including city-owned land currently being negotiated for sale to the developer, is about 104 acres. What’s more, the city has precious little riverfront to work with, having given so much of it over to industry over the years, that this represents one of the few opportunities it will have to reclaim this valuable resource for the people of Vancouver.

Considering the stakes and the impact this project is going to have for generations to come, you’d think this would be front-page news, but eerily it all seems to be taking place in a media vacuum. Some observers of the process are beginning to think it’s about time that changed.

Last March, my wife Lisa and I, along with our two-year-old son James, moved into a townhome in West Fraserlands, a newer residential neighbourhood that butts up against East Fraserlands at the foot of Kerr. A few days after moving in, I met one of my neighbours, Ross Corrigan. Ross and his wife Ann live right across the street from us and their bedroom window looks directly onto the concrete slab that represents most of what’s left on the East Fraserland’s site following the dismantling of Weyerhauser’s Canadian White Pine Mill.

We met in the street on a lovely sunny day. After about two minutes of conversation, Ross pointed to a giant cottonwood tree located on the riverfront about 100 metres past the storm fence marking the limits of the old mill site.

“See that tree,” he said. “One day there’s going to be a 25-storey tower there. And the people who live in it will be looking right into your bedroom window.”

After a suitable period of buyer’s remorse, I decided to find out more about what was happening at East Fraserlands. At the library, I found only five news stories-four of which appeared in the Courier-about the development. I attended public meetings at the Killarney Community Centre of the East Fraserlands Subcommittee but when they saw my tape recorder, I was told that I was not welcome at EFS meetings as a journalist, despite the fact that I live closer to the site than any person who actually sits on the committee.

The reason the EFS doesn’t want the media to get involved was explained to me by committee chair Sharon Saunders. She said the committee is fearful that debating the project in public will polarize opinion, antagonize the developer and cause it to be less rather than more likely to provide what her committee feels are badly needed amenities.

In a subsequent interview with Norm Shearing, vice-president of development for the project, I told him about the committee’s views on this and he seemed genuinely surprised.

“Who said that?” he asked.

According to Michael Naylor, the city planing department’s point man on the project, the East Fraserlands project grew out of the Victoria-Fraserview/Killarney Community Vision. The vision’s statement contains little detail, except to say that if the mill, then located on the site, ever closes or relocates, “the city should initiate a major study of future uses of this area which should include consideration of a range of housing options including rowhouses, townhouses and apartments along with required park space, waterfront walkways, schools, and other public facilities and services required for the future population.”

It concludes by stating the study “should include significant public consultation,” an irony considering the city and developer have confined discussions about the project with an unelected citizen’s group that shuns the media. Some truly public, if sparsely attended meetings, have taken place, but more on that later.

The mill closed in 2002. Studies on the land’s future followed. Once it learned that the land was available, the city commissioned the Coriolis Consulting Group to prepare a financial analysis for East Fraserlands. The study, released in 2003, concluded the only way to make the project “financially attractive for rezoning” was to dial up the density and dial down the amenities (park space, community centre etc).

What did this mean? Even before the developer bought the land, it was released from providing the kinds of amenities that would normally be required in a project of this size. EFS members (at the meetings I was allowed to attend) asked the city why the park space wasn’t matching up with the city’s own target standards. At one particularly fractious meeting last May, excited committee member Rick Evans demanded to know why “we’re negotiating less park space when we should be negotiating for more.”

The answer came from project planner Naylor, who said the money to do so simply wasn’t there. But data used to support such a conclusion is not available. In a subsequent interview, I asked Naylor why the city didn’t simply release the numbers and let them speak for themselves.

“My personal preference is to show the numbers,” said Naylor, “but my superiors say I can’t do that, and the reason they give is that city council is looking after the good of the public and [city council are] the ones that get to see the numbers so they’ll make the decisions on behalf of the project.”

I asked Jay Wollenberg, president of Coriolis Consulting, about the study. “My terms of reference were to use any reasonable data that came from the proponent in terms of development costs,” he said. “Well, we actually got very little in terms of direct estimates from the developer so the modelling I did was based almost entirely on some numbers we brought, on some numbers the city brought, and some comments on some of those numbers that came from the developer. Despite several requests, we were never given detailed estimates prepared by the other side.”

Such misgivings about the study don’t concern the city’s real estate services division. “An update may be warranted once the final amenity package is negotiated and we want to test it just to make sure a year and half later that everything is sound,” said Michael Flanagan, manager of the city’s real estate services division. “But my personal belief is that not much will change in the conclusion.”

Some observers think the city had no right conduct a financial analysis at all, considering the study is now being used as a tool for cutting

back on the standard allotment of park space and amenities.

“I was shocked by the tone of the report and its disregard for market realities,” said Bob Ransford, chairman of the Urban Development Institute’s communications committee. He argues that what the city should have done was to simply say: here’s the land, here’s what we want on it in terms of parks, amenities, open spaces, walkways, building heights and commercial space-are there any takers? Developers could step up to the plate and bid.

“Instead the city is saying,” Ransford added, “‘We’re going to tell you how to make this project work from a financial point of view and we’re going to limit how much you make from it.’ But why would a developer buy a piece of land, speculate on whether or not he can get the approval of the rezoning committees, put a lot of equity on the line, wait through a process that literally takes years, in a market that’s cyclical, to earn a profit, when that profit is being controlled by some third party that has no risk?”

Good question.

Not every observer of the East Fraserlands project thinks the process should continue under a cone of silence. Vancouver parks commissioner Suzanne Anton says the time has come to “get it into the open.”

She points out the city has a target standard of 2.75 acres of parkland for every 1,000 residents. Although the East Fraserlands officially has 2.5 acres per thousand set aside (it was originally 1.5), not all of that is what most people think of as park space. The formula includes 17 acres of actual park space, .6 acres of “waterfront easement,” .5 acres of land set aside for the community centre, .5 acres of “decking” and 3.25 acres of pedestrian walkways.

The pedestrian walkways are going to be the subject of cocktail parties for years to come. If you look at the latest plan for the entire East Fraserlands project-Illustrative Plan No. 1-dated April 2004, the pedestrian walkways look more like the grand boulevards of Paris than what they really are, which is landscaped corridors people can use to walk or cycle around the neighbourhood. They’ll be big enough to kick a ball around with a toddler, like I do most days with my two year old, but that’s about it.

As for the real park land, Anton says there simply isn’t enough, and the project needs at least another six acres of it. If principles related to neighbourhood “sustainability” are to be adhered to, she says, the people who will be living in East Fraserlands should have adequate park space on which to play a game of soccer, or softball, or football, or ultimate (Frisbee), or whatever. Besides, community centres in the Victoria-Fraserview/Killarney district, not to mention the sports fields, are already stretched to the limit.

“I made the motion that the board needs to make it clear to council that the amount of park space in East Fraserlands is not enough, and that we direct staff to seek the normal park standard of 2.75 acres per acres per 1,000 residents,” says Anton.

Her motion was defeated by commissioners Heather Deal, Eva Riccius, Anita Romaniuk and Loretta Woodcock.

In an e-mail to me, Romaniuk said she voted against the motion because she wanted more information before taking a stand on that particular issue. She added, “I think it is far from certain that park space is being scaled back because talks are still going on. I am optimistic that things will be worked out.”

Complicating matters, and not just throwing a wrench into the works but a full-size toolbox, is the fact that the amenities in the East Fraserlands project aren’t just going to be used by the people who live in that neighbourhood, but also by the folks in West Fraserlands, where I live. We have no schools, community centres or shopping. We are by no means anti-development. Far from it. The sooner they build a school and decent shopping the better as far as my little family is concerned, but we’re a little skeptical at this stage. Consider the school issue.

The current plans call for one K-12 school in East Fraserlands. It will serve not only the community growing up around it, but also West Fraserlands. Crunch the numbers and we’re looking at a total school population of 1,300 (800 K-8 and 500 high school students). Is this a good thing? Vancouver School Board trustee Andrea Reimer doesn’t think so.

“That’s a whopping school,” Reimer said. “In a perfect world you wouldn’t have any elementary-age kids in any school larger than 450.”

Ideally, Fraserlands-east and west could use three schools. An annex for K-3 in East Fraserlands, a K-7

elementary school in West Fraserlands and a separate high school altogether for the teenagers.

“K-3 kids really thrive in a primary-school environment,” Reimer said. “It’s best practices.”

I don’t know how other parents feel, but I want my son to “thrive” as much as possible.

City hall staff will tell you this is all tempest-in-a-teapot stuff and that it’s still too early to say what’s really coming down the pipe. However, at the last meeting of the EFS I attended before I was declared journalistic persona non grata, developer representative Norm Shearing was on hand to assist in the unveiling of the latest plan, dated April 2004. At that meeting, city planner Michael Naylor said that planning staff was happy with the plan. Nothing’s carved in stone, he said, but it’s coming together.

In an interview, Coun. Raymond Louie told me not to worry. If the demand for services and amenities outstrips what the economic feasibility study says the developer should provide, perhaps the city will kick in the rest of the money needed to provide those amenities, he said. The way things are going, the city might not have any choice because the amenities and park space included in the current plan do not seem adequate for the number of people who will one day live alongside the banks of the river.

Despite all its efforts at playing coy, the citizens committee EFS hasn’t had much success in changing the direction this project is headed in. Consider this extract from a letter the EFS sent to council in May of this year.

“It is with concern, regret, and frustration that we write to you today. Community organizations and individuals represented here, members of the East Fraserlands Sub-committee of the Victoria-Fraserview/Killarney CityPlan Committee, have engaged in discussions with the city and the developer, ParkLane, for approximately eight months. We had hoped that needs identified by the community would be listened to and addressed in the development plan and in city policy. Although some changes have been made to the plan, key issues remain outstanding, and a serious lack of confidence in the process is developing amongst our members.”

However, in a letter to me dated June 22, EFS chair Sharon Saunders took a different tack. “The plan has changed considerably since 2003 and many of the community’s concerns have been heard,” she said. But she added: “There are enormous problems to overcome, one of which is the terrible lack of amenities in WFL. Who is responsible for making up for the shortfall in that development? We want to find solutions.

“We are concerned about the impact of 10,000 new residents in the area-the impact on traffic, and existing resources.

“We are concerned about creating a community with significant social problems if there are not enough resources available to them in that isolated area.

“We are also going to be working with the city and ParkLane to delve more deeply into various issues such as schools, community amenities, green space, outdoor recreation space etc. etc. so we, as much as is possible, thoroughly understand all the factors informing decisions and are able to make good decisions (or continue to pressure the city and the developer into making better ones).”

As mentioned above, the city has held public meetings on the East Fraserlands project-a series took place last summer and fall and more are scheduled for this fall-but as Suzanne Anton pointed out to me, the people who play soccer tend to be doing that rather than attending public meetings.

The city has a summary of these meetings-based on 72 comment sheets returned between Aug. 23 and Oct. 24, and on information gathered at an Oct. 5 community meeting-on its website. The comments indicated that residents felt the density was too high, that the proposed 28-storey towers (now down to 22 storeys) were “ugly,” and that there was too much floor space devoted to commercial aspects of the project (shops, etc). The summary also states that the “majority of residents felt that the park and open space plan did not adequately meet the needs of the proposed population.”

As Saunders pointed out, some things have indeed changed since last year. A bit of park space has been added, the amount of commercial floor space has been reduced and the building height maximum has been scaled down, but there still appears to be a wide gulf between what the city/developer is offering and what those who are aware of the project want.

All of which would seem to indicate that perhaps the time has come to “debate this in the media.”

Anyway, the good news in all of this I’ve saved for the end and my new neighbour Ross. That 25-storey tower he was so worried about on the waterfront isn’t going to happen. I’ve been assured by developer rep Shearing that nothing on the waterfront will be higher than four stories.

Ross can thank me later.

The Westbank Projects/Peterson Investment Group design mixes the modern with the heritage and saves the original building.   CREDIT: Jon Murray, The Province Millennium Development consulted with the community and came up with a ‘vertical street’ design that reflects the existing building.   Concert/Holborn’s hopes are pinned on students using space.

It was like $1.49 day when the curtain rose on the new-look Woodward’s.

Three competing visions for the landmark store on East Hastings were unveiled Friday to an excited gathering under the big W.

One of these plans for redevelopment of the Woodward’s site will be chosen in the fall, after extensive public consultation.

For Vancouver Coun. Jim Green, it’s the culmination of two decades of work saving Woodward’s for the Downtown Eastside.

“It’s been a struggle. There have been a lot of skeptics who said it couldn’t happen,” he said.

“This is the heart and soul of the Downtown Eastside. This is our past and our present and our future coming together in one structure.”

Last year, the city bought the site from the B.C. government for $5 million and a guaranteed 100 social-housing units. Work will start next year and be completed in 2007.

Green said the Woodward’s proposal has had more public input than any development in Vancouver history.

The proposals include 100 social-housing units, a native healing centre, daycare, food floor and community space.

Green admitted that the Downtown Eastside needs 2,000 social-housing units, and 100 units barely make a dent.

Jim Leyden of the Woodward’s Social Housing Coalition called the early meetings “smoke and mirrors.”

“We’d say we want 250 units of social housing, and they’d constantly write down 100,” said Leyden.

Downtown Eastside groups are planning a week of action this week to coincide with open houses at Woodward’s.

“This is our last chance to influence what’s happening,” he said.

The open houses in the W Room at 101 West Hastings are slated

for this coming Tuesday (4-8 p.m.), Thursday (1-5 p.m.), Sunday

(11 a.m.-3 p.m.) and Monday

(4-8 p.m.).

The three shortlisted designs offer very different visions:

WESTBANK PROJECTS/PETERSON INVESTMENT GROUP

Ian Gillespie, president of Westbank, said his team chose a high-quality look that mixes the modern with the heritage, including saving the original 1908 building.

“We’re going to restore this building down to every last brick,” he said. “We’re going to mix the new with the old.”

The $150-million proposal calls for 256 housing units.

It’s also got a daycare, public space and 31,000 square feet for City of Vancouver amenities.

CONCERT PROPERTIES/HOLBORN GROUP

David Podmore, president of Concert, said the theme of his $121-million project is openness.

“It opens it out to the community,” he said. “It refurbishes and restores a very major portion of the existing structure.”

He’ll carve out a large square in the centre, surrounded by smaller retailers and community uses.

His design hopes are pinned on Simon Fraser University and Vancouver Community College taking space.

“They bring about 2,000 students to the area. It helps to really animate and enliven the space,” said Podmore.

The old building will be converted into community space for the city.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT

Peter Malik of Millennium said his team consulted with the local community before deciding on its design for the $214-million project.

“The community certainly wants to be involved,” he said.

“They want to have a presence here.”

Millennium turned the existing look of Woodward’s and reflected it vertically in a red-brick tower.

“A vertical street, essentially,” he said.

The W will remain, as a public sculpture on the ground-level.

“The W has always been on top of the building, very far from the people,” said Malik.

“We thought it belonged down below with the people.”

© The Vancouver Province 2004

CREDIT: Gerry Kahrmann, The Province The Coastal Church at 1160 West Georgia will be renovated as part of the Shangri-la project. The team behind the $250-million Living Shagri-La project: Developer Ben Yeung of Peterson Investment Group, architect Janes Cheng, developer Ian Gillespieof Westbank Projects and realtor Bob Rennie.

How will Living Shangri-La alter the Vancouver skyline?

At 60 storeys and 196 metres, this behemoth at Georgia and Thurlow will exceed the current tallest building in the city — the Wall Centre — by more than 50 metres. It promises spectacular views of Stanley Park, English Bay, Coal Harbour and downtown.

Why are building heights in Vancouver limited to 180 metres? Why not go for a Manhattan skyline?

Back in 1997, city planners agonized over how to create a more interesting skyline without blocking out the North Shore mountains. Heights had been pegged at 137 metres for years. They even considered a 228-metre ceiling, but eventually chose a dome-shaped skyline with a central cluster of buildings rising to a 180-metre maximum.

How do you protect such a tall building against earthquake?

The concrete core around the elevators takes the seismic load. The core allows the building to move a little in an earthquake, but stops it from falling over.

How many elevators will there be in the building? Will some be private?

There will be 12 elevators — three for the live-work section, in which residents may run a business from their home, three in the hotel, two for the residential floors and one freight elevator. There will be no private elevators.

The first 15 floors will house 120 deluxe hotel rooms operated by the five-star Shagri-La Hotel chain from Southeast Asia – and the city’s biggest spa. Ground-floor amenities will include a fitness centre, hot tub and swimming pool. There will also be a public sculpture garden and walkway linking Georgia, Thurlow and Alberni.

How many workers will be needed to build it? What’s the most dangerous job in the project? And how many storeys will be built per week?

It’s estimated that about 1,000 construction workers will be involved, erecting more than one storey per week at the height of activity. The crane operators and concrete-forming guys have the toughest jobs, because they work so high up in the open air.

What is so special about the Living Shangri-La Hotel?

This will be the first Shangri-La hotel in North America and the first new hotel in the city since Vancouver got the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Asian hotel group is well known for its five-star luxury service, including 24-hour butler service.

What is in a deluxe hotel room?

At 50 square metres, each room will be twice the size of a standard hotel room. The bathrooms will be a spacious nine square metres. Every room will have a Sensurround stereo system and windows that open.

What about the $13-million penthouse?

The top floor can be one single luxury apartment or three separate units. It will have a 630-square-metre rooftop garden and possibly a swimming pool. It will have clear 360-degree views of Vancouver. It’s currently for sale.

What will the rooftop garden look like?

The garden “crown,” currently being designed by landscape architects, will reflect the city’s natural look, with local plants and trees. It’s for resident use only. There will also be a herb garden on the roofs of the restaurants nearer to ground level.

On the ground floor, what can people expect to see?

There will be an Urban Fare grocery store, four restaurants and a number of retail stores. A public sculpture garden and walkway will feature art installations curated by the Vancouver Art Gallery.

During the day, the glass will reflect the changing light. At night, there will be glowing solar-powered lights. The roof lighting will have a “lantern effect.”

How will Living Shangri-La affect city viewscapes?

As the most dominant building on the block, it will sport the best views of Vancouver. The penthouse will be the highest home in the city, with the best view. Some views from nearby buildings will be affected.

It’s billed as the greenest-ever building in the city. Why?

Living Shangri-La will be energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable. All of its building materials and glazing will reduce energy load.

What’s cool about architect James Cheng’s design? Why does the building appear triangular in shape?

Cheng, an exciting architect who designed the Terminal City Club tower and the Virgin Records site, wanted a landmark building that was world-class. The building’s elegant shape was designed to limit its blocking sightlines of the mountains. By cutting off two corners of an otherwise-square building, more views from the buildings alongside and behind it are preserved.

Where are the other six sites for 180-metre skyscrapers?

550 Burrard is the only other site already pegged for a 180-metre skyscraper. The other potential sites, with heights now below 180 metres, are at 801 and 1030 West Georgia, 401 Burrard and at 550 Bute and 1178 West Pender. As well, city planners have recently had an inquiry about another possible skyscraper at 1153 West Georgia.

[email protected]

INSIDE THE LIVING SHANGRI-LA

– The 60th storey will include a penthouse suite expected to sell for $13 million.

– Floors 43 to 60 will consist of some 66 private-access “residential estates.” Prices will run from $1.5 milllion for the two-bedroom homes to that cool $13 million for the penthouse on the 60th floor.

Suites will feature top-of-the-line fittings and fixtures as well as private balconies.

Between the 48th and 53rd floors, trees will fill an arboretum — and that’s in addition to the city’s highest rooftop garden, a private, 630-square-metre den of native trees and plants.

– Floors 16 to 42 will feature one- and two-bedroom condos ranging in price from $400,000 to $1 million.

At between 54 and 145 square metres, they’ll be spacious, but not as spacious as the penthouse, which will sprawl across 900 square metres.

These are live-work residential units under the city’s new zoning scheme, intended to accommodate the needs of people who run a business out of their home.

– The first 15 floors will house 120 deluxe hotel rooms operated by the five-star Shangri-La Hotel chain from Southeast Asia — and the city’s biggest spa.

Ground-floor amenities will include a fitness centre, hot tub and swimming pool. There will also be a public sculpture garden and walkway linking Georgia, Thurlow and Alberni.

© The Vancouver Province 2004

VANCOUVER – Jim Green, the unofficial mayor of the Downtown Eastside, ushered in the next stage of the Woodward’s redevelopment project Friday and declared it “the heart and soul” of the dilapidated neighbourhood and its hope for its future.

The three developer teams that made the short list unveiled their models and conceptual design schemes, and project officials said construction work could begin as early as next year with the first tenants moving in as early as late 2006.

Green and his backers hope the redevelopment, which could cost up to $100 million, will pump some life into the surrounding area, stimulating the return of shops and other businesses without driving the current residents away.

All three design proposals would add new buildings or towers to the site in the 100-block of West Hastings, and all would open up the old department store building to allow public access to a central courtyard.

City council is to select the winning proposal in September and then has to find an agency to operate the 100 or more social housing units the city wants included, and negotiate a final agreement with the developer.

All three proposals would retain the big “W” that has marked the Vancouver skyline for decades. Two would keep it approximately where it is on the roof of the old store. The third would bring it down to the ground and use it as a monumental feature of the courtyard.

Green, his eyes glistening, said he has been working on plans for the site since 1985, seven years before the family-owned Woodward’s department store finally closed.

He said the social housing units are the key to revitalizing the run-down neighbourhood without kicking out the people who live there now.

“That’s who it’s for, primarily,” he said, adding, “It’s for all of us. It’s for the city, it’s for the business community, and it’s really and truly the heart and soul of the Downtown Eastside.”

“This is our past and our present and our future, coming together in one structure.”

The neighbourhood needs the work. The block across Hastings from the Woodward’s site is especially run down, with many buildings empty or partly empty, the several remaining storefronts protected by iron bars and every building deeply stained with decades of accumulated dirt, pollution and pigeon droppings.

Shortly before Friday’s unveiling in “Room W” in the northeast corner of the old Woodward’s store, half a dozen young street people clustered by a barred storefront across the street, apparently smoking crack cocaine and breaking into herky-jerky dance movements.

The unveiling was a busy gathering of about 200 city councillors and bureaucrats, MLAs, developers and designers and their staff members, Downtown Eastside activists and media.

The three remaining development teams are:

– Millennium Development Corp. with Peter Malek as developer and architect Stu Lyon and consulting companies Brook Development Consultants and Monkey Forest Consulting.

– Westbank Projects/Peters Investment Group, with Ian Gillespie acting as the developer and architect Gregory Henriquez.

Concert Properties, headed by David Podmore, and Simon Lin for the Holborn Group with architects Ron Yuen and Mark Whitehead.

The most likely anchor tenant for the project is Simon Fraser University‘s School of Contemporary Arts, which has been renting studio space in the area for years and has been looking for a permanent home. The University of B.C.‘s school of architecture and Vancouver Community College‘s jewelry program are also interested.

SFU vice-president Warren Gill said the university has had a presence in downtown Vancouver for 25 years, “and by bringing our School of Contemporary Arts here we believe that we can contribute to the revitalization of this great building.”

First Nations, Downtown Eastside groups and residents will all be invited to participate in fleshing out the design between now and September.

Green acknowledged the project can’t save the Downtown Eastside on its own. Asked whether 100 social housing units is enough, he said he had hoped to have 400 units in the redevelopment, and “we need 2,000 for this community.”

© The Vancouver Sun 2004

Woodward’s timetable

Vancouver Sun

Saturday, July 10, 2004

Here is a timetable for events related to the redevelopment of the old Woodward’s department store site in the 100-block of West Hastings:

-Open houses to view project models and other displays in Room W,

101 W. Hastings St.:

– Today, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tuesday, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Thursday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday July 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday July 19, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

-Representatives of the short-listed developers were to attend today’s session, and one on Sunday, July 18.

-After July 18, the models will be on display on the third floor of City Hall until Sept. 15.

-Tuesday, July 20: City council to be briefed on the proposals.

-Wednesday, July 21, 3 p.m.: The city’s urban design planning and heritage commissions meet at City Hall to make their recommendations. This meeting is open to the public.

-Thursday, Sept. 9: Open House at 101 W. Hastings for an overview of city staff recommendations to city council.

-Tuesday, Sept. 14: City council discusses the staff report.

-Wednesday Sept. 15: City council hears from public delegations before making a decision.

© The Vancouver Sun 2004

There’s no end in sight for home-buying enthusiasm — or for home-price increases — across the Lower Mainland.

Greater Vancouver recorded the highest price increases in Canada in the second quarter of 2004, figures released yesterday show.

Royal LePage Real Estate Services said the average price of a detached bungalow in Greater Vancouver climbed 13.2 per cent in the past year to $462,086 while a similar Victoria home increased by 10.4 per cent to $286,000.

The average price of a detached Canadian bungalow rose 6.8 per cent to $249,200.

High prices do not appear to have discouraged home buyers. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said condo sales rose 10.4 per cent last month while townhouse sales were up 8.8 per cent. Sales of single-family homes declined by 12.7 per cent.

Overall housing sales for the year are running 17 per cent ahead of last year.

Year-over-year increases in house prices range from 10.3 per cent in Burnaby to 35 per cent in Port Moody and Belcarra, the real-estate board said.

“We don’t see any sign of a significant slowdown,” said board president Andrew Peck.

“Even with slight increases in mortgage rates, buyers are not shying away from this market. We would need to see a signifi-cant shift in mortgage rates and an economic slowdown in the province to curb buyer enthusiasm,” he added.

That “enthusiasm” has spread across Canada.

“Demand has remained steadfast and strong in the past several years, with vigorous activity only limited by a shortage of supply,” Royal LePage CEO Phil Soper said.

– – –

June house prices

MEDIAN SELLING PRICES Detached homes Attached homes Apartments

June 2004 June 2003 % change June 2004 June 2003 % change June 2004 June 2003 % change

Abbotsford $285,000 $238,000 19.7% $186,000 $147,000 26.5% $109,000 $93,000 17.2%

Burnaby $459,000 $416,000 10.3% $297,500 $250,000 19.0% $195,400 $162,700 20.1%

Coquitlam $400,000 $329,900 21.2% $281,500 $238,000 18.3% $159,900 $140,000 14.2%

Delta North $317,500 $275,000 15.5% $187,000 $154,000 21.4% $59,500 n/a n/a

Delta South $401,000 $352,500 13.8% n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Langley $335,000 $298,000 12.4% $222,800 $189,900 17.3% $142,500 $118,000 20.8%

Maple Ridge $330,000 $269,900 22.3% $188,500 $159,900 17.9% $123,500 $121,500 1.6%

Mission $253,000 $204,000 19.7% $166,500 $142,500 16.8% $95,000 $84,000 13.1%

New Westminster $392,000 $312,000 25.6% n/a n/a n/a $162,000 $120,000 35.0%

North Vancouver $579,000 $480,000 20.6% $387,000 $323,000 19.8% $214,000 $175,000 22.3%

Port Coquitlam $341,000 $269,000 26.8% $238,900 $220,000 8.6% $115,000 $114,000 0.9%

Port Moody / Belcarra $470,500 $348,500 35.0% $170,000 $181,500 -6.3% $189,000 n/a n/a

Richmond $439,000 $360,000 21.9% $296,000 $238,000 24.4% $203,500 $154,900 31.4%

Squamish $330,000 $275,000 20.0% $238,000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Sunshine Coast $242,500 $207,000 17.1% n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Surrey $343,000 $292,000 17.5% $211,000 $193,500 9.0% $136,000 $106,000 28.3%

Vancouver Westside $780,000 $705,000 10.6% $422,000 $370,000 14.1% $269,000 $223,900 20.1%

Vancouver Eastside $438,000 $350,000 25.1% $304,000 $261,000 16.5% $186,000 $134,000 38.8%

West Vancouver / Howe Sound $880,000 $745,000 18.1% n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

White Rock $458,000 $387,500 18.2% $328,000 $269,000 21.9% $192,500 $170,000 13.2%

Sources: Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board

Ran with fact box “June house prices”, which has been appended to the story.

© The Vancouver Province 2004

It is too soon to signal the end of British Columbia‘s housing boom, economists say.

Escalating prices and rising interest rates suggest residential construction will make less of a contribution to economic growth than in the past few years, but it won’t be weak, says economist Craig Wright of RBC Financial Group.

“We are looking for the housing market to soften across Canada, but we are not looking for it to crash,” Wright said Tuesday.

Despite the outlook for higher interest rates, some lenders are dropping fixed-term mortgage rates by an average of 0.15 of a percentage point today in response to declining yields in the bond market where they borrow their money.

“I think that is indicative that rates are not going to get out of hand here in the next year or two,” said Helmut Pastrick, chief economist at the Credit Union Central of B.C.

While RBC Financial Group expects the prime rate to rise by two full percentage points between now and the end of 2005, Pastrick anticipates about half that.

He sees further gains in B.C.’s housing market next year and no major correction in sight thanks to economic growth, which is expected to lead the country, and a “relatively large” pool of potential first-time buyers.

In its financial outlook released Tuesday, RBC says rising rental vacancy rates, along with declining population growth rates in the 25-39 age group, point to diminishing influence on the housing market from first-time buyers.

“Slower demand will lead to less construction but, without the excess supply glut seen in the late 1980s, a relatively balanced market is expected during the next few years.”

Peter Simpson, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, says there are no signs to date that higher prices and higher borrowing costs are hurting new home sales.

“There are a lot of new projects coming on stream in the suburbs, and sales of new single-family homes are still very, very strong in all areas of the Lower Mainland, with no indication of softer prices,” he said.

“Interest rates are still at historic lows and we’re still benefiting from huge pent-up demand from first-time buyers.”

Simpson added that figures due to be released by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. on Friday are expected to show housing starts in the Greater Vancouver region were up in June, compared to the same month last year, and are also up for the first six months of the year, compared to last year.

© The Vancouver Sun 2004