Emerging location a major draw

Kerry Moore
Province

The suites have a contemporary feel, with bedrooms encased in sliding glass doors. Photograph by : Gerry Kahrmann, The Province

The Ginger building’s design embraces its Chinatown location with a strong contemporary component to the suites, including glass-encased bedrooms. GERRY KAHRMANN PHOTOS – THE PROVINCE

Cabinets are white wood grain with stainless edging

Ginger is the place for first-time city buyers.

“We are where Yaletown was 12 years ago and likely will have the same appeal for young people,” says David Porte, president of Porte Development. “These people love the city and want to be in the middle of its energy.”

It may also appeal to hockey fans. Situated at Main and East Georgia, Ginger is four blocks from GM Place and the 2010 Olympic hockey games. “This is the place to be,” laughs Porte, “if you can get a ticket.”

Ginger’s location in the heart of thriving Chinatown is just the beginning of its story.

“This is an emerging location: Strathcona is on one side, the Olympic village just a few blocks away, while sports arenas and shopping are on the doorstep. Ginger gives residents an opportunity to be in the area as it emerges around them.” Porte adds that St. Paul‘s Hospital has a proposal for another hospital adjacent to the VIA Rail station, so health care, too, will be close.

Porte Development’s commitment to the neighbourhood includes absorbing elements of Chinatown.

“The architects, who also are on the Olympic project, took design cues from traditional buildings but did not copy directly to ensure a contemporary tone.”

While Ginger will have brick exteriors, recessed balconies and metal railings — all design elements common to the neighbourhood, says Porte, “ours will be an up-to-date version of the area’s orange and green balconies.”

The building’s interior will be contemporary with unique features.

“Images of Chinatown will be laminated on each hallway door, so getting out of the elevator will be like entering an art gallery.”

A sense of something different extends to the interior of the condos.

“Each suite should feel like an open, welcoming space,” says Porte. “To unify it, all the rooms have bamboo floors, except for tile in the bathrooms. In most suites, bedrooms are enclosed in sliding glass doors to emphasize the openness.” Adding to that feeling are the balconies, which Porte considers part of the living space. Most are 20 to 25 feet wide and covered, he notes. Outdoor fireplaces are possible as an upgrade.

Kitchens come with a full stainless appliance package; washer and dryer are an upgrade. In the studios, says Porte, “buyers can get a built-in Murphy bed as an upgrade.”

There are unexpected choices in colours. While cabinetry and walls are the same throughout the building — cabinets are white wood grain with stainless edging, walls a clay beige — the personality is in the details: from a list of five colours, buyers select one for a glass stripe in bathrooms, backsplash tile and counter tops in kitchens.

Ginger’s buyer-friendly advantages include ensuite storage in almost every suite. “If it’s not in the suite, it’s elsewhere in the building,” notes Porte.

There are 60 underground parking spaces. One is included with each of the two-bed and penthouse suites, while other units can purchase a space.

Already located in a shopping hub, retail will increase with Ginger’s development. The ground floor of the building will be retail and, on the land adjacent to Ginger, there will be 200 linear feet of new retail.

Retail and domestic occupancy is aimed for early fall, 2009, “just in time to settle in before the Olympics.”

GINGER

What: Nine-storey midrise

tower, containing 78 condos.

Where: 718 Main St., Vancouver‘s Chinatown District.

Developer: Porte Development Corp.

Sizes: Studio, 470 sq. ft.; one- bed, 567 sq. ft.; one-bedroom and flex, 670 sq. ft.; two-bedroom, 825 sq. ft.; penthouses, 1030 sq. ft.

Prices: From $268,800

Open: Display suite, 663 Gore St. Information: www.gingerliving.com or 604-785-0146.

© The Vancouver Province 2007

It takes an icon to know another

Gordon Price
Sun

In the new millennium, city hall relaxed restrictions on the height of downtown Vancouver buildings. Above, the Ritz-Carleton project, Below The Georgia new home project.

Your eyes won’t have to drift very far from this column, I’m betting, before you find the word “iconic.”

These days, developers and their marketing departments all want something iconic — at least the imprimatur, if not necessarily the architecture. Some will simply name the building after the “I” word and call it a day. But assemble a group of architects, and you can be sure that they’ll bemoan our icon deficit. Too much green glass, not enough titanium.

Some architecture students even held an international competition recently — “pototype” — to challenge the prevailing orthodoxy of the “Vancouver style.” At a panel discussion, all agreed: Vancouver may be good at background buildings, but how about something gutsy in the foreground?

Or at least something taller. That was the option Vancouver pursued at the beginning of this century, when the traditional downtown height limit was shattered in return for a commitment to more adventurous architecture. You’ll be able to judge for yourself on Georgia Street, when at least three new super-talls open around the Olympics.

But one voice is already urging caution — and it’s a voice worth heeding. It comes with perspective.

Ray Spaxman was recruited as city planner by Vancouver‘s leadership in 1973, when the public was in full flight from the excesses of modernism and out-of-control development.

Only a decade and a half previously, the tallest building in the West End was the Sylvia Hotel. (“Dine in the Sky” said the sign on the roof.) And not many people thought several hundred concrete slabs had really improved our urban ambience all that much.

Spaxman was responsible for changing the way planning and development was done in this city — and he summed it up in one word: “neighbourliness.” A building had to be respectful of its neighbours, and of the citizens on the street. Nothing expresses that better than the canopies which now make it possible to walk downtown on a rainy day without having to take an umbrella.

Buildings, in other words, had to be more than sculptural objects on vacant plazas — “pigs in space,” as some planners call them. It didn’t matter how “iconic” a building was if it selfishly ignored the urban environment in which it dwelt. The best bad example: the original Eaton’s at Pacific Centre, with its acres of blank white walls. Very iconic, very unfriendly.

Spaxman fears that “iconic” may be just a shorter word for ostentatious.

His contributions to Vancouver are, as they said of another English architect, all around us if we only look.

Spaxman served at city hall for 16 years, he transformed a bureaucracy, and he trained a generation of planners who carried on his legacy.

By any standard, he deserves the title of “Paradise-maker” — one of those leaders from the 1970s and ’80s who not only felt an obligation to maintain the quality of life and the environment in the Lower Mainland, but to make it better.

– – –

Former Vancouver city councillor Gordon Price is director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University. He prepared these comments on the occasion of a public ”interview” of Ray Spaxman

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

Sun

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Canada‘s national housing agency, is a Gold Sponsor of the Urban Development Institute’s Awards for Excellence, Innovations in Community Building.

CMHC is committed to helping Canadians access a wide choice of quality, environmentally sustainable homes – homes that will continue to create vibrant and healthy communities and cities across the country.

One of the ways that CMHC helps Canadians in all parts of the country to access a wide range of innovative and affordable financing choices is through the provision of mortgage loan insurance. Mortgage loan insurance helps consumers buy a home with little or no money down and enjoy the competitive interest rates normally reserved for home buyers who make a larger down payment.

Since CMHC introduced Canadians to mortgage loan insurance in 1954, it has facilitated the financing of more than nine million homes – helping generations of Canadians achieve their dream of homeownership.

CMHC also helps to ensure a steady supply of low-cost funds for residential mortgages by guaranteeing timely payment on a range of mortgage-based securities; and by being Canada‘s only provider of mortgage loan insurance for multi-family properties, including rental accommodation and nursing and retirement homes.

Through CMHC’s Research and Information Transfer activities, CMHC also plays an important role in promoting housing affordability and sustainability by offering workshops and forums to share information on best building practices. For example, the Workshop for Sustainable Planning and Development for Small Communities is designed specifically for municipal decision makers and offers practical approaches and decision-making tools to help participants engage in successful sustainable development.

The Affordable Housing Ideas Tool, available on the website, provides information on a variety of strategies to promote housing affordability. Affordable Housing Web Forums allow participants from across Canada to share affordable housing solutions and help affordable housing providers learn about the successes and challenges faced by others.

CMHC works with provincial, territorial, nongovernmental partners and the private sector to deliver the federal government’s housing agenda by encouraging the design, development, provision and operation of affordable housing for all Canadians.

CMHC helps thousands of low- and moderate-income Canadians by continuing to contribute to maintaining the existing social housing stock in good condition. The Federal Government, through CMHC, spends approximately $239.9 million in support of some 74,150 lower-income households across B.C. through existing social housing programs. In addition, CMHC, through bilateral housing agreements signed with the Province of B.C., is also contributing approximately $130 million for new affordable housing initiatives in B.C. that will benefit low-income individuals, seniors and families.

As well, CMHC provides funding for renovations, emergency repairs and home adaptations to preserve the supply of low-cost housing, such as rooming houses and shelters, and helps low-income Canadians make needed repairs to improve the health, safety and accessibility of their home.

And, finally, CMHC’s Partnerships Centre works with clients from the non-profit and private sectors, municipalities and others to help create affordable housing that does not require ongoing government subsidy. Since it was first established in 1991, the CMHC Partnership Centre has facilitated the creation of more than 40,000 affordable housing units across Canada.

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

Improved Protection for New Home Buyers

Sun

“These changes will provide improved consumer protection and will raise the level of professionalism in B.C.’s residential construction industry,” said Ken Cameron, CEO of the Homeowner Protection Office.

The amendments to the Homeowner Protection Act:

– Strengthen licensing requirements for residential builders;

– Require anyone wishing to build a home under the owner-builder exemption to meet more stringent criteria and pay a fee;

– Strengthen enforcement provisions including compliance orders and penalties; and

– Provide an internal review and independent appeal process for both licensed builders and owner builders; and

– Permit the Homeowner Protection Office (HPO) to provide more information on builders and homes via a public registry available online.

“The Homeowner Protection Amendment Act represents a ‘big win’ for both consumer protection and the residential construction industry and have been welcomed across the province,” said Cameron.

These improvements to consumer protection were developed in a partnership approach with government and industry through the Homeowner Protection Office. They are the result of extensive consultation by the HPO with the residential construction industry, local government and consumer representatives who recognize that the purchase of a new home is the largest transaction most consumers will make in their lifetime.

The amendments were based on recommendations from the discussion paper, “Raising the Bar: Enhancing Professionalism in B.C.’s Residential Construction Industry,” which was prepared by the HPO in partnership with government and industry.

The Homeowner Protection Office is a Crown Corporation with a mandate to strengthen consumer protection for new home buyers, help bring about improvement to the quality of residential construction in British Columbia, and support research and education with respect to residential construction. The HPO is a proud sponsor of the UDI Awards of Excellence which honour projects representing superior and innovative forms of development by members of the Urban Development Institute.

– For more information about the HPO visit www.hpo.bc.ca or phone toll-free: 1-800-407-7757.

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

Sun

1168 Richards, MetroLiving

Pomaria

The Melville

Bowman Lofts

The Urban Development Institute (UDI) is an association of the real estate development industry and related professions. It has a mandate to promote wise and efficient land use, good planning and progressive development practices that lead to sustainable communities.

Established 35 years ago in 1972 with what UDI Executive Director Maureen Enser says was a “handful of individuals”, the Institute now boasts over 480 corporate members responsible for 250,000 jobs throughout BC and the injection of $23 billion into the provincial economy annually.

UDI acts in three main areas: government relations, professional development and research. It promotes leading edge land development and housing policies and outlines it’s goals as improving communication between the public, development industry and levels of government, while enhancing housing and job opportunities for all British Columbians.

UDI also plays a role for the consumer, serving as a resource for research, professional information and all questions relating to housing, commercial, industrial and institutional development.

As partners in community building and on the forefront of the discussion of how to best create sustainable communities, UDI’s membership includes experts in urban planning, architecture and engineering, finance, government agencies as well as investors and developers.

About the Awards

The Urban Development Institute’s Awards for Excellence honour projects representing superior and innovative forms of development by members of the Institute. The Institute’s own values and principles are the standards against which all projects are measured.

“We respect the land, acknowledging it to be distinct and irreplaceable, recognizing that the impact of our developments will last for generations. We strive to create a wider understanding of sound land use and development principles and practices. We value heritage, the power of a place to grow in significance over time. We value development which recognizes economic stability in the larger framework of sustaining the human environment”.

This year’s Awards program recognizes and celebrates innovations in community building by members of the Institute and our partner organizations.

Metro Living, 1168 RichardS St.: Developer: The Townline Group of Companies

Mid-Rise Multi-Family Development

Five to nine storeys with a central entrance.

– – –

The objective was to create architecturally distinctive and modern, yet intimate boutique residences. Six storeys high, the lofts are nestled between buildings in Yaletown, designed to complement rather than overpower neighbouring buildings. As an urban-infill development, the project was born from an underutilized property – a 50-foot parking lot — and helped to catalyse revitalization in the neighbourhood.

One of their most innovative features are the enclosed balconies’ garage-door window walls, the first of their kind to pass B.C.’s stringent residential building-envelope restrictions, a collaboration between Townline and Creative Doors. At the push of a button, the doors slide rapidly and virtually silently upward, blurring indoor/outdoor boundaries. The balconies appear to meld with the shrubs and lawns of Emery Barnes Park across the street.

Concern for the environment has been shown through the use of energy-efficient appliances, Low-E windows and natural-gas fireplaces to reduce the strain on natural resources. Extensive use of custom millwork allows all multi-media wiring to be concealed while creating artistic-display niches and gives an enhanced sense of flow between different areas.

The jury called the project “gutsy and innovative.” And added that “it demonstrates that mid-rise developments are now a viable alternative to a more conventional high-rise tower for people wanting to live in the downtown and elsewhere in the region.”

“We at Townline are very proud to have our 1168 Richards development recognized by UDI at its recent awards ceremony,” said Rick Illich, president, The Townline Group of Companies. “1168 Richards is one of those special buildings that would not have been possible without the vision and dedicated efforts of the Townline team and its group of outstanding consultants.”

Pomaria: Developer: Qualex Landmark Group

High-Rise Multi-Family Development

10 storeys or more with a central entrance.

– – –

Located in False Creek between the Burrard and Granville Street bridges, Pomaria is one of the last full-block sites in downtown Vancouver. As such, it was felt that it should serve as an example and a benchmark of original architecture and sustainable living.

The objective was to create a distinctive structure with larger, more livable homes in a building that used LEED Silver guidelines to be energy-efficient and environmentally responsible.

Pomaria’s most notable feature was the creation of “sky gardens” – a pair of architecturally unique, three-storey gardens, the inspiration for its name, which means “a treed area.” An imposing structure at 300 feet, the building was designed so that each home would have an outside corner, offering better views, more natural light and improved air circulation.

The jury found that “Pomaria radiates with edginess and urbanism.” Chris Colbeck, vice-president, sales and marketing for Qualex said: “We are thrilled to have had Pomaria recognized by the UDI as the Best High-Rise Development for the 2007 awards. We are a small dedicated group of professionals who seek out and place our trust in Vancouver‘s highly talented resource pool to help achieve our vision; without this exceptional group of allies Pomaria would not have been possible.

“This level of excellence is what we at Qualex-Landmark aim to achieve with every residential project we undertake. For those of you who have helped us develop and build our homes, and for those of you who have placed their trust in us and purchased a home, we thank you for your continued support.”

The Melville: Developer: Amacon

Mixed Use

A development consisting of a residential component with one or more of the following uses: retail, office, hotel or industrial.

– – –

Developed by Amacon, designed as a landmark residential tower which would be instantly recognizable on the downtown skyline, The Melville integrates a unique residential tower with hotel, retail and office space.

One of Vancouver‘s tallest buildings, its 400-foot height was earned under a special design-panel review which determined it achieved “architectural excellence in world terms” by virtue of its unique architecture featuring copper cladding, a distinctive lit-glass sail and a rooftop sky garden, pool and hot tub. Architects were flown in from out of town to assist in the special planning required.

Adding to its luxury and prestige is the Loden Hotel, available to tower residents.

Due to its location one block from the heart of the Central Business District and SkyTrain, the Melville was able to further the city’s goal of densification in the downtown area, while its mixed-use nature encourages street activity in the surrounding areas throughout the day.

The development also provided a home for Volunteer Vancouver, a non-profit organization and supported the restoration of heritage sites through the acquisition of a significant quantity of heritage density.

The jury noted that “The Melville was a tremendous undertaking,” and that it “seamlessly integrates a unique residential tower with the hotel, retail and office space.”

Amacon vice-president, development Richard Wittstock said his company was “very proud of the award and very proud of the project. It really brings together a lot of different elements in terms of residential, hotel, retail, office and social-amenity space dedicated to the city of Vancouver.”

Bowman Lofts: Developer: The Salient Group

Revitalization, Renovation or Heritage

An existing project (residential, commercial, office or industrial) which has been renovated for new uses; or the reuse of a heritage building.

Project objectives were to recapture and celebrate the original grace and style of a significant, yet under-utilized deteriorating heritage building, the first brick structure built in this block in Vancouver’s historic Victory Square neighbourhood, formerly a warehouse for paint and industrial products such as tires and rubber.

Rehabilitation of the 1906 building in the 500 block of Beatty Street included the reconstruction of structural, seismic and building systems in this nine-storey masonry and timber building. Original wooden double-hung windows were refurbished, the original upper tin and timber cornice restored and brick work repointed and repainted. Timber beams and columns that were removed were re-milled to serve as stair treads or recycled into other projects.

Bowman Lofts’ 38 homes represent a diverse mix, including open-plan heritage flats and two-storey lofts, contemporary penthouses, sub-penthouses and below street-level suites.

Salient and the Bowman team worked in partnership with the city to modify existing neighbourhood and heritage policies that would facilitate the rehabilitation and change of use from historic to residential in Victory Square. Extensive work with the building department was also required to reconcile the demands of the current building code with the realities of adding two steel, glass and zinc storeys.

The jury commented: “Bowman Lofts was the hardest project to do successfully due to the unique target market.”

Project architect Gair Williamson noted that “the portfolio of Robert Fung and his teams challenges the orthodoxies of current development practice with a responsible vision of community that is deserving of this recognition. I am therefore delighted that UDI has once more recognized the Salient Group for their inspiring dedication to excellence in urban design.”

Sun

Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun

The Chinatown into which Ginger’s developer is inserting almost 80 new homes is North America’s second largest. It is also the last of the original downtown commercial neighbourhoods to undergo rejuvenation and transformation. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun

The Chinatown into which Ginger’s developer is inserting almost 80 new homes is North America’s second largest. It is also the last of the original downtown commercial neighbourhoods to undergo rejuvenation and transformation. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun

Ginger’s kitchen specifications include a gas cooktop and convection wall oven from AEG; a bottom-freezer LG refrigerator with bottom-mount freezer; a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher drawer; and a Panasonic microwave.;Upper-cabinetry doors will be finished in a white gloss; lower-cabinetry in wood.;Backsplashes will be an invitation for buyers to declare their attachments and preferences: They will selected by five colours, ‘Rahda Red,’ ‘Bombast Black,’ ‘White Rice,’ ‘Jade Aqua’ and ‘Green Tea.’;’We really wanted to bring Chinatown into the project,’ says Ginger’s developer, David Porte Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun

Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun

Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun

Spiced, the Ginger sales literature says of the floor-to-ceiling-plus inset, of glass tile, in the tub surround and skirt and bathroom floor. Who’s to argue? Vanity storage will be provided by drawers (facing page) and not the all-too-common empty space behind two doors.;Tub-and-shower combinations will be more common than separated showers and tubs (some plans).;Outside-the-home features of the Ginger new-home project will included a restricted-floor-access elevator; a camera-monitored entrance intercom; and gated underground parking. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun

Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun

GINGER

Project: Concrete nine-storey building with 78 condos (studios, one and two bedrooms)

Presentation Centre: 663 Gore St.

Developer: Porte Development

Architect: Gomberoff Bell Lyon

Interior Designer: BYU Design

Size range: 454 — 1,100 sq. ft.

Price range: $268,800 — $900,000s

Website: www.gingerliving.com

Telephone: 604-688-5005

Occupancy: Fall 2009

—

Westcoast Homes

Ginger, the latest new-home project in and around Vancouver‘s Chinatown, is a lovely demonstration of the role of cultural cues or prompts in architecture.

Located at East Georgia and Main, Ginger’s architecture will speak of the older architecture nearby, nine floors — not an end-of-history 19 or 29 or 39 — of brick cladding, recessed balconies and iron railings.

Exterior colours, however, will declare the building an addition to the historic streetscape: Orange and green — two colours associated with both the modern palette and with old Chinatown — will be featured on glass panels on the outside railings.

Inside the Ginger building, 11 different photographs of historic Chinatown will dress up the homes’ front doors. It’s an uncommon, but not unheard-of front-door treatment: The front doors of the nearby Woodward’s homes will receive a graphic treatment, of bright artwork. The doors to the rooms of a Seattle hotel, the Max, have been dressed up with copies of artwork from the hotel owner’s collection.

The bright exterior green will also be used as a decorative accent in the interiors. A strip of multi-coloured green tiles will be inserted into tub surrounds. The kitchen quartz countertops are available in green, bright red, aqua, black or white. And the living room, which features a Chinese daybed, has engineered bamboo flooring, also used in the kitchen and bedroom. Bamboo images are also painted on the walls of the bedroom, giving the interior a definite Eastern flair.

“We really wanted to bring Chinatown into the project,” says David Porte, the 39-year-old president of Porte Development. “Let’s embrace where we are. It’s a cool place. It’s alive. It’s always been a bustling place, full of people.”

Indeed Vancouver‘s Chinatown, the second largest in North America, has always been a culturally and architecturally vibrant area of the city. But there was a time, says Porte, when the neighbourhood seemed untouched by new development, even though the areas around it — Strathcona to the east, Yaletown to the west and Gastown to the north — were hotbeds of development.

“The neighbourhood is on the move,” he says. “Take a look around: you can see how everything’s moving eastward. It began with the Concord developments, and continues with the Olympic Village and the Woodward’s District. We’re very excited to be on the leading edge of this Chinatown renaissance.”

Excited, too, are those eager to make the Ginger properties their homes: 45 of the 78 condos sold on the opening day of sales last Sunday.

Porte, who purchased the Ginger location and adjacent London Hotel in the 700-block of Main Street for $5 million last year, plans to refurbish the hotel, providing 45 social housing suites, and adding over 9,000 square feet of new streetfront retail.

Porte expects many of Ginger’s buyers will be young singles or young couples, as well as first-time buyers who have been priced out of Yaletown, but still want to live in an urban neighbourhood. He

So it’s no surprise that instead of having your typical fitness/media centre, Ginger residents will have access to a high-tech Wii Room with play station and a dry bar.

Suites start at $268,800 for a 454-square-foot studio apartment and go up to the $900,000s for the 12 two-bedroom upper-floor suites with over 1,100 square feet. All the condos have generous 100-square-foot balconies with room for a barbecue or outdoor fireplace. Two of the units on the 8th and 9th floors have an additional 500 square feet of deck space facing the north and west.

The kitchens also come with a stainless steel appliance package and there’s built-in storage in the units in all plans but one. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in natural light and an opaque sliding glass door separates the bedroom from the main living space.

“This is going to be a pretty exciting building when it’s done,” says Porte. “It will be fun.”

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

Stoppage played havoc with schedules and delayed home renos

Peter Simpson
Sun

Ask builders to describe last November, December and January, and they’ll likely recall howling winds, torrential rain, heavy snow and flooding. Construction slowed to a crawl.

Following the cruel hand dealt by Mother Nature, home-building activity quickened, and builders looked forward to summer when tradespeople would make up most of the time lost.

Then something quite unexpected happened: Vancouver‘s civic workers went on strike.

Ask builders to describe July, August and September, and they’ll likely recall picket lines, no building permits, few inspections and mounting costs. Construction slowed to a crawl.

Who’s to blame? Call me Mr. Switzerland, but I’m not wading into the middle of that debate.

Nearly three months of inactivity had a profound impact on developers, builders, renovators, tradespeople, homebuyers and homeowners.

Two weeks into the strike, I asked industry members how they were coping. Most said the strike was a nuisance, and hoped it would be resolved soon.

Two weeks became a month, then two, and the nuisance factor morphed into a more serious state of concern.

The work stoppage played havoc with production schedules, delaying closing dates on new homes and completion of home renovation projects.

A multibillion-dollar economic engine sputtered. Millions of dollars worth of projects were in jeopardy. Financing costs mounted. Everyone was anxious for city management and union leadership to negotiate a resolution.

During the strike, developers, contractors and suppliers expressed to me the following concerns, in their own words:

– We have a $20-million project stalled because we cannot get permits to fill and grade.

– Three of our projects, with a combined value of $130 million, are impacted by the strike.

– We have five home renovation projects on hold, with an aggregate value of $2 million.

– I pay skilled carpenters $26 an hour to wash vehicles because we can’t risk losing them in case the strike is settled soon.

– Ours is a small company and this strike has put a huge strain on our cash flow. We have little money coming in, yet we are obliged to meet payrolls and pay suppliers.

– It is extremely frustrating. I have 12 months worth of renovation work waiting for permit issuance.

– My territory is Vancouver and my sales to builders and renovators dropped 80 per cent.

Not all construction was affected. Large projects underway prior to the strike were permitted to continue, with registered professionals — architects and engineers — performing inspections.

But if developers were waiting for, say, rezoning or approvals from some other complex city process, their projects were mired in the system indefinitely.

Some contractors hired videographers to document various stages of construction, hopefully proving code compliance to inspectors later. This practice was risky as after-the-fact city approval was not guaranteed.

City management supplied updates, and when they weren’t cleaning toilets and mopping floors in public facilities, they were issuing trades and building permits. Ed Neufeld, manager of the Building Inspection Branch, said more than 100 permits were issued during the strike.

Neufeld’s department also handed out more than 50 stop-work orders on illegal home improvements.

“All the stop-work orders involved zoning infractions or construction that was started without building permits. That might prove costly and inconvenient for homeowners, but they should have known better, particularly when it comes to their safety and liability,” said Neufeld.

Neufeld is right. Some homeowners, frustrated by the delays, caved in to pressure from unscrupulous contractors who offered to work under the radar for cash, without permits and required inspections.

That’s a mug’s game, as homeowners expose themselves to numerous safety and liability issues. If a worker is injured on the job, the homeowner — without a written contract, including proof of the contractor’s compliance with WorkSafeBC regulations, liability insurance and municipal requirements — is typically held accountable by the various authorities, including the legal system.

Some contractors didn’t miss a beat during the strike because they routinely work without permits and inspections.

After the strike, the city immediately provided details on how it would deal with the backlog while addressing the flood of new development and building permit applications. Neufeld believes it may take six months to clear the backlog. Add many new projects to the mix, and I suspect it may be closer to a year or more.

When asked about their post-strike experiences with city hall staff, industry members expressed positive sentiments, saying that given the circumstances, management and staff are performing well.

Meanwhile, we are delighted the civic workers are back on the job. Together we can get on with the business of building and renovating Vancouver.

Peter Simpson is chief executive officer of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association. E-mail [email protected].

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

Fuelled by job and population growth, average house prices are expected to continue to rise through 2008

Derrick Penner
Sun

Expect the average single-family house price to hit $900,000 in Greater Vancouver next year as new jobs and new residents keep the city in a seller’s market, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

However, while CMHC, in a forecast released Friday said the region’s average price across all property types will rise nine per cent in 2008, the market will have reached “cruising altitude,” according to CMHC analyst Robyn Adamache, who used the analogy of an airplane flight to describe Vancouver‘s position in the market cycle.

“The ride up is always exciting, kind of thrilling, a little scary,” she said in an interview.

Now, however, the flight has levelled off and the city has “so far avoided” the turbulence that has beset American real estate markets.

In the market cycle, Adamache said sales peaked in 2005, and inventory levels of unsold homes are rising.

CMHC revealed its major forecasts for 2008 real estate markets during its annual housing outlook conference held at Vancouver‘s Hyatt Regency hotel.

With the Vancouver region experiencing still strong economic conditions, Adamache believes there is still room for prices to rise.

Adamache’s forecast anticipates the arrival of some 35,000 new residents to the area and the creation of 33,000 new jobs, adding “it’s job growth and population growth that supports demand.”

She is forecasting that demand will generate the need for 18,500 new housing starts in 2008, down from an estimated 19,000 this year. Adamache is also forecasting 37,200 unit sales across Greater Vancouver in 2008, down from an estimated 38,700 this year.

Mark Belling, president of Fifth Avenue Real Estate Marketing Ltd., offered an assessment of the Fraser Valley‘s prospects during the conference’s panel discussion. He said prices there should rise between three and eight per cent, depending on property type and location.

Belling said single-family houses will see the least amount of appreciation in 2008, as they did in 2007. He said in Surrey alone, some 2,900 building lots could be put onto the market in 2008, when there is likely only demand for 2,500.

CMHC regional economist Carol Frketich said uncertainty in U.S. housing and investment markets is the biggest threat to B.C.’s real-estate outlook, but so far the damage there hasn’t cut too deeply.

Expected U.S. housing starts this year of about 1.2 million are the lowest in 14 years, Frketich said, and “there is no debating that housing in the U.S. is in recession.”

However, U.S. job, income, manufacturing and export growth are all in positive territory, which Frketich said is expected to keep the overall American economy out of a recession.

The decline in U.S. construction does hurt B.C.’s lumber sector, Frketich said, but overall B.C.’s real estate sector will head into its seventh straight year of seller’s-market conditions.

Frketich’s forecast is for 33,250 housing starts in B.C. in 2008 and 96,671 sales — both down slightly from 2007. The average B.C. home price, which includes all types of residential property, is anticipated to climb a further six per cent to $464,500 in 2008.

“As long as people can afford to pay the prices, they will continue to push up prices,” Frketich said in an interview.

“[The forecast] is a plateau in resale activity, new home construction and price growth.”

© The Vancouver Sun 2007