Gastown plan draws heritage worries
JOHN MACKIE
The Vancouver Sun
The New Fountain Hotel was built at 27 West Cordova in Gastown in 1899, when Vancouver was booming as a supply centre for the Klondike Gold Rush. Like many structures of the day it was quite modest, a two-storey building with a bar on the main floor and rooms above.
It may not be around for much longer. A proposal would see the building demolished except for its facade, and a new 11-storey building with social and rental housing built on the site.
The three-storey 1906 Stanley Hotel next door would be demolished and turned into a facade in the same redevelopment. Both buildings are listed on the national register of Canada’s Historic Places. The new building would be 110 feet high, which exceeds Gastown’s 75-foot maximum. This troubles Gastown resident Carol Sill, who is on the Gastown historic area planning committee.
Last year, the committee turned down several proposals for redevelopments of historic buildings on Water Street. The committee hasn’t been presented with the New Fountain/Stanley proposal yet, but the plans were unveiled to the public at an open house this week in the Woodward’s complex.
“Eleven storeys on top of a heritage building is a bit of a stretch,” said Sill. “Speaking individually, I think it overpowers the small buildings. (The site) does need improvement, we know that it has to expand and improve. But I do not like to see a large building proposal subverting our long-standing heritage guidelines. We just had the unveiling of the plaque (for Gastown) being named a National Historic District. It seems like a disconnect.”
Gastown resident Glenda Bartosh agreed. “It’s too high, and it’s too massive for Gastown,” said Bartosh. “Our precious little Gastown has such a small footprint, every building that exists here that is historic should be maintained as buildings, not facades. Facadism does not work in historic areas. People understand that that’s a false front, and these two buildings are really, really important historic buildings.”
Sill is also concerned that the development would include a 15,000sq.-ft cabaret in the basement.
“They already have a liquor licence for a smaller bar, but my understanding is that they’re seeking more, 600 seats,” said Sill.
“Which would totally devastate the atmosphere of the area, because it would draw people from everywhere. It would be a Granville Street kind of environment, and that’s really out of scale.”
The proposed building is a partnership between one of Vancouver’s largest developers and the provincial body in charge of social housing. “B.C. Housing has partnered with Westbank to deliver an affordable rental building with both social housing and low end of market rental housing,” said Rajvir Rao of B.C. Housing in an email. “B.C. Housing will own the former and Westbank the latter, under covenant with a City of Vancouver housing agreement that the units serve an affordable housing purpose.”
There would be 214 units in the complex, 80 dedicated to social housing and 134 to “secured market rental.”
The social housing would have a separate entrance from the market housing. The design by Henriquez Partners architects shows three chic modern buildings rising behind the historic facades.
Sill questions whether they’re a good fit for Gastown.
“We don’t want it to look like faux heritage, but we don’t want it to look so modern that it’s out of scale,” she said.
“There’s no way that addition can be unseen.
“From any direction, in any sight line, you’re looking at that grand addition.”
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