Sun
Capitol Residences construction will reinvigorate the Orpheum Theatre next door.
In return, the Orpheum work gained the Capitol partners more storeys and sellable square footage.
“We freely acknowledge that is a huge increase in density,” says Ralph Segal, a senior planner at city hall.
He says that without the Orpheum spending, the Capitol site could only have supported a building of 15 to 17 storeys; with the Orpheum spending, it will support a building of 43 storeys (above).
The site is adjacent to The Orpheum Theatre, an 80-year-old building bought by the city in 1974.
Home to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra its users have long outgrown the tight working space. There’s no place to store instruments, the orchestra is forced to rehearse on stage and The Orpheum has been ruled out as a suitable venue for many large shows because it was simply too small to accommodate their needs.
After an “arduous review process,” which included an urban design and impact analysis, Segal says city staff recommended the increased density for the site because it brought a package worth about $14 million to the city in terms of improvements to the Orpheum and provide additional facilities to the city’s musical community.
In this case, the developers of The Capitol have agreed to created “back of house” space for the Orpheum, provide sorely needed below ground storage, a rehearsal hall for the Symphony Orchestra and a Music School of Excellence. The latter will be housed in the Capitol itself, which is directly adjacent to The Orpheum.
“This is in support of Vancouver’s music culture. Through development of negotiations Vancouver can negotiate daycares,cultural improvements, affordable housing and social housing for developers to build for us in exchange for increased density,” says Segal.
“Generally the Amenity Density Program is proving very beneficial in meeting a whole range of objectives [for the city].”
Segal says the city’s musical community now expects the improved Orpheum will be able to attract “high calibre musicians to both perform here and give instruction.”
And while 43-stories is high, Segal says this isn’t the tallest residential building in Vancouver. The Shangri-La, now under construction, on Georgia and Alberni, will be 57 stories when completed.
“There isn’t going to be a proliferation of 43-storey towers in the city,” says Segal.
“In the heart of downtown council wants to direct us away from residential [towers]. They are concerned we are becoming a resort town.”
The priority instead, he says, is to encourage the development of office towers.
“Companies right now are finding it difficult to get floor space and we need companies coming into Vancouver to attract more jobs.”
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
