The Ultimate Vancouver Rumour Thread!

[vanman]

Yeah I'd prefer this to not turn into a fantasy thread.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by madog222

Starting rumours out of thin air is the last thing this thread, and forum for that matter, needs.

Originally Posted by vanman

Yeah I'd prefer this to not turn into a fantasy thread.

Excuse me. I stand corrected.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

As The Ultimate Rumour Thread, how about ...Hm .. ... a third runway at YVR and a transborder terminal enlargement.

In your defense, this is a very real proposal by YVR. It's been on the backburner for ages.

[madog222]

But there are no rumours about when/if the project will begin.

[Vantage]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Excuse me, but after 12 empty posts, I thought it might be good to give this thread sort of a "blood transfusion" to at least try & get some signs of life after a near-fatal "flat-lining."
As The Ultimate Rumour Thread, how about ...Hm .. ... a third runway at YVR and a transborder terminal enlargement /// ...turning the Grandview Cut into a viable transportation corridor with a railway upgrade and arterial road connecting Highway 1 with Pacific Blvd /// ... the further 'building out' of West Georgia St, with The Great Skyscraper replacing the Burrard Building, /// ...the brutalist HSBC at 1188 West Georgia replaced by the defunct Pacific Centre tower by I.M. Pei /// ... a great conservatory of music occupying the current Rattenbury VAG building to bring culture to downtown "en masse" .../// ... getting the Lost Lagoon Jubilee Fountain up and running again ... /// ... putting a venerable high-end retail store where Nordstrom's shell now sits ...///... if there is an excess of office space in the CBD, then perhaps making 625 West Hastings into a chic hotel .../// ... yes, yes, yes, ... more pie-in-the sky ideas people may say ... but this IS The Ultimate Rumour Thread, so let's try and get some rumours and ideas bubbling in the great cauldron of imagination and wishful thinking. //// Thank you for your time. I yield back.

Those aren't rumours, but fantasies.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Vantage

Those aren't rumours, but fantasies.

As I posted before, please excuse me. I stand corrected.

[privatejet]

And whom is the rumored party that bailed out Westbank?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by MIPS

Suddenly this page has more deleted posts than a 6 month old Reddit thread.

What I find troubling is that obviously another forumer must have made some sort of threat (veiled or otherwise) against the posters.

One can certainly understand how any developer would want to correct misinformation but then share it publicly. Anyway, a good reminder perhaps not to present rumour as facts without a preface like "I have no idea if this is true but I heard...".


Oh, and presented without any interpretation or claims from a reputable Canadian news source:

Real estate developer Westbank faces onslaught of litigation for Canadian, U.S. projects due to unpaid bills
SHANE DINGMAN REAL ESTATE REPORTER
RACHELLE YOUNGLAI REAL ESTATE REPORTER
FRANCES BULA
MIKE HAGER
PUBLISHED YESTERDAY
UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO
FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Westbank Corp., a prominent Canadian developer known for its ambitious architecture, is facing problems at several projects in Toronto and Seattle with contractors claiming millions of dollars in unpaid bills.

The number of lawsuits and liens has been piling up over the past year – a particularly difficult period for the industry as borrowing costs and construction expenses soar. More than two dozen construction and trade businesses have been fighting with Westbank over unpaid bills. The allegations have not been proven in court.

The Vancouver-based developer, which incorporates dramatic art at sites such as the Shangri-La hotels in that city and Toronto, said it is not commenting on the details of individual disputes that are subject to continuing negotiation or litigation, other than to say it expects to reach a resolution.

It added that delays caused by constructing through a global pandemic are far from unique to its projects. “Despite the challenging circumstances across the industry, our relationships are strong and construction on our projects is progressing,” Westbank spokesperson Ariele Peterson said...

....A review by The Globe and Mail of legal action facing 10 other prominent Canadian real estate developers in Ontario shows no similar flurry of claims from unpaid creditors.

Westbank has pushed out completion dates at skyscraper projects in Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver after expanding over the past decade.

In Seattle, more than two dozen construction companies have accused Westbank and its former general contractor, Graham Construction and Management Inc., of not paying them for work at residential complexes called Museum House and WB1200.

The problems started surfacing in 2022 when Westbank removed Graham as its contractor at Museum House, sometimes referred to as Terry because of its location on Terry Avenue. Terry will eventually hold two 33-storey towers with 486 apartment units.

As the general contractor, Calgary-headquartered Graham was in charge of hiring specialists for work such as welding and installing windows. When Graham was removed in March, 2022, its subcontractors turned to Westbank for payment.

The bills started racking up. Twenty-two subcontractors have placed liens, or legal claims, on the Terry project, and/or Graham, Westbank and Westbank’s development company, Icon West.....

.....Even though Westbank has released some liens by posting bonds, that does not mean the subcontractors have gotten paid.

That was the situation for Iris Window Coverings NW Inc., which has an outstanding bill of US$123,178 after providing automated draperies for the Terry project. Westbank posted an US$184,000 bond to release the lien. But none of that money has flowed to Iris Window, which is now struggling financially.

“It’s a huge issue. We’re a small company,” said Iris Window president Scott Davidson. “This is a contributing factor to some of our financial challenges.”

A similar story has occurred at WB1200, a pair of 47-storey skyscrapers with about 1,000 apartments also called Stewart, after the street name. Westbank plans to suspend a Boeing 747 fuselage between the towers as a tribute to the aircraft maker’s history in Seattle....

....In 2011, Westbank opened an office in Shanghai, with Mr. Gillespie telling The Globe that the public debate raging in B.C. about whether speculation from foreign buyers was making Vancouver and its suburbs unaffordable was racist and inflammatory...

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...ronto-seattle/

[bb1510]

Originally Posted by whatnext

What I find troubling is that obviously another forumer must have made some sort of threat (veiled or otherwise) against the posters.

One can certainly understand how any developer would want to correct misinformation but then share it publicly. Anyway, a good reminder perhaps not to present rumour as facts without a preface like "I have no idea if this is true but I heard...".

I’ll just set the record straight but no forum member nor person in person made any sort of threats (directly or indirectly) nor did I receive any cease and desist/legal notices.

However, as everyone may (or may not) know, I do have certain relationships within the industry, both directly and indirectly and it was better to remove them. Treat it as a read and burn sort of situation.

I will also say that it was previously said that by the end of the month (this was within the industry, whereas the Twitter post said six months), it will be public information that a group is toast, it’s past the end of the end of the month and only one group had significant coverage (but are okay now)

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by bb1510

I’ll just set the record straight but no forum member nor person in person made any sort of threats (directly or indirectly) nor did I receive any cease and desist/legal notices.

However, as everyone may (or may not) know, I do have certain relationships within the industry, both directly and indirectly and it was better to remove them. Treat it as a read and burn sort of situation.

I will also say that it was previously said that by the end of the month (this was within the industry, whereas the Twitter post said six months), it will be public information that a group is toast, it’s past the end of the end of the month and only one group had significant coverage (but are okay now)

I'm reassured to hear that it wasn't pressure from someone else.

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by whatnext

What I find troubling is that obviously another forumer must have made some sort of threat (veiled or otherwise) against the posters.

One can certainly understand how any developer would want to correct misinformation but then share it publicly. Anyway, a good reminder perhaps not to present rumour as facts without a preface like "I have no idea if this is true but I heard...".

I can't be bothered to look it up but elsewhere on this forum in the Art Department (I keep forgetting this forum is massive. There's a whole section devoted to people making highly detailed pixel art of proposed or existing skyscrapers) I remember stumbling across a thread where people were noticing that their building drawings were being blurred. Apparently someone here on the forum made the diagram from the official press kit for a skyscraper, then at some point the developer pulled a bait and switch. Someone caught it, pointed out the diagram here and the developer threatened the forum with legal action because we unintentionally caught them, to settle the case the forum started blurring diagrams for structures either proposed or still under construction.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by MIPS

I can't be bothered to look it up but elsewhere on this forum in the Art Department (I keep forgetting this forum is massive. There's a whole section devoted to people making highly detailed pixel art of proposed or existing skyscrapers) I remember stumbling across a thread where people were noticing that their building drawings were being blurred. Apparently someone here on the forum made the diagram from the official press kit for a skyscraper, then at some point the developer pulled a bait and switch. Someone caught it, pointed out the diagram here and the developer threatened the forum with legal action because we unintentionally caught them, to settle the case the forum started blurring diagrams for structures either proposed or still under construction.

of course, its the random internet people who are at fault when a developer pulls a bait and switch to mislead/lie to people. its not the wealthy developer trying to scam people.

[jollyburger]

I wonder what the meeting was about?

July 23, 2023

Bay Parkade meeting with Holborn Group - Cllr. Klassen, Cllr. Meiszner and Cllr. Montague
City hall (453 W 12th Ave, Vancouver), 3rd floor; Joyce Li

https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/counc...y-montague.pdf

[jollyburger]

Weird that Arc Shadow/Hudson Bay Parkade project was updated in June 2023 in the database of major projects in BC.

And it adds Chris Dikeakos Architects I assume as the local architect of record. Not sure if they were ever connected with the earlier proposals.

Proposed mixed-use development located on Seymour and Dunsmuir Sts on the site of the Hudson's Bay parkade. Project will include 3 towers and an elevated multi-storey retail deck over retail at grade, that will preserve the Randall and Dunsmuir House heritage buildings.

Listed as Tender/Preconstruction

[jollyburger]

Another entry shows the Plaza of Nations project with a revised hotel?

Proposed 30-storey, 300,000 sq ft hotel at the Plaza of Nations site on False Creek at 750 Pacific Blvd. Hotel would include 457-rooms, restaurants, convention space. Project has been revised and is currently under review.

Feasability

A proposed vertical farm to be located near SFU in Surrey. The indoor plantation of up to 30 storeys high is in preliminary stages.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Another entry shows the Plaza of Nations project with a revised hotel?

That would hopefully solve the issue of residents complaining about the Northern Lights display at BC Place being on.

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Weird that Arc Shadow/Hudson Bay Parkade project was updated in June 2023 in the database of major projects in BC.

And it adds Chris Dikeakos Architects I assume as the local architect of record. Not sure if they were ever connected with the earlier proposals.

Listed as Tender/Preconstruction

Interesting.
Maybe that's why restoration of the Cavelti mural wasn't "possible" (ie feasible/cost-effective).

[jollyburger]

455 Granville/717 West Pender

27-Storey Office Tower (336,000 sf) with retail (32,600 sf) on ground and 2nd level
frontage / area for both 455 Granville Street as well as 717 W Pender Street

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public...ctId=104333352

Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership

This is from 2019 but someone from JTA Development asked in November 2023 if they could still use the building grades.

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public...ctId=218619608

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public...ctId=104333352

Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership

This is from 2019 but someone from JTA Development asked in November 2023 if they could still use the building grades.

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public...ctId=218619608

That's another DeeCorp site. They have been suggesting they'll develop an office there for something like 15 years. The two existing 1949/1951 buildings were going to be retained as a heritage podium.

Like the residential site at Davie and Granville, that's now been submitted as a hotel tower, if the 'developer' actually develops something, it'll make a change.

Maybe they're thinking of another hotel here. It's a good location, and if they stuck with the idea of an office project it might be another 15 years before they actually built anything in the current market.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by Changing City

That's another DeeCorp site. They have been suggesting they'll develop an office there for something like 15 years. The two existing 1949/1951 buildings were going to be retained as a heritage podium.

Like the residential site at Davie and Granville, that's now been submitted as a hotel tower, if the 'developer' actually develops something, it'll make a change.

Maybe they're thinking of another hotel here. It's a good location, and if they stuck with the idea of an office project it might be another 15 years before they actually built anything in the current market.

I think this even might be their first formal rezoning submission.

It's amazing how much land is held (in any city) where folks just sit on it - like the empty lot on Robson.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

I think this even might be their first formal rezoning submission.

It's amazing how much land is held (in any city) where folks just sit on it - like the empty lot on Robson.

I guess it's the difference between smaller developers who have had land in their portfolio since the 60-80s versus developers who have bought at higher prices with the specific intention of redeveloping. They said Deecorp had like a $300 million dollar portfolio of real estate around the city.