Downtown views, great location

Jeani Read
Province

Download Document

one more fabulous condominium dev. in the heart of the city

Jeani Read
Province

Just when we thought there was not one more square inch of space left in Yaletown to squeeze one more teeny condo — never mind an entire condo building — there appears Raffles, whose tag line is, “Where Robson Meets Yaletown.”

Tight fit but really central, right at Cambie at Robson, next door to the library, the CBC (we’re hoping the lockout will be over by 2007-2008, the projected occupancy date) and tons of every kind of hot spot you can name.

Restaurants, cafes, BC Place, the Queen Eizabeth Theatre and Playhouse, Vancouver Art Gallery, enormous amounts of shopping and much more are all within walking distance.

This is as downtown as possible in our city, yet the finishings and features of the suites are so sharp that when the lure of the bright lights wears thin (should they ever), you can imagine owners will love to hunker down at home to relax and entertain.

They’ve gone pretty high-end here, with a Miele cooktop in the kitchen and a very moderne (although a bit petite) European refrigerator called Liebherr with bottom-mounted freezer, panelled to look like part of the Shaker-style cabinetry. Tres chic.

In the presentation centre, polished black granite counters set off nice pale-oak panelling and wide-plank chestnut floors, while supercool teeny white subway-tile backsplash gives an extra-contemporary look. A huge deep rectangular sink — a look that’s supplanting the double-sink kitchen in many high-style condos — adds more panache.

Details in the bathroom are just as neat. Frameless glass showers are the only way to go, of course, and the big rain showerhead is just one more luxe touch. We loved the square-but-swoopy Caroma sink with the basin curved front to back; the huge, elegant framed designer mirror and the larger, good-looking subway tiles here, not to mention the big Maax Villa tub. And nothing really compares to soft-toned white marble on bathroom countertops. Extra lighting glowing from under the suspended vanity really rocks, too.

As well, the living room in the presention centre shows off one of the spectacular city views that Raffles will boast, southeast across the dramatic expanse of Cambie Street bridge. Amenities in the building include a lounge, multi-purpose room, multimedia theatre, fitness room and Whirlpool spa. A landscaped roof deck with space for outdoor barbecue and dining area and a children’s play area completes the scenario.

The presentation centre is open for previewing, but mark your calendars. Sales don’t start until Sept. 24.

QUICK FACTS

RAFFLES

What: 150 condominiums on 22 floors

Where: Robson at Cambie

Developer: Aurmon

Development

Sizes: One bedroom, one bedroom and den, two bedroom and den; 562 sq.ft. to 944 sq. ft.

Price: $319,000 to $459,900

Open house: Noon to 6 p.m. daily except Friday, 883 Hamilton St. at Smithe, 604-689-8058

FIVE FAB FEATURES

1 That unusual Caroma bathroom sink is like a little miminalist sculpture. What more does a bathroom need?

2 OK, the capacity of the sleek Euro-fridge is not built for a 20-lb. turkey. But hey, when was the last time you thought about cooking one? Sometimes beauty is its own reward.

3 Ooh, that view. Admittedly, not everyone will get this smashing vantage, but we’re nuts about city bridges, especially at night. Granville, Burrard and now this.

4 The subtle undermount lighting under the vanity in the bathroom is one of our favourite details — intimate, comforting and practical, for those sleepy 2 a.m. visits.

5 Location, location, location. What more is there to say?

© The Vancouver Province 2005

Cheryl Rossi
Van. Courier

More than a year after a proposal to put a Home Depot on West Broadway at Maple Street was defeated at city hall, another development proposal for an adjacent lot is being treated with skepticism by some local residents.

The newest proposal includes a larger liquor store and a slightly smaller grocery store than the B.C. Liquor Store and IGA west across Maple. The proposed six-story building at 1996 West Broadway includes a community policing centre, approximately 49 market condos and three levels of underground parking. The site now comprises a vacant lot and a building housing Finlandia Natural Pharmacy.

Brook Development plans to submit a preliminary development permit application to the city next week on behalf of the site’s owner, Staburn Property Group.

Laurie Schmidt, an associate with Brook Development, said he’s heard concerns about loitering and bottle returns at the liquor store. He said a nearby designated bottle return location is being discussed. He said with extra eyes on the street from the residents above and the community policing centre, any problems would be minimized.

Consulting firm AJ Pottinger & Associates Ltd. has compiled neighbours’ responses to questionnaires but the results were not available at press time. Schmidt said Pottinger is beginning consultations with local strata councils, churches and schools.

Sean McEwan, a member of the Kitsilano-Arbutus Residents Association and an architect, said the size of the development is all wrong.

“It was always the intent of the neighbourhood here, and I’ve been here for a long time, to try to encourage a new kind of Kerrisdale feel to the Arbutus and Broadway area and the character of what’s proposed is exactly the antithesis, as was the Home Depot development where it was very corporately presented and on just too massive a scale as a single building,” he said.

McEwan would like to see the city devise more distinct design guidelines regarding this part of Broadway.

Last year the residents association and other groups helped defeat a proposal to replace the IGA and liquor store with a 70,000-square-foot Home Depot. The company has no development plans at present.

The leases of the IGA and grocery store expire next year.

A mixed-use development will fill the block between Yew and Vine. A London Drugs and a grocery store are expected to fill the commercial space.

This realtor’s quiz allows you to see if your agent is right for you — or best left at nearest open house

Tom Everitt
Sun

The term ”fall” can have many definitions from a real estate perspective. In simple terms, a ”fall” can be merely succumbing to the relentless pull of gravity on someone’s front lawn. A ”fall” can also mean a steady decline, like the fall of Western civilization or the fall of the real estate market. (Some people think they are one and the same.) Finally, the word ”fall” can also describe the season that approaches us now; a season that brings as much hope and apprehension to real estate investors as it does dread and misery to the many high school students heading back to algebra.

From this past spring, which brought us a bevy of multiple-offer situations in virtually every area and price category, right up to an August that was historically supposed to be very slow and instead turned into another record-setting month, the Lower Mainland’s real estate market continues to surprise us.

Vancouver‘s market recorded a 45-per-cent increase over last August (which had also set a record); the Fraser Valley increase was a mind-numbing 66 per cent.

As the great unknown of this particular fall market approaches, I thought there would be no better time than the present to take a few shots at your favourite person and mine, The Realtor.

If you are thinking of buying or selling this fall, I have included with this column a guaranteed fail-safe questionnaire to aid in your realtor-search using the 10 most commonly asked questions during a real estate transaction.

At the end, you will find a score sheet that will tell you whether or not this particular realtor is the right person for your real estate needs. Good luck and enjoy:

1. Should I buy or sell real estate this fall?

a) Let’s take a detailed look at the needs of your family.

b) Make sure you are comfortable either way.

c) It doesn’t matter. I make money either way so just pick one . . . or, even better, do both.

2. Will I make money when I sell it in five years?

a) I’m afraid I can’t answer that question fairly.

b) No one knows where the market will be in five years.

c) Yes, you’ll make tons of money and besides, I’ll be retired and living in Palm Springs in five years so who cares?

3. Would you buy this property if you were me?

a) Only if it matched my criteria.

b) Every client asks that question so I’m afraid I can’t answer.

c) Yes and I’d give my realtor a $10,000.00 bonus because he has done such a wonderful job.

4. Do you know any good inspectors?

a) I’m sorry, that’s a major conflict of interest.

b) Choose from these three or four highly reputable inspectors or your own.

c) Well for gosh sakes, what a coincidence. I used to be an inspector.

5. Should I write an offer today?

a) Only if you are completely comfortable with your decision.

b) Perhaps you should consult with your husband/wife.

c) I’ve already written and signed it for you and it’s a damned good one.

6. How much money can I get from the basement?

a) You will get market value for your rental suite.

b) You need to verify rental potential yourself to be sure.

c) That depends on whether or not there is a grow-op down there.

7. Will you call me if you see any deals?

a) I’ll send you instant e-mail updates and do my best.

b) Only if they meet your requirements completely.

c) Sorry, there are only three people I call if I spot a real estate deal. Me, myself and I.

8. Since there are 10 offers, do I need to write above asking price?

a) You only need to write the offer you are comfortable with.

b) Perhaps we should take a step back and keep looking.

c) Congratulations! I just added an extra zero on the end of your price and they took it.

9. Will this be expensive to fix up?

a) I’m not qualified to answer that question.

b) You need to consult your contractor, home inspector, priest etc. . . .

c) No, three feet of water in the basement is perfectly normal this time of year.

10. Do people ever lie on a Property Condition Disclosure Statement?

a) No, because the P.C.D.S. usually forms part of the contract and is a legal document.

b) No, it is filled out to the best of the knowledge of the home owner.

a) No, people never lie . . . and Bill Clinton did not have sexual relations with that woman.

Either ‘a’ or ‘b’ is usually the correct answer. If your realtor circled the letter ‘c’ on zero to one questions, he or she is probably very reputable and trustworthy. If your realtor circled the letter ‘c’ on one to three questions, report them to the real estate board immediately. If your realtor circled the letter ‘c’ on four to 10 questions, they should be in jail.

May everyone have a wonderful autumn.

Vancouver real-estate agent Tom Everitt maintains an Internet site at www.thinktom.com.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

High June figures helped set up the plunge, industry spokesman says

Fiona Anderson
Sun

The value of building permits issued in Vancouver plunged 31.5 per cent in July, with the non-residential sector suffering a staggering 48.5-per-cent decline, a Statistics Canada report said Wednesday.

All three components of the non-residential market decreased substantially, with the institutional sector down 59.3 per cent while commercial permits dropped 42.7 per cent and industrial building permits fell a relatively mild 15.2 per cent.

Keith Sashaw, president of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association cautioned against putting too much weight on the numbers.

“There is a great deal of volatility in the numbers as they go up and down because if you’ve got a major project coming on it can skew the numbers,” Sashaw said in an interview.

But the Construction Association is not surprised by the significant downturn.

“That’s primarily because the June figures were extraordinarily high. They were the highest non-residential construction starts on record,” Sashaw said.

He suggests looking at the year-to-date figures to get a better picture of the industry.

“We are still seeing the construction industry as very healthy, very active and growing,” he said.

Since January, $1.1 billion worth of non-residential building permits have been issued in the Vancouver area, an increase of 66.6 per cent from the previous year, Statistics Canada analyst Etienne Saint-Pierre said in an interview.

The trend may have flattened a bit, Saint-Pierre said, but it remains high.

“Retail sales are very strong, the office vacancy rates are declining [and] corporate profits are very high so there are a lot of factors that point to a healthy non-residential sector,” Saint-Pierre said.

In British Columbia, the value of permits issued for single-family homes reached an all-time record of $294.3 million in July, an increase of 7.2 per cent from June. At the same time, the value of multi-family permits dropped to its lowest level since December 2004, falling 29.1 per cent to $187.3 million. The combined effect was the largest decline in the country for residential permits, a drop of 10.6 per cent.

The shift away from multi-family permits was unexpected.

“At the national level there is a shift toward multi-family dwellings as the price tag associated with single-family dwellings is now quite substantial,” Saint-Pierre said. “So more and more people will go with multi-family dwellings as it is more affordable.”

Year-to-date figures reflect this move toward more affordable housing as single family permits were up 1.3 per cent while multi-family permits increased 8.9 per cent.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. tracks the number of building starts which should mirror the value of building permits, said Peter Simpson, CEO of Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association. According to the CMHC numbers, the construction of single-family dwellings was down 13.2 per cent and multi-family units were up 6.7 per cent in B.C. since December 2004, compared to the same period a year earlier.

Those numbers are not surprising given the costs of single-family homes, Simpson said.

“Affordability is a big issue here. I think you are going to see the multiple sector continue to grow,” he said.

Multi-family homes comprise more than 75 per cent of the market. Twenty years ago, they were only 45 per cent of the market, Simpson said.

The total value of all permits issued in B.C. in July dropped 11.8 per cent from June, with a 13.8 per cent decline in the non-residential sector.

However, year-to-date, B.C. posted a gain of 11.7 percent over last year, with a 74.5 per cent increase in non-residential permits and a 4.8 per cent increase in residential permits.

Across Canada, the value of permits declined three per cent to $4.9 billion, the third monthly decline in the last four months. The decline was the result of a drop in non-residential permits that was only partially offset by an increase, for the fourth consecutive month, in residential permits.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

Other

Download Document

Business Council predicts province will remain No. 1 through 2006

Fiona Anderson
Sun

The British Columbia economy continues to strengthen with housing sales heading for a record year, non-residential construction booming and retail sales climbing, according to the latest economic update prepared by the Business Council of British Columbia.

In overall economic growth, B.C. was No. 1 in Canada in 2004 and it looks like that will continue in 2005 and into 2006, said Jock Finlayson, the council’s vice-president of policy.

In Canada, the economic growth profile is tilting to the West, with Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. all outstripping the Canadian average, Finlayson said. Ontario is particularly hurting as it feels the pinch from increased competition from China in the sale of manufactured goods. B.C., on the other hand, is benefitting from increased trade with China through the export of raw materials.

One measure of economic growth used by the council in its update was the number of new businesses.

Between April and June, there were more than 160,000 businesses with employees in the province, up 3.6 per cent from the same period in 2004, the update said, and well ahead of the Canadian average of 1.9 per cent. The number of newly incorporated businesses, with or without employees, was 12-per-cent higher year-over-year.

These statistics, which are not normally included in the measure of economic growth, are further proof of how well the province is doing, Finlayson said.

“It’s fairly compelling evidence that we are in the middle of a fairly strong and sustained upswing in the provincial economy,” he said.

Non-residential construction permits hit a record $900 million between April and June, 74-per-cent higher than the previous year. Job growth, though easing slightly, remained the highest among the provinces, and retail spending continued to climb.

The stronger Canadian dollar had some groups predicting zero growth in the export sector, Finlayson said. But international exports were up about six per cent in the first half of the year compared to last year.

“There is more strength in exports than we anticipated and partly that reflects strong energy, mineral and metal prices and better performance even in some parts of the forest sector,” Finlayson said.

With rising lumber prices, due in part to Hurricane Katrina, there should be some additional buoyancy on the forest export side for the balance of the year, Finlayson said.

“Certainly the scale of rebuilding activity that is likely [because of Hurricane Katrina] is such as to lead to a prediction that there is going to be a surge in Canadian lumber shipments,” he said.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

Jennifer Miller
Sun

The Vancouver Convention Centre expansion project has crept $50 million over its original budget, the B.C. government announced Friday.

The province is kicking in the extra money to add features such as an expanded walkway around the building and more commercial space — but also to cover a $25-million increase in construction costs.

“Even though we’ve built in for escalations, etcetera, when you have the very robust market that we have now in British Columbia where there are materials and labour shortages . . . it gets reflected and it gets magnified because of the size of the project,” project director Russ Anthony said in an interview Friday.

The total budget for the project is now $615 million, up from the original budget of $565 million. The provincial government is now providing $272.5 million, with a $222.5 contribution from the federal government, $90 million from Tourism Vancouver and $30 million in commercial revenue.

“The project is owned by the province and the province has responsibility for it and so they’ve made the decision that these changes are in the best public interest,” said Anthony of the public amenities being added to the project.

The additions came out of the public review and city approval process and include design enhancements to make the convention centre a “landmark building” that includes more commercial space to draw the public to the Coal Harbour location, he said.

The waterfront is being built over land and water with 1,000 piles, creating some unique construction needs. The project includes extensive tidal work and a low tide occurs at night, increasing construction costs with night work, said Anthony.

“We have a very unique project and a very unique site,” he said.

Richard Yore, the director of meeting and convention sales for Tourism Vancouver, said in an interview Friday the organization is “pleased” with the government’s commitment to building a world-class facility.

The $25 million extra in construction costs are a reality in the Lower Mainland, he said. “It’s not just this one project, which I think the taxpayers would understand.”

The expansion is expected to open in late 2008 and is projected to help generate $107 million each year in delegate spending. The new facility will also hold the media and broadcast centre for the 2010 Olympics.

The current convention centre was opened in 1987 and was at capacity within ten years.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

Municipality won’t suffer same fate as New Orleans, city official says

Darah Hansen
Sun

Richmond is in the process of pumping millions of dollars into upgrading its perimeter diking system to keep the city — large portions of which sit below sea level — from suffering the same fate as New Orleans.

Eighty-three per cent of New Orleans was under water this week after its levee and dike system around Lake Pontchartrain failed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

That won’t happen in Richmond, despite its own reliance on dikes to keep the water out, said Dave Semple, city manager of public works.

“We’re constantly, with the staff, monitoring the dikes to ensure they are safe,” he said.

According to Semple, Richmond will begin a program in November to raise and reinforce older sections of the dike considered to be most vulnerable to flood waters from the surrounding Fraser River. That work will be done in conjunction with development along River Road, including the soon-to-be-constructed Olympic Oval.

“We’re in the process right now of trying to determine how high to rebuild that [portion of the] dike,” Semple said.

Semple said staff in his department have been watching with keen interest the television images of the flood disaster as it unfolds along the U.S. Gulf Coast, hoping to pick up some tips on how to avoid a similar situation locally.

“This one is pretty interesting,” Semple said of the unexpected fallout from the floods, including alarming scenes of looting and violence, mass electrical blackouts and a general lack of potable water.

“The blessing is, we don’t have any graveyards below sea level,” he said.

Semple said the likelihood of Richmond‘s perimeter dike system being topped by flood waters is highly improbable.

Richmond‘s dikes have been designed to a standard that will theoretically withstand the kind of storm that comes around only once in 200 years. The last time that happened was in 1894, when a spring freshet (or high river discharge) sent water surging over the dike along the city’s northern sector. Roads were washed out and crops ruined.

Even so, Richmond suffered less than other Lower Mainland municipalities farther up the Fraser. That’s because Richmond boasts a certain luxury of location: the Strait of Georgia at the city’s western edge provides a handy valve for even the highest river flow.

“Basically for Richmond to be overtopped, you literally have to fill up the gulf,” Eric Gilfillan, retired public works manager, told the Richmond News in an interview last year.

Using computer animation, city staff have mapped out several flood scenarios should Richmond‘s perimeter dike system fail. In the worst-case scenario, a breach along the city’s east end would cause the most serious damage, sending water running downhill to the southern tip of the island. But, unlike the situation in New Orleans, waters flooding Richmond would be subject to the tides. At high tide, flood waters would pool across the city, but dissipate when the tide goes back out.

In New Orleans, Semple said, the situation is more difficult — and expensive. Repairs must first be made to the damaged lake levee, and then the water has to be pumped back where it came from.

According to Semple, heavy rains in November through February pose the biggest flood threat to Richmond. Pumping stations set up at various locations along the city’s waterfront work around the clock pumping rain water out of ditches and collection systems and into the Strait of Georgia.

HARD AT WORK TO KEEP THE WATER OUT:

If there were no dikes around Richmond — one of only a handful of fully diked cities in North America — the island city would be under water for eight to 10 hours a day, depending on the tides.

Initially, the dikes were handbuilt by farmers and early settlers looking to protect their land and property from seasonal floods in the spring and fall. They have changed, however, as the city has changed: growing higher, sturdier and ever more able to keep out the waters of the Fraser River.

– The City of Richmond spends about $250,000 annually in maintenance and small repairs on its dike system.

– Richmond‘s dikes have been designed to a standard that will theoretically withstand the kind of storm that occurs only once in 200 years.

– Richmond‘s storm system and pump stations are built to withstand a severe rainstorm, the kind anticipated once every 10 years on the West Coast. Heavy rains in the fall of 2003 came close to testing that standard. Ditches were ready to overflow after 48 hours of rain, filling the system to capacity. But the rains eased off just in time, allowing pumping stations to do their job.

– A breach in the dike near the neighbourhood of Hamilton in the city’s east side would create the most serious flood damage. If left unchecked, flood waters would flow downhill, swamping the entire city during high tide.

– Richmond‘s Flood Protection and Management Strategy identifies a pipe break as the island’s most immediate flood threat. Freshets (high river discharge), extreme sea levels, a lowering of the ground, earthquakes or a gradual rise in sea level rise due to global warming are also noted as possible threats, according to the strategy.

– According to the Flood Protection and Management Strategy, improvements estimated to cost $90 million are needed to a 48-kilometre stretch of dike.

– Richmond is currently considering building interior dikes along either No. 7 or No. 8 Roads, or a concrete floodwall barrier along Highway 99/Knight Street to help prevent flood damage should a serious dike breach occur. Costs associated with the projects range from $15 million to $20 million each, plus the price of property acquisition.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005