The City of Vancouver will be holding an open house for the potential redevelopment of the Marine Gardens site.

445 Southwest Marine Drive (Marine Gardens)

Concord Pacific has made an enquiry to the City for a possible redevelopment of the Marine Gardens site. Prior to making an application, the City of Vancouver wants to hear ideas from the community about future redevelopment of the site.

Come to an information session to learn about the site, existing and emerging policy, and the rezoning process. It is also a chance to offer your ideas, which will help shape the development, and find how you can stay involved in it. The input you provide will be considered throughout the process.

Date: Monday, May 14, 2012
Time: 5 – 8 pm
Place: Westside Baptist Church, 8506 Ash Street

City staff and the developer will be available to answer your questions and receive your comments. Source: City of Vancouver

Whole Foods to be part of Solo development in North Burnaby.

Whole Foods will be setting up shop in the Solo development near Willingdon Avenue and Lougheed Highway in North Burnaby, the company’s co-founder and co-CEO John Mackey announced last Wednesday.

Mackey said the company has signed eight new leases since its first quarter earnings release, including one in Burnaby.

The 5th Floor at Jameson House, 838 West Hastings Street has been sold for $4,100,000, representing $700 per sq ft. The office floors have been listed for sale for several months. The purchaser is a user that will occupy the space.

According to a City of Vancouver Census Data Series, perhaps not surprisingly, Downtown Vancouver has blown away every other neighbourhood in Vancouver in terms of population growth over the past 30 years.

The Downtown population (excluding the West End) grew from about 6,500 in 1971, to about 60,000 in 2011. Most areas grew at a rate lower than annualized inflation.

Source: Statistics Canada via City of Vancouver

Rental housing at risk of being lost: study.

A Metro Vancouver housing study is warning that thousands of older, affordable, much-needed rental housing units in the area are in danger of being removed from the market due to redevelopment pressures.

Many of the units were built more than 40 years ago under federal government tax incentive schemes – long since ended – and Metro politicians are renewing the call for the incentives to be brought back.