HOLY ROSARY PRECINCT PART I + II
A PROJECT BY
WALL FINANCIAL CORPORATION + ARCHDIOCESE OF VANCOUVER
Vision Team
Peter Wall Bruno Wall Chris Doray Paul Merrick
Table of Contents WHY
Part One
HOW THE CITY’S DOWNTOWN CORE HAS COME TO BE WHAT IT IS
Part Two
THE PRESENT STATE OF DEVELOPMENT SITE AND IT’S SURROUNDING AREA
Part Three
THE “CATHEDRAL PRECINCT”
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Holy Rosary Precinct
WHY This is a proposal to put to greater use and benefit the site and precinct of the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver.
Wall Financial Corporation has undertaken an initiative jointly with the Cathedral to restore, sustain and substantiate the cathedral edifice and develop the balance of the site to its south, which to date has accommodated the diocese offices. The space occupying most of the half-block to the north of the cathedral, known as Cathedral Square, and owned by the City of Vancouver, and occupied by a major BC Hydro substation, is also included in the proposal. This substation is below grade to a depth of approximately 100 feet. The surface has been developed as a grade level public area.
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Why
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Holy Rosary Precinct
“This is an opportunity where the whole can truly be said to be greater than the sum of the parts”. — Paul Merrick Page 4
Why
PROPOSAL OUTLINE
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Holy Rosary Precinct
Exploratory discussions with BC Hydro have indicated that they have a need to upgrade the substation, and are interested in improving the quality and usefulness of this space. It is a wonderful opportunity to improve the quality of a significant public space, and to add an additional layer of life to the square by creating a cultural amenity along with a multi electric vehicle charging hub. As such these have been included as an integral part to the whole of the Cathedral precinct.
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Why
In order to address the significance of this place in downtown Vancouver today, we have developed observations at three levels of assessment:
1. A simplified description of how the city it lies in today has come about 2. An assessment of the site’s characteristics within 2 – 3 blocks, it’s “neighbourhood” 3. An assessment of and proposals for the immediate “Cathedral Precinct” – the ‘SITE’
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Vancouver, put in perspective, is a very young city. Its downtown core has grown to its current state in barely more than a century.
History
PART ONE HOW THE CITY’S DOWNTOWN CORE HAS COME TO BE WHAT IT IS
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Holy Rosary Precinct
The lower mainland in 1792, at the time of “First European Contact.� It is essentially the same circumstance in 1874, when the Hastings Sawmill was built. Page 10
History
The Vancouver Downtown Peninsula today. 146 years after first settlement, hardly two lifetimes! Page 11
Holy Rosary Precinct
The evolution of its pattern of settlement are described, simplistically, in the following diagrams.
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1870’s
History
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
1890’s
It began with Stamp’s Mill and the town that grew up to support it – connected overland to New Westminster. The railway arrived in 1887, and was first built some distance offshore to gain enough depth for ships. This put it west of the “Gastown” settlement, prompting growth to the West. Page 13
Holy Rosary Precinct
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
False Creek was crossed at Granville Island – road and rail, prompting growth further west and south.
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1900’s
History
FIRST NARROWS CROSSING 1938
1950’s
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
“West End” evolved as the inner city residential precinct.
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Holy Rosary Precinct
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
REGROWTH OF S.E. SECTOR AS RESIDENTIAL
First Narrows crossing encouraged further growth of core area to the west.
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1980’s
History
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
Today
Whole peninsula eventually “fills”, causing growth to go back on itself, filling west end, southeast sector, and solidifying CBD. Only remaining direction for growth was “back to where it began.” Page 17
Vancouver in 1900
History
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
They city of Vancouver is 11 years old when the Holy Rosary Cathedral is built. Page 19
Holy Rosary Precinct
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History
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Holy Rosary Precinct
Vancouver in the 1940’s
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
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History
Vancouver in the 1950’s
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
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Holy Rosary Precinct
Vancouver in the 1970’s HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
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History
Vancouver in the 1990’s
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
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Holy Rosary Precinct
Vancouver in the 2000’s
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
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History
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
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Holy Rosary Precinct
Vancouver Downtown Development History And Trend THE DOWNTOWN CORE IS ALMOST AN ISLAND, JOINED TO THE “MAINLAND” ONLY BY THE NECK OF “OLD TOWN”, WHERE ESSENTIALLY THE CITY BEGAN.
Its horizontal growth is absolutely defined by the consignment of stanley park early in the last century, leaving the isthmus of land where the early city began as the only way remaining for the core to grow laterally. The “however”, of course, and it’s a big one, is that this isthmus is where the city began, and, along with the adjacent Chinatown district, is designated a heritage precinct and therefore not looked upon as an area for significant growth. In that this downtown core is to all intents and purposes an island. It has in this century and a half virtually filled the available space, and is in the process of growing back on itself.
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History
PARK CONSIGNMENT
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INNER CITY RESIDENTIAL
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PROJECT SITE
CITY BORN HERE
SOUTHEAST SECTOR ACCESS
WATER Page 29
Holy Rosary Precinct
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PART TWO THE PRESENT STATE OF DEVELOPMENT SITE AND IT’S SURROUNDING AREA
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Development Site
Site Accessibility The site is flanking the intersection of Richards and Dunsmuir in downtown Vancouver, both local arterials accessing the downtown peninsula. Richards Street tends to function as the southbound, or outbound, half of a couplet paired with the northbound, inbound Seymour Street. Dunsmuir has for decades, since the construction of the high level Dunsmuir and Georgia Street viaducts, functioned as a principle local arterial inbound from the east. Current plans to remove these viaducts, and resort to a grade level connection across what was historically the upper reaches of False Creek, will reduce the pressure and volume of traffic it addresses, not unlike the reduction of traffic intensity on the Robson Street corridor with the deletion of the low level Cambie Street Bridge charging its eastern end.
IMPROVEMENT IN NORTHEAST FALSE CREEK LEGEND Two-Way Street
One-Way Street Page 33
Holy Rosary Precinct
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LEGEND Bus Routes
Development Site
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LEGEND Bike Routes
Main Transit Routes Page 35
Holy Rosary Precinct
Rapid Transit The site is particularly well-serviced by three stations within two blocks or less, and two additional stations within a three-block radius.
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Canada Line Page 36
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LEGEND Expo Line
West Coast Line
Sea Bus
Traffic from Stations
Development Site
Parks This diagram illustrates that Cathedral Park is one of only two urban parks within this northeastern sector of the downtown peninsula, the other being Victory Square. In fact, the diagram indicates that this part of
the downtown core is not particularly well-endowed with places of quiet and contemplation, marking all the more case to improve the usefulness and effectiveness of the space as it exists.
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BIKES ROUTES
LEGEND Park
Proposed Park Page 37
Holy Rosary Precinct
Vancouver Zoning
PROJECT SITE
VANCOUVER LAND USE MAP Page 38
Development Site
Downtown Zoning
PROJECT SITE
DOWNTOWN ZONING MAP Page 39
Holy Rosary Precinct
Future Roles And Policy Directions For The Metro Core
Increase height & density Restrict residential
PROJECT SITE
FUTURE ROLES AND POLICY DIRECTIONS Page 40
Development Site
This mapping shows the Central business district as a precinct already consolidated with the “CBD Expansion” to its east. It goes on to indicate that only one block to the north of this site the long-range intention is to maintain the nature and intensity of the “Heritage and economic revitalization precinct”. It does indicate in the CBD district receptivity to increased height and density. It does, also, indicate a bias to “restrict residential,” though there is no implied intention to prevent it.
We believe that on the specific Holy Rosary Cathedral precinct site, with the CBD expansion area, there is a strong case to support the extremely brilliant encouragement that the city of Vancouver has employed since its policy to encourage integrating residential use with the balance of business, retail and entertainment uses in the downtown care was introduced in the 1970s.
PROJECT SITE
DOWNTOWN ZONING MAP Page 41
Holy Rosary Precinct
Central Business District Extension
CBD
PROJECT SITE CBD EXTENSION
CBD EXTENSION Page 42
LEGEND CBD
CBD Extension
Development Site
Land Use “Land Use” tells an equally instructive story. Office, or business use generally, has always constituted the amoeba-like “core” of the Downtown. Residential in the west end, and less intensively to the east, bracketed the business core. Beginning in the 1970s initiatives were introduced to encourage the juxtaposition – even superimposition, of residential in the downtown core.
The “Southeast Sector,” historically the inner city service sector, was similarly allowed/encouraged to mutate into a further inner city residential precinct.
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Retail and entertainment evolved as the “Nerve armatures” of this urban fabric. Overlaying a tone on the current state of this evolution of use (and accompanying density) portrays a clear picture of the circumstance now designated as the “CBD extension.”
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LEGEND Office Hotel
Residential Educational
Retail
Future Development
Cultural
Mixed Use
Inner City Residential Page 43
Holy Rosary Precinct
Institutional And Cultural Uses
VICTORY SQUARE
PROJECT SITE SUN TOWER
POST OFFICE
FUTURE VAG CENTRAL LIBRARY
QE THEATRE CBC VANCOUVER
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BC PLACE STADIUM
ROGERS ARENA
Development Site
Higher Buildings Policy
PROJECT SITE
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Holy Rosary Precinct
Urban Squares and Plazas
TRIANGLE PLAZA
CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL PLAZA
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CHINATOWN MEMORIAL SQUARE
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PLAZA/SQUARE Page 46
LIBRARY SQUARE NORTH&SOUTH PLAZA
TERRY FOX MEMORIAL PLAZA
LEGEND Plaza/Square
PIGEON PARK
Development Site
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Holy Rosary Precinct
KELLY-DOUGLAS WAREHOUSE
VANCOUVER ART GALLERY
DOMINIO BUILDING
HOLLAND BLOCK
HOTEL VANCOUVER
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Art Gallery North Plaza
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HOTEL EUROPE
Victoria Square
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Triangle Plaza
MERCHANTS BANK OF CANADA CHINESE CULTURAL CENTRE MUSEUM
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Maple tree Square
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Chinatown Memorial Plaza
Development Site
QE THEATRE
QE Theatre Plaza
TELUS GARDEN
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Telus Garden Plaza Page 49
Holy Rosary Precinct
Southeast Sector The “Southeast Sector,” historically the inner city service sector, was similarly allowed/encouraged to mutate into a further inner city residential precinct. Retail and entertainment evolved as the “Nerve armatures” of this urban fabric. Overlaying a tone on the current state of this evolution of use (and accompanying density) portrays a clear picture of the circumstance now designated as the “CBD extension.”
DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE FROM DOWNTOWN CBD AREA
PROJECT SITE
PROPOSED BAY PARKADE (HEIGHT: 900 FT)
POST OFFICE (HEIGHT: 372 FT)
GASTOWN
DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE FROM CROSSTOWN
FUTURE VAG (HEIGHT: 230 FT)
DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE FROM DOWNTOWN SOUTH AREA
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DEVELOPMENT FORCE PRESSURE NORTHEAST FALSE CREEK
Development Site
Development Pressures From Surrounding Neighbourhoods DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE FROM NORTHEAST FALSE CREEK
DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE FROM DOWNTOWN SOUTH AREA 450 W GEORGIA (HEIGHT: 286 FT) &400 W GEORGIA (HEIGHT: 300 FT)
DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE FROM CROSSTOWN
FUTURE VAG (HEIGHT: 230 FT) PROPOSED BAY PARKADE (HEIGHT: 900 FT)
POST OFFICE (HEIGHT: 372 FT)
PROJECT SITE
DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE FROM DOWNTOWN CBD AREA
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Holy Rosary Precinct
View Cone Impacts The significance of this location, and the modest horizontal dimension available, indicates that the only way for a useful amount of development to go is UP.
As always, there are two mitigating factors: shadowing and view cones.
SITE IMPACTS VIEW E1
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Development Site
SITE IMPACTS VIEW 9.1 &9.2.2
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Holy Rosary Precinct
View Cone Impacts
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VIEW CONE E1
It does fall within three concurrent view cones from the Cambie street corridor, 9.1, 9.2 and 3.1 (Map 2)
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The site’s location does not fall within any of the view cones originating in the False Creek area (Map 1)
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LEGEND View Cone E1
View Cone 9.1
View Cone 9.2.2
Development Site
Recent evaluations of the impact of these view cones on parts of the Broadway Corridor have indicated that these view cones are very wide, and therefore impact a good part of the eastern half of the downtown peninsula, and the city itself has indicated that certain of these view cones should be the subject of further evaluation.
PROJECT SITE
In the case of the Holy Rosary Cathedral site, and its impact on View Cone 9.1, this site evaluation suggests that the substantial on and off-site benefits of this opportunity need to be evaluated against any potential impact on the most westerly edge of the Crown mountain massif.
UPCOMING DEVELOPMENTS
9.1 10th St. at Cambie St. View Towards North at the middle of the road
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Holy Rosary Precinct
Shadow Impacts Shadow studies indicate that even a development on the existing building site cast shadows where they are undesirable – Cathedral Square – for a good part of the year, and that a building of any height in this location does not shadow this more valuable public realm asset through the morning and particularly through the 12:00pm – 2:00pm noon hour period. Shadowing in downtown Vancouver is a ubiquitous subject. Where we all value sunshine, especially in the public realm, we have to observe that in terms of pure geometry, it takes only a six-storey volume to cast a shadow to the far side of the street at equinox (sun angle approximately 45 degrees), and about 10 stories for its shadow to reach the far side of the street at summer solstice. However, this is only the case when the street grids run North/South – East/West. Downtown Vancouver’s grid, of course, is 45 degrees to the north. Which has a completely different impact on WHEN and WHERE a shadow falls on an urban space. In this case, of course, our interest is in sun access to Cathedral Park. The accompanying shadow studies demonstrate that a tall building located on the only available part of the Cathedral Site, whether 300 feet or 600 feet high, leaves the square in clear sunshine through the entire morning until about 2:00pm, meaning the space is in sunlight through the all-important 12:00pm – 2:00pm lunch period. Shadow then passes over the square beginning about 2:00pm, after which it reappears between 3:00pm and 4:00pm (subject to other future developments to the west).
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Development Site
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Holy Rosary Precinct
Skyline Impacts
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Development Site
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