Its not often that so many people get excited about a hole in the ground. But in the case of this long, narrow pit off East Georgia, its transformation from a parking lot to a condo building is being heralded as part of Chinatowns renaissance as a residential neighourhood.
This signifies the confidence in Chinatown, City of Vancouver councillor Raymond Louie said at Fridays official launch of a 28-unit condo project called The Flats on Georgia. Only a very few places in Vancouver have this vibe and feel and history.
That history is both the areas strength and weakness. Chinatown used to be a thriving neighbourhood; it was home as in families lived there to the citys Chinese community and also a mecca for people who wanted to buy Chinese products and food.
But then other neighbourhoods began springing up and you no longer had to go to Chinatown for your Sunday fix of dim sum. Families moved away and Chinatown became more of a place to visit.
Chinatown had lost its luster and was going through a downturn. You always heard in the old days, says Jordan Eng, vice-president of the Vancouver Chinatown BIA Society. The BIA responded with a 10-year process of working with communitys cultural leaders and city hall to come up with a redevelopment plan. The key to future prosperity, everyone agreed, was encouraging more people to live in the area. Meanwhile, the city recognized that with so many historic Chinatown buildings to preserve, there wasnt much room for new residential development. As part of a city-wide strategy to create more affordable housing, zoning rules were changed to allow for laneway developments.
Now the challenge fell to Panther Constructors to build a condo building on a lot that was only 28 feet wide. President Brian Roche and his team decided to pay homage to chop houses by putting shutters on each units Juliette balcony. (The doors to the balcony open but theres only a railing, not a space you can step onto.) The metal-clad building is awash in yellow hues in deference to Chinatown official colour.
There are 26 one-bedroom units ranging in size between 500 and 665 sq.ft. and in price between $269,000 and $400,000. The top storeys are two penthouses with rooftop gardens, one 1,350 sq.ft. and the other 1,400 sq.ft. Of the 28 units, 23 have already been sold, as has the street level retail space.
We love being around here, says Roche, who lives and works in the neighbourhood. He wanted to ensure that The Flats design could be easily woven into Chinatowns fabric. For him, that fabric includes a growing array of restaurants. His list of favourites includes Bao Bei, Kents Kitchen, Phnom Penh and Harvest, all within easy walking distance of The Flats, which also has ready access to transit, Sky Train and the Union Street bike path.
Two fans are Marcia Nozick and Douglas Aason, the CEO and director of recruitment at EMBERS (Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society.) It provides work training to people who have graduated from addiction recovery programs. The Flats wont be the first Panther project to hire EMBERS staff, nor will it be the last.
Panther has always been one of our closest companies because Brian really gets it, says Nozick. Aason adds, Theyre really committed to the community and mean what they say. Brian walks the walk and talks the talk. Hes a great employer.
TheFlatsOnGeorgia | 219 E. Georgia
