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Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

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Re: Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

#91

Post by ninth_ant »

dangus wrote: post #71

The critics of this project seem to be outright racist. I don’t think that’s an overstatement. They’re basically saying that Indigenous people aren’t allowed to participate in the modern world. You’re not allowed to be urbanist if you were “less advanced than the white people” three hundred years ago. And they’re butthurt about the development not having the need to comply with Vancouver development rules. Yeah, well…

This is Vancouver -- NIMBYs got super upset and managed to successfully downsize a tower despite it being located off a major transit hub (Commercial & Broadway station) and was not historic anything (just a grocery store and associated parking lot).

I'm not saying there's no racism involved with the Kits project, I'm sure there is. But folks here are pretty eager to deny housing to everyone regardless of race. Kits people are also aggressively opposed to low-income housing, any any density in their neighbourhood and are typically accustomed to being successful in this.

Re: Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

#92

Post by systemstops »

Someone at Westbank is a genius: fund the building of a massive skyscraper project on land that was recently returned to indigenous tribes because of a lawsuit, a project that would never be normally approved because of zoning laws. Then, declare any criticism of the project as racist, thus guaranteeing it will be built. I wonder how much of the money the tribe is actually getting out of this?

Re: Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

#93

Post by fckgw »

systemstops wrote: post #92

Someone at Westbank is a genius: fund the building of a massive skyscraper project on land that was recently returned to indigenous tribes because of a lawsuit, a project that would never be normally approved because of zoning laws. Then, declare any criticism of the project as racist, thus guaranteeing it will be built. I wonder how much of the money the tribe is actually getting out of this?

What does acceptable use of their own land look like to you? What would meet your specific approval?

Re: Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

#94

Post by fckgw »

api wrote: post #85
onlypassingthru wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When they rip up the asphalt and find no significant bones or artifacts in the marsh underneath, any plans for a cultural interpretive center are going to turn into a mural and some bronze sculptures in the middle of newly designed Ohlone Towers.

Maybe the tallest free standing inhabited structure in the world would be a great monument to the ancestors?

Maybe it would. Why does it matter to you?

Re: Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

#95

Post by systemstops »

fckgw wrote: post #93
systemstops wrote: post #92

Someone at Westbank is a genius: fund the building of a massive skyscraper project on land that was recently returned to indigenous tribes because of a lawsuit, a project that would never be normally approved because of zoning laws. Then, declare any criticism of the project as racist, thus guaranteeing it will be built. I wonder how much of the money the tribe is actually getting out of this?

What does acceptable use of their own land look like to you? What would meet your specific approval?

It's acceptable to me - none of my business. But it's corporate money building this project, which we should be clear about. It's just built on native land.

Re: Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

#96

Post by dukeyukey »

freitzkriesler2 wrote: post #59

The fact that the PNW is as expensive as the Bay area or even SoCal is a travesty. At least the first nation people figured out how to break the planning commission nonsense and took charge in their own communities. So long as they keep out the foreign hot funny money that made the regular cities too expensive they'll do just fine.

To be fair the PNW still has pretty good weather, gorgeous nature, good infrastructure (natural and man-made) and a varied economy. It'd be weird if it _wasn't_ expensive.

Re: Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

#97

Post by ok_dad »

lwansbrough wrote: post #8
Erikun wrote: post #7

It’s a pretty interesting development. I wonder what the legal framework for someone living there will be if they’re not a First Nation citizen? From the article: “ But Indigenous nations are accountable, first and foremost, to their own citizens. That could mean temporarily barring access to traditional lands, as in Joffre Lakes. It could also mean maximizing the economic potential of their property, to provide hous…

In terms of land/home ownership, what it has meant in other parts of the metro area, is leaseholds. You can “buy” a property at a slightly reduced cost which will be reclaimed after several decades (100 years?), usually starting from the time of development. In terms of laws, policing is handled by the local police force, ie. VPD. While there is rhetoric about sovereignty, practically speaking much of the challenging…

Leaseholds are very common in Hawaii due to similar ownership, although here it’s privately owned land by native orgs in most cases, because the Hawaiians specifically voted down reservation-like agreements to maintain what sovereignty they have left. It works out pretty good here, buildings are routinely demolished and bigger ones grow in the place. Most of the land like this is in town, commonly Waikiki hotels and apartments are leasehold. We’re still having a very horrible housing crisis here, though.

Re: Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

#98

Post by chasebank »

mjr00 wrote: post #64
mynameisvlad wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn’t use GVRD/Metro Vancouver as an estimate; things get quite a bit cheaper in the other cities.

This development is being built on the waterfront across False Creek from downtown; it is prime real estate. Given that + being brand new, units will sell far above the Vancouver average. As a guess, studio units in this complex will start at 750k, 1 beds at 1m and 2beds at 1.5m. Maybe higher.

Most people on HN always repeat the sentiment that if you build more housing, prices will fall. I think you're right, these will sell for far above average. We don't have a housing shortage problem, we have a housing turned into a financialized asset problem.

Re: Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

#99

Post by ipaddr »

fckgw wrote: post #93
systemstops wrote: post #92

Someone at Westbank is a genius: fund the building of a massive skyscraper project on land that was recently returned to indigenous tribes because of a lawsuit, a project that would never be normally approved because of zoning laws. Then, declare any criticism of the project as racist, thus guaranteeing it will be built. I wonder how much of the money the tribe is actually getting out of this?

What does acceptable use of their own land look like to you? What would meet your specific approval?

The question is could someone build a similiar structure beside or does zoning prevent this. If so parent has a valid point

Re: Vancouver’s new mega-development is big, ambitious and Indigenous

#100

Post by ipaddr »

freitzkriesler2 wrote: post #59

The fact that the PNW is as expensive as the Bay area or even SoCal is a travesty. At least the first nation people figured out how to break the planning commission nonsense and took charge in their own communities. So long as they keep out the foreign hot funny money that made the regular cities too expensive they'll do just fine.

Hong Kong changing hands created a huge wave of freign. This project captures some of it
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