POLICY REPORT

BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT

Date: November 24, 1997

Author/Local: GMcG

CC File No. 5051

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Central Area Planning on behalf of Land Use and Development
SUBJECT:	Eligibility for Heritage Density Bonus - Hotel Georgia , 801 - 835 West Georgia

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RECOMMENDATION

THAT the "B" listed heritage building at 801 - 835 West Georgia Street be eligible for a heritage density bonus.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

The Heritage Policies and Guidelines (adopted by Council May 13 and September 23, 1986 and reaffirmed April 18, 1991) outline a procedure to be followed in applying the heritage density bonus provision as permitted in the Downtown Official Development Plan. Category "A" buildings on the Vancouver Heritage Register are automatically eligible for consideration of a density bonus for heritage preservation. Category "B" and "C" buildings may be eligible for consideration, but must first be approved by Council.

PURPOSE

This report seeks Council’s approval to consider a heritage density bonus for the "B" listed heritage building at 801 - 835 West Georgia Street. Staff will report back at a future date with a recommended bonus amount and a method for protecting the building and its interior features.

BACKGROUND

The Hotel Georgia is located at 801 - 835 West Georgia Street, at the northwest corner of Howe and West Georgia Streets, as shown on the following map. The subject site is 36.6 m (120 ft.) x 76.2 m (250 ft.) and is presently occupied by the 12-storey Hotel Georgia with a Howe Street frontage of 45.7 m (150 ft.), and an ancillary 4-storey parking/retail structure to the north with a Howe Street frontage of 30.5 m (100 ft.). Preliminary Development Application DE402550 was received on July 3, 1997 and proposes to preserve the Hotel Georgia and build a new hotel tower beside it. The parking structure would be demolished to accommodate the new hotel tower and hotel drop-off, loading and parking. This new structure would utilize both the unused density on-site and the heritage bonus density.

(Diagram)

DISCUSSION

Building Background: The Hotel Georgia is listed in the "B" evaluation category on the Vancouver Heritage Register. Its heritage value will increase if this proposal to restore and preserve the extensive heritage interiors proceeds. In addition, this building, together with the Hotel Vancouver and the Art Gallery, form an important grouping of heritage buildings that enclose the Centennial Fountain square on three sides.

Proposed Restoration Program: The density bonus requested in the application is in exchange for a comprehensive heritage restoration program which encompasses restoring both the exterior and interior of the building and seismic upgrading. The scope of interior work spans from retaining and restoring the existing original interior finishes in all public and semi-public rooms to removing later, inconsistent additions and replicating much of the original features based on archival plans and photos. Staff will recommend which interior features to protect in the report back to Council on the bonus amount and designation.

Heritage Interiors - When the Provincial Government amended the heritage conservation sections of the Vancouver Charter in 1994, it gave Council authority to designate heritage interiors and landscapes. The Heritage Interiors Project (completed in 1996, to be reported to Council) identified specific interior features and fixtures in the Hotel Georgia that are considered to be of heritage value. To date, Council has designated two interiors, the Grauer House and the Stanley Theatre, and compensated the owners through additional density.

Vancouver Heritage Commission: At its meeting on October 14, 1997 the Commission supported the eligibility of this heritage building for a heritage density bonus. It also expressed that the relative value of this heritage building has increased over the past ten years due to the loss of other major heritage buildings in the immediate vicinity. It, therefore, recommended that the building’s Vancouver Heritage Register classification be reviewed after all proposed restorations are complete.

CONCLUSION

Staff believe that the Hotel Georgia is an important heritage building and that its preservation and restoration will significantly enhance the urban qualities of this section of the Downtown District and protect a valuable heritage interior. It is therefore recommended that it be made eligible for consideration of a heritage density bonus.

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(c) 1997 City of Vancouver