ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: July 13, 1999
Author/Local: GMcGeough/7091
RTS No. 00872
CC File No. 1401-11

Public Hearing: July 27, 1999

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Current Planning
SUBJECT:	1196 Granville Street (677 Davie Street) - Designation and Heritage Revitalization Agreement for the Dance Centre

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT the Granville Street facade of the property located at 1196 Granville Street, listed in the “B” category on the Vancouver Heritage Register, be designated as Protected Heritage Property.

B. THAT Council authorizes the City to enter into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement to secure the restoration of the Granville Street facade at 1196 Granville Street and vary provisions of the Official Development Plan Bylaws, as indicated under DE404010, thereby permitting an increase in floor space ratio from the conditionally permitted 3.5 to 5.5.

C. THAT Council instructs the Director of Legal Services to bring forward for enactment at this time a By-Law to authorize the Heritage Revitalization Agreement and to bring forward for enactment at the time so provided for in the Heritage Revitalization Agreement a By-law to designate the Granville Street facade as protected heritage property.

D. THAT Council authorize the Director of Legal Services to enter into an agreement with the owner of 1196 Granville Street or the Dance Foundation to refrain from demolition work until the Dance Foundation has secured sufficient funds to complete the base building of the new Dance Centre.

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

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

COUNCIL POLICY

Council’s policy on heritage designation states, in part, that legal designation will be a prerequisite to granting certain bonuses and incentives;

On March 30, 1999 Council resolved:

“THAT the Development Permit Board be advised that Council favours the retention of only the Granville Street facade generally as shown in Option 1 in Appendix B, as put forward by the applicant in the preliminary development application for the proposed Dance Centre development at 677 Davie Street, acknowledging that the amount of heritage retention is acceptable for the amount of density bonus needed for the Dance Centre programme as permitted under Section 3.8 of the DODP; and

THAT the interior structures and features be preserved and donated to the Heritage Foundation.”

PURPOSE

This report seeks Council approval to designate and enter into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA) to secure the conservation and protection of the Granville Street facade of the Bank of Nova Scotia building at 1196 Granville Street and compensate the owner through a heritage density bonus of 2.0 FSR.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

Council support for a downtown Dance Centre goes back to April, 1990 when it was first identified on a list of civic cultural facility priorities. Prior to this application, various proposals for the dance centre were considered, but these did not proceed for various reasons.

The Dance Foundation now has an option to lease the Bank of Nova Scotia property at 1196 Granville Street. The site, located at the northeast corner of Granville and Davie Streets, as shown on the above map, has an area of 557.4 m² (6,000 sq. ft.). On behalf of theFoundation, Noel Best of Architectura Inc., in association with Arthur Erickson, submitted Development Application DE404010 on March 4, 1999 to retain the Granville Street facade of the existing two-storey heritage building and to add a new 7-storey addition for development of the Dance Centre. On March 30, 1999 Council approved this building as a candidate for a heritage density bonus, and supported in principle the retention of only the Granville Street facade as sufficient to support a heritage density bonus to meet the project's FSR needs. On June 28, 1999 the Development Permit Board approved Development Application DE404010 subject to conditions including, Council designation of the Granville Street facade and approval of the requisite HRA.

DISCUSSION

Heritage Value: Constructed in 1929, this Bank of Nova Scotia building was designed by the prominent architectural firm Sharp and Thompson, who designed many Vancouver landmarks, including the original Art Gallery, the Vancouver Club and the pylons on theBurrard Bridge. This bank building is a very good example of the Neoclassical "temple bank" design; the strong base and the orderly series of columns and pilasters supporting the
strong entablature above recall the image of antiquity to impart a feeling of permanence and stability. In this instance, Sharp and Thompson skilfully modernized this building typology with restrained Art Deco motifs. The building has survived virtually intact, including period interior furnishings. The principal facade on Granville Street, the temple front, is highlighted by andesite stone pilasters and two columns flanking the entry. The building is listed in the "B" category on the Vancouver Heritage Register.

Heritage Interior: Pursuant to Council's March 30, 1999 instruction decision that the interior structures and features be donated to the Heritage Foundation, the Development Permit Board made the following a condition of Development Permit issuance:

“Design development to preserve and incorporate the interior features of heritage value into the new Dance Centre facility and where it is determined that this is not feasible, arrangements shall be made to the satisfaction of the Director of Planning to donate such interior features to the Vancouver Heritage Foundation."

Restoration Work: Development Application DE404010 proposes to preserve and restore the Granville Street facade, covered entry and vestibule. The exterior stone and terra cotta will be cleaned and repointed and the windows restored. A removed centre metal window will be re-constructed. The Bank of Nova Scotia will continue to operate as a small, one-room, branch on the site, accessible through the original Granville Street doors.

Heritage Density Bonus and HRA: The bonus amount of 2.0 FSR (1114.8 m² /12,000 sq. ft.) is to compensate the owner for the costs of retaining, upgrading and restoring the Granville Street heritage facade and entry. Pursuant to the heritage bonus provision under Section 3.8 of the Downtown Official Development Plan (DODP) By-laws, the Manager of Real Estate Services has analysed the heritage cost information submitted by the applicant and concluded that the bonus amount is justified. The bonus will be used on site.

The recommended HRA will vary the DODP By-laws as described in the chart below:

	PERMITTED (MAXIMUM)	PROPOSED
Floor Area	1,950.9 m² (21,000 sq. ft.)	3,065.7 m² (33,000 sq. ft.)
FSR	3.5	5.5

The Agreement will allow the Bank to terminate if the Dance Foundation has not completed the foundations of the new development by December 31, 2002. In such event, the bonus density will vanish, the heritage designation by-law will not proceed, and the owner will no longer be obliged to conserve the heritage facade. Staff feel this flexibility is reasonable in this unique instance where the owner and the non-profit developer are separate entities and the former has no control over the successful execution of the project.

However, there is some risk that the Dance Foundation could start the project, demolish the building except the Granville Street facade and then not be able to complete the new building. Staff, therefore, put forward RECOMMENDATION D to ensure demolition work does not proceed until the Dance Foundation has secured sufficient funds to complete the construction of the new building.

Compatibility with Community Planning Objectives: While the proposed uses are not the same as adjacent uses, they are complementary. In September 1998, Council amended the Granville Street (Downtown South) Guidelines, which address the future of the area immediately north and south of the subject site. The general intent of these Guidelines is to assist in the creation of a distinct urban character for Granville Street as an entertainment district for the city. The Dance Centre will be complementary with the adjacent entertainment district.

The proposed form of development is generally seven storeys in height with site coverage of 100 percent. The overall height is within the recently amended Granville Street maximum height envelope of 27.4 m (90 ft.). While staff identified several concerns at the preliminary development application stage for this site, including the pedestrian amenity at grade level and the buildings interface with neighbouring sites, they have all been dealt with through the development application process.

With respect to parking, staff feel the building configuration necessary to meet basic dance programme needs, and the civic priority non-profit cultural use, justifies a full parking relaxation based on hardship related to use under Section 3.2.1(c) of the Parking By-law. This was supported by City Council on March 30, 1999.

Notification: The Director of Legal Services has prepared the necessary Heritage By-law amendments and requirements have been met for notification, as specified in the Vancouver Charter. In addition, delegates who made representation at the previous Council meeting on this matter, have been notified of the public hearing.

Comments of the Vancouver Heritage Commission: The Vancouver Heritage Commission reviewed the Development Application on January 18, 1999 and again on March 29, 1999 when it resolved:

“THAT WHEREAS the Vancouver Heritage Commission favours rehabilitation of the existing building, since this is consistent with DODP policy, Section 3.8;

AND WHEREAS the Vancouver Heritage Commission, in its minutes of January 18th, 1999 stated that it was supportive of the adaptive reuse of this heritage building;

AND WHEREAS the applicants have proposed three options, none of which meet these guidelines;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Vancouver Heritage Commission prefers Option 3, providing that the interior be planned so that the spaces behind the facade relate to the location of the existing windows; and would then support a heritage density bonus as proposed by Real Estate Services.”

CONCLUSION

The Development Permit Board approved Development Application DE404010 for 677 Davie Street (1196 Granville Street) to permit the Dance Centre as an appropriate use, built form, and cultural facility in this highly accessible and entertainment-focussed part of the downtown. The Granville Street heritage facade, a valuable fragment of the history of the area, will be preserved and incorporated as an integral component of this new contemporary facility. The requested floor space bonus of 2.0 FSR represents full and fair compensation to the owner for the preservation and restoration of this heritage facade. Therefore, it is recommended that Council support the HRA and that Council amend Schedule B of the Heritage By-law to designate the Granville Street facade of the Bank of Nova Scotia at 1196 Granville Street, as Protected Heritage Property.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver