It used to be that Vancouver's South Downtown increasingly referred to to as SoDo was a rather seedy area you passed through as you drove between Yaletown and the West End. Not anymore. The neighbourhood, which is arguably bounded by Seymour and Burrard streets to the east and west and Drake Street in the north, is undergoing rapid change.
Construction has been intense for the past few years and is not likely to let up any time soon. Cressey Development Group's Maddox (215 units, pictured left), Onni Group's The Mark (302 units), and Rize's Rolston (187 units) are all offering move-in-ready homes, and will soon join Concert Properties' Salt(194 units) as sold-out developments.
On the horizon: Westbank's iconic Vancouver House (388 units) and Bonds Group of Companies' Tate Downtown(333 units) are both in preconstruction, with Jimmy Pattison and Reliance's massive Burrard Place (810 market and rental units formerly known as Burrard Gateway) seeking rezoning approval from the City of Vancouver. The City is also looking to sell off the derelict Continental Hotel, currently sandwiched between the bridge's off-ramps. And Vancouver House's construction next to Granville Bridge is sparking the creation of the Beach District, which aims to become a new urban village and the cultural hub of SoDo, running along Beach Avenue under Granville Bridge.
But the area is already enormously underserved by everyday amenities such as grocery stores and restaurants so how will it cope with a massive population boom?
"There's been unbelievable change in the last five years," says Hani Lammam, executive vice-president at Cressey. "The decision to live in a setting like this is all about enjoying the conveniences of urban life. Amenities are very important what's here today and what's promised. There are currently fewer retail services than in other parts of downtown, but there's evidence that they're coming."
Lammam notes that as soon as Cressey's Maddox development sells out, its ground-floor presentation centre space will become retail space. In fact, he commends the City for insisting that developers include commercial space in their plans.
Signs of the tide turning in terms of neighbourhood amenities include rumours that restaurateur Umberto Menghi plans to reopen Il Giardino imminently just up the block from its previous Hornby Street location. If true, he will be part of the vanguard taking advantage of the thousands of new, affluent residents.
Starchitect Bjarke Ingels will be incorporating restaurants, retail and public art into Vancouver House, which is slated for completion in 2018. On the project's website, he talks of turning the site into a "village full of alleyways and plazas for a dense, lively urban environment."
There is a groundswell of excitement regarding the proposed Burrard Place project too. Given the Jim Pattison Group's involvement, it is largely anticipated that a much-needed grocery store, possibly an Urban Fare, will be part of the commercial footprint.
Jim Pattison's Burrard Place is set to have 888 residential units and provide a grocery store as well as a Jim Pattison Toyota dealership
Jim Pattison's Burrard Place
That, according to CBRE Vancouver's Adrian Beruschi, is what SoDo needs to put it over the tipping point in the minds of retailers. Beruschi is actively seeking tenants for a number of commercial spaces in the neighbourhood.
"There's not a massive amount of vacancy and there's no shortage of interest, but right now the spaces cater to smaller retailers," he said. "South Downtown changed at the snap of your fingers. Historically it was nothing and now it's a residential hub. It's an emerging market in the downtown core, but it's still not a distinct area. It lacks an anchor, but if [Burrard Place] moves forward it will provide the scale for a town centre."
As part of the neighbourhood's revitalization, the City's plans include removing the Granville Street Bridge loops, a new road system to improve pedestrian and bike access to the waterfront and seawall in the Beach District, and considering creating a new aquatic centre in the area.
Those amenities are something that 42-year-old Maddox condo owner Mike Orchison is looking forward to. The former Yaletown resident and his wife bought their two-bedroom condo last November and moved in a few months ago. They love their new home but are very aware that they have given up a number of conveniences for the short term, including easy access to their son's school and the Roundhouse community centre. Orchison also decries the lack of a nearby grocery store.
"What we have now is the 7-Eleven, which is a joke," he said. "In our old home we were two blocks away from Urban Fare, and we still walk there. But we feel it on the biceps coming home. A grocery store would help this community thrive I think within a few years we'll see that change. There are more highrise projects happening, which will bring more people who will demand amenities."
