St Paul Hospital design rejected by the Urban Design Panel

St Paul Hospital design rejected by the Urban Design Panel

  • Community
  • Construction
  • Real Estate
  • Redevelopment
June 26, 2019


St Paul’s Hospital design rejected by the Urban Design Panel. Served us for over a decade, St Paul’s Hospital on Burrard Street will move to a new 18.4-acre site located at 1002 Station St beside the Pacific Central Train Station. The lack of land has limited the possibility to expand the facility in its current location. It is disheartening to see the old hospital go, but the new hospital will feature the latest medical technologies, research center, additional beds, and new services to accommodate more patients. We will also see an improved teaching facility continuing to train countless amount of UBC medical students.

Recently, New St Paul’s Hospital’s innovative design was rejected by the Urban Design panel (UDP) after some rigorous discussions. A hospital is more complicated compared to a condo and office design due to hospital protocols.

Hospital tends to last a long time before it is replaced. Therefore, the visual of the hospital is important. When it comes to usability, it must be efficient and up to international health care standard to ensure patients are attended in a timely manner. There are many exterior and interior details to be considered.

According to Dr. Wang,Deerwater Dental Wellness, a dental clinic in Vancouver, she's also disappointed in the new St. Paul's hospital design. The new hospital promises more integrated health care. However, when it comes down to dentistry, it seems like the hospital has completely neglected it. Dr. Wang understands that good oral health can lead to the overall wellness of a person's body. As a TMJ specialist in Vancouver, she has seen many cases where her patients suffer from chronic pain because of different oral issues. If the hospital truly wants to promote integrated health, dentistry should have a bigger spotlight in the hospital.

The new hospital design is optimized for medical use and has a rectangular appearance to it. It meets all zoning regulatory requirement. However, the UDP has concerns regarding its aesthetic. They wanted the structure slimmer and taller as it is a more unique and modern approach to building structure.

City staff reaffirmed their position that they would not consider any height increase. The Applicant team stated that the current rectangular design is optimal for hospital and research operations. Even if the city allows a height increase, the applicant would not build a higher hospital.

The UDP also raised concerns regarding public activation measure and street front retailers. It is apparent that UDP takes on a residential/commercial perspective coming into the meeting. It doesn’t align with the applicant nor the city point of view.

It was a heated and constructive debate, but it shouldn’t affect the schedule of the development. The old St Paul’s Hospital is planning to phase out in 2026. The site will be sold for redevelopment after all the equipment is transferred to the new hospital.

Yoyoe Lu

Founder and managing principal
yoyoe@claridgeadvisors.com

Yoyoe is the founder and managing principal of Claridge. She was ranked one of Vancouver’s top real estate agents. Currently, Yoyoe is our strategic mind leading the team to success. Her affiliation with industry professionals put her ahead of our competitors. Yoyoe is also part of the Rotary Club of West Vancouver, Canadian Homebuilders Association, Urban Land Institute and Urban Development Institute.

Ashley Osborn

Development Site and Investment Specialist
ashley@claridgeadvisors.com

Ashely is our lead land and investment advisor. He has been consistently featured in the annual top 100 real estate deals of British Columbia ranking. With over $15 billion worth of domestic and international real estate investments under his belt, Ashley is one of the top agents in the province. His 20 years of real estate and financial experience make him a master in negotiation and acquisition.

Patricia Wong Chong

Investment and Leasing Specialist
patricia@claridgeadvisors.com

Patricia is our investment and retail leasing advisor. Her experience in brokerage and market research analysis has helped her comprise over $550 million in commercial real estate transactions. Patricia is responsible, detail-oriented, and professional. Her strong work ethic and positive attitude have led her to surpass all her competitors.

Schumann Li

Land Assembly & Residential Specialist
schumann@claridgeadvisors.com

Schumann is a top-producing realtor in the Lower Mainland with more than 30 years’ experience. Over the years, Schumann hasn’t just garnered awards, but the trust of countless customers. Her clients continually refer to her outstanding professionalism, work ethic and poise.

Wendy Kaip

Sales Associate
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Whether it’s decoding city policies, strategizing relocation plans, home sellers looking for a trustworthy advisor to unlock their property’s maximum potential- Wendy is here to help every step along the way.

Prior to real estate, Wendy spent over a decade in the mining industry with her attention to detail, keen negotiation skills, extensive network and strong reputation for getting the deal done, bringing endless value to her current real estate clients.

Whether you are thinking about selling to a developer, or have more questions about commercial real estate, Wendy invites you to connect, to see how she can utilize her expertise and team to help create value and maximize your real estate goals.

Simon Chan

Managing Broker
simon@claridgeadvisors.com

Simon is the managing broker of Claridge Real Estate Advisors Inc. His expertise has helped our agents resolve many difficulties. Not only is Simon knowledgeable with real estate legislation, but he is also very detail orientated. With Simon on our team, our agents are confident to conduct businesses and will always get the support they need to ensure they’re not walking on dirty water.

Frank Zhou

Analyst
frank@claridgeadvisors.com

As the analyst of the company, my key job is to help brokers to find marketable clients and locate feasible development sites by collecting and analyzing up-to-date market transaction data and conducting target market and property-level research. Meanwhile, I am also in charge of maintaining the company’s property database to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness and continuously upgrading the level of knowledge by staying up to date with hot topics, and market trends, and incorporating findings into everyday work. Before joining the company, I worked for CR Group as a real estate investment manager, focusing on capital raising, equity and debt financing, acquisition and renovation. I hold 2 master’s degrees, one in Housing Management and the other in Economics.

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