Travels Through East Vancouver

Posts Tagged ‘Heatley Block’

, ,

Heatley Block Saved by VPL Change in Direction

In Uncategorized on February 4, 2010 at 4:22 pm

Up with libraries! Down with heritage destruction. Kudos to the VPL for listening to the community on this one.

Vancouver Public Library Press Release: New Location for Downtown Eastside-Strathcona Branch

(Vancouver, British Columbia) – The City of Vancouver has purchased a new site for the future Downtown Eastside-Strathcona Library Branch, bringing one step closer the Library Board’s long-time vision for a full service library in the historic city centre to complement the Carnegie Reading Room.

The Downtown Eastside-Strathcona Branch, which will also provide library service to Chinatown, will be located at 720-730 East Hastings Street on the south side between Heatley Avenue and Hawks Avenue.

“This is truly a dream come true,” said Vancouver Public Library Board Chair Joan Andersen. “Providing full library service to these diverse neighbourhoods, some of which face significant economic and social challenges, has been a longstanding goal of the Vancouver Public Library Board of Trustees. We are delighted to announce that we are closer to making the branch a reality.”

The Library Board will request capital funding from the City for the design process, which is expected to begin this year. In the short term the Library will explore partnership opportunities for the development. The Board has contracted McClanaghan and Associates to consult with neighbourhoods to refine the vision for the library branch. This community input will help inform the library’s development plan. Read the rest of this entry »

, , ,

Library proposal sparks furore

In Local News on July 23, 2008 at 4:11 pm

In today’s Vancouver Sun:
Byline: John Mackie

VANCOUVER – Usually, neighbourhoods are happy to get a new library. But a proposal to build a $14.5-million library at Hastings and Heatley has some Strathcona residents outraged because it would involve tearing down historic buildings in the city’s oldest neighbourhood.

The main bone of contention is the Heatley Block, a two-storey commercial building that has four commercial spaces on the main floor and a rooming house above. Built in 1930, it is the only “character” building left on a fairly bleak strip of Hastings.

“The City of Vancouver went out real estate shopping for a site for the new public library, and they just happened to buy the best building on that part of Hastings,” says John Atkin of the Strathcona Residents Association.

“Here we have a building that has people living in it, and retail on the ground floor, viable stores, and we’re going to wipe it out.

“It just seems [dumb] to have purchased the best building on Hastings street architecturally and you’re going to blow it up. I don’t care what the amenity is that we’re getting out of it, it just seems wrong.”

The Heatley Block isn’t on the city’s official heritage register, which was compiled in 1985 and is about to be upgraded. Neither are two old houses on the same site which date to 1889 and 1898. The 1889 structure is probably one of the 10 oldest houses in Vancouver.

Read the rest of this entry »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.