Shannon Mews Approved

In a disappointing decision by city council, the proposed Shannon Mews development by Wall Financial has been greenlit.

After three nights of public hearings council voted 6-4 in favour despite the vocal opposition of many citizens. I attended the first night and the general tone of comments was not anti-development but rather that the scope of the current proposal was out of scale with the property and the neighborhood.

Furthermore, the heritage aspect of the plan focuses almost exclusively on the Rogers mansion, gatehouse and perimeter wall while ignoring the delicate siting that went into Erickson's mid-70's townhouses.

Photo: Arlen Redekop

Top Ten Endangered

Heritage Vancouver has published its annual list of endangered buildings, including Shannon Mews (Erickson-Massey) and the Collingwood Library (Semmens + Simpson).

Photo: Collingwood Library, c.1951. Credit: VPL #8856

Shannon Mews Update

Busby Perkins + Will has made a formal application to rezone the Shannon Mews site from RS-6 (residential) to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development). The result would increase the FSR to 2.08 from 0.6 which is substantial in what is largely a single family dwelling district.

Here is a rendering of the corner of Granville and 57th from BP+W:

The plan calls for the retention and designation as heritage of the existing mansion, coach house and gatehouse but makes no mention of the 1971 Erickson-designed buildings on the site.

Interestingly, it was Erickson who helped save the original buildings and gardens by proposing a plan that allowed them to remain sympathetically within the 1971 plan. Ironic then, that his designs look set to be brought down to make way for the new development.

As I mentioned in a post last year, it seems like an excellent opportunity for architectural dialogue between original Italianate villa, circa-1970's West Coast Modernism and post-millennial Eco-Density development.

Though the Shannon Mews buildings are not among Erickson's most important work–they were built economically as rental units–they still display many of his characteristic trademarks: clarity of form, respect for siting, economical use of materials.

As with all rezoning applications, the City of Vancouver welcomes your feedback.

Shannon Mews

Shannon Mews, the 10 acre site at the corner of Granville and 57th looks set for eventual redevelopment.

The Wall Financial Corporation has applied to rezone the property from RS-6 to CD-1 and has begun public consultations on the process. In an August 25, 2009 Policy Report, the city gives tacit approval of the project as long as certain criteria are met. The site is a prime candidate for the city's Eco-Density program, with Busby, Perkins & Will on board to create a development that has more rental housing, achieves LEED Gold status, and uses solar energy and efficient water strategies.

The site has an interesting development history, dating back to the early 20th century when the Rogers family built the original and still existing Beax-Arts mansion, gardens and perimeter wall. The mansion and wall are now designated "A" status heritage structures and will be incorporated into any future master plan.

In the early 1970's the site was rezoned to allow 162 rental units to be built. Curiously, there is no mention in the Policy Report of the historic value of these units or of their designer, Arthur Erickson. The report offers a recommendation that "a rezoning application for the entire site provides a good opportunity for the City to ensure that rental units are replaced or increased."

Much like another project Busby, Perkins & Will are involved in, this seems like an opportunity for an architectural dialogue that traces Vancouver's modern development history. Perhaps there is a plan that would retain the mansion as well as a portion of the Erickson-designed rental units and incorporate them into one cohesive vision that would align with the city's Eco-Density plans and the changing nature of residential housing.