Remember when The Waldorf was sold to a condo company and there was all that enthusiastic talk about getting together to present City Hall with an application that would see the building receive heritage designation? Well, people did that, and they did it very well indeed.
The incredible report is 87-pages long and includes photos, stories from folks young and old, and unearths the topsy-turvy 65-year history of this East Vancouver community hub. Vancouver City Hall officials said they had “never seen a crowd-development submission like this.”
As a historical document, it’s pretty staggering in its weight and thoroughness. Read the “Statement of Significance” in its entirety here.
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The lack of value put on heritage buildings by the COV in vancouver is bewildering. On this 125th anniversary of the city of Vancouver, the 2nd oldest home in Vancouver was recently demolished, and there were only a few passers by who stopped to look. What about the Pantages Theatre, ? Do you actually think the COV will treat this differently?
Just finished reading the submission – what an incredible piece of work, and on such a tight timeline! It just goes to show how valuable the Waldorf is to this city. Here’s hoping that this will set the precedent for further deserved Heritage Designations in the future.
Not to take away from the hard work but this is the same thing that has happened with every other City Hall process, they marvel at the reports, say good work and in the end the Waldorf will be gone. I have seen this happen so many times. I urge people to go down to City Hall and watch these meetings and to be a part of them, they are worth the time. See the process first hand so you’ll know what a massive show it is, they always do whatever they want anyways in the end.
Hyperbole, Chris. Vancouverites have, from time to time when properly organized and set particularly ablaze, steered the City away from some terrible decisions. I’d agree that it’s been a while since they didn’t, but they don’t always get what they want.
Great to see that this report was prepared and presented. Congratulations to all involved. The building has obvious heritage value but If saved who is going to run it and for what. Is there another group out there with the kind of foresight that the people who brought it to life as an art’s venue had?
If it does return, vote with your feet, get down there, off the couch and support the thing. There will be blocks of condos on the south side of Hastings soon.
They are usually seen as the enemy but they just might be the salvation of a place like the Waldorf. With more population in walking distance it might turn the place from a destination to a neighbourhood icon.
Has anyone taken the time to see the owners holdings. For example he owns the delevolpment company along with the moda hotel and the met in new west he didn’t tear those down. People need to stop jumping to conclusions.
Waldorf? People are ~still~ talking about that? It’s over, so get over it.
jc: “the 2nd oldest home in Vancouver was recently demolished.”
The appropriate response to heritage is to preserve what is ‘significant’ to the story of a City, which is why some mid-century (1950s) buildings are more valuable than a rotting, old working-class Edwardian. Think of the bizarre outcome if we preserved only by old age.