Incredible as it may seem, marketers are telling us that it is still possible to buy a new condo in Yaletown, in what will probably be one of the last great opportunities to purchase an apartment in the neighbourhood. Ever.
The new Homer and Helmcken building (also known as 'H+H', for those who don't have enough time to pronounce the full project name), will be 16 storeys (146 feet) high, with 192 new condo units.
Significantly, 85 condo units will have two or more bedrooms, making it an appealing place for families, with an unspecified portion set aside for social housing. More information is available in the Development Permit Staff Committee report, here (link to pdf).
With a rooftop playground being thrown in as well, the building will also have a convenient place for yuppie children to receive their daily beatings from working class kids. ("Two kids enter, one child leaves!")
As part of the marketing inanity, this 'advertorial' (link to pdf) from the Real Estate Weekly excitedly proclaims that Yaletown has been named one of the top five neighbourhoods on the continent by Good Morning America.
No doubt the rigorous study and discerning tastes of GMA staffers (again, abbreviated for those who are tight on time) can probably be trusted. After all, these geniuses are able to pump out three hours of drivel, five days per week.
Correction: We'd previously reported that 35% of units were set aside for social housing, however the Development Permit report (page 9) says that 35% of the units on the lower 8 floors have two or more bedrooms. No specific portion is mentioned as being set aside for social housing.
