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Frequently asked questions

Southeast False Creek and the Olympic Village

General

Sustainability features

Project Costs, Funding and Financing Arrangements

Sales of Millennium’s Condominiums

Affordable housing

Public Spaces

Future development

Pipe insulation issue

General

Q: What is the size of Southeast False Creek and the Olympic Village property?
Southeast False Creek spans 80 acres (32 hectares) - stretching east from the Cambie Bridge to Main Street, and south from False Creek to 2nd Avenue. Fifty (50) acres (20 hectares) is owned by the City and the remaining is privately owned. The land owned by the City of Vancouver (and a small piece of land owned by TransLink) is the site of the Olympic Village, bounded by Cambie Bridge, Quebec Street, 1st Avenue and False Creek.

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Q: What is included in the first phase of Southeast False Creek’s development?
Millennium is building approximately 1100 residential units, 68,000 square foot of commercial space and the City’s civic centre (community centre, daycare and restaurant). Millennium will own approximately 850 of the residential units: 730 to sell as market condos and 120 to rent. Millennium will also own and lease the commercial space. The City will own the remaining residential units which are currently proposed as affordable housing. The City (Park Board) will also own and operate the civic centre.

The Vancouver Salt Company is rehabilitating the City’s heritage building located at 85 West 1st Avenue. The City will continue to own this building and lease it to the Vancouver Salt Company for the next 20 years.

The City has built the roads, services, waterfront, parks, plaza and all public realm landscaping (the public spaces in the Southeast False Creek community). The City and Park Board will own and operate these spaces in perpetuity.

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Q: What is the Net Zero Building?
The Net Zero Building – which is designed to be a 64-unit affordable housing block for seniors after the 2010 Winter Games – is a building that is anticipated to produce as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis. The City of Vancouver and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) initiated the SEFC Net Zero project as a pilot project for the design of practical, cost effective and transferable energy efficiency and on-site energy production in multi-unit residential buildings.

The roof of the Net Zero building and an adjacent building will be installed with solar thermal hot water panels, which will generate heat equivalent to 90 per cent of the building’s annual energy consumption. Additional heat will be supplied will be supplied through the transfer of waste heat from an adjoining supermarket.

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Q: What is the Olympic Village civic centre?
A new 4,000 square metre civic centre has been constructed along the south shore of False Creek. The civic centre is targeting LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification – the highest rated green building design in North America.

After the 2010 Winter Games, the civic centre will be run by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and will include:

  • Full-size gym, games room and arts and crafts room;
  • Aerobics and dance studio;
  • Multipurpose rooms;
  • Docks for non-motorized boats;
  • 550 square metres of commercial/restaurant space
  • 8,000 square foot, 69-space daycare for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers, and three- to five-year-olds, with an outdoor play area

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Q: What is the Salt Building?
The Salt Building is a very significant landmark in the Southeast False Creek neighbourhood. It is a heritage B-listed building located in the heart of the community at 85 West First Avenue (near Manitob Street). The Salt Building, owned by the City of Vancouver, was built around 1930 to refine raw salt and converted in the 1980s to a paper recycling plant. The Salt Building is interesting for a variety of reasons: its history, its location which marks the original shoreline of False Creek, the fact that it is built on exposed timber piles, and its large, open interior, which is supported by elaborate roof trusses.

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Q: What awards has the Southeast False Creek development won so far?
In addition to international media interest, constant request for tours of the site, pending certifications from the US and Canadian Green Building Councils, the Project has also been honoured with numerous awards.  To date, these include the following:

  • Brownie Award for Best Overall Project from the Canadian Urban Institute - October 2009
  • Honor Award from the Waterfront Center in Washington DC - October 2009
  • Canadian Association for Municipal Administrators - Willis Award for Innovation - June 2009
  • Canadian Institute of Energy - Energy Research and Development Award - June 2009
  • National Merit Award for the Waterfront Design from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects - March 2009
  • Innovations Fund award (UBCM / Federal Gas Tax) - December 2008
  • FCM Green Municipal Fund - January 2008
  • National Urban Design Award for the Public Realm Plan from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada - October 2006
  • Sustainable Transportation Award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities - January 2006

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Q. Who designed the Olympic Village?

Building Architects

  • Merrick Architecture - Parcels 3, 6, 10
  • GBL Architects - Parcels 2, 5, 9
  • Walter Francl - Parcle 11 community centre
  • Arthur Erickson, Nick Milkovich, IBI - Parcel 4
  • Acton Ostry - Salt Bldg

Landscape Architects

  • Building sites - Durante Kreuk
  • Waterfront, Hinge Park, streetscapes - PWL
  • Plaza - Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg
  • Building Mechanical Systems - Cobalt Engineering
  • Building Envelope - Morrison Hershfield
  • Building Electrical- Nemetz
  • Public Spaces Electrical/ Lighting - Stantec
  • Building Structural Engineering - Glotman Simpson
  • Waterfront Structural Engineering - Hayco/EBA
  • Parks, Streets Civil Engineering - Stantec Consulting
  • Building Geotechnical Engineering - Geopacific
  • Public Spaces Geotechnical Engineering - Levelton
  • Building Sites Environmental Engineering - Keystone
  • Public Spaces Environmental Engineering - Morrow/SNC Lavalin

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Q. Who built the Olympic Village?

  • Parcels 4, 3, 6 - ITC Construction
  • Parcels 11, 10, 2, 5, 9 - MetroCan Construction
  • Salt Bldg - Haebler Construction
  • Roads and Utilities - Bel Contracting
  • Streetscapes and Waterfront Landscaping - Wilco
  • Hinge Park - Tybo
  • Plaza - Holland

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Q. Who developed the Olympic Village?

  • Salt Building - Vancouver Salt Company
  • All Other Buildings - Millennium SEFC Properties
  • Public Spaces - City of Vancouver

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Sustainability features

Q: What are the key social sustainability features of this project?
The proposed affordable housing, with a focus on families and seniors, will contribute to a healthy community with various income brackets, ages and family types. The complete community design and rich public realm encourage residents to engage with their neighbours to build a strong community. Pursuant to a Community Benefits Agreement, Millennium and the City partnered with Building Opportunities with Business Inner City Society to procure $42 million in materials and services from the inner city and to train and place over 100 inner city residents in jobs on the Southeast False Creek or nearby construction sites.

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Q: What level of LEED certification is being targeted?
Buildings are designed to the Canadian Green Building Council’s LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standards. The community centre and the Parcel 9 Net Zero Building are targeting LEED Platinum certification – the highest rated green building design in North America. The entire neighbourhood is a pilot project for the LEED for Neighbourhood Development program and is targeting LEED Gold certification.

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Q: How is energy efficiency being achieved at the Olympic Village?
The Net-Zero Energy Building will produce as much energy as it uses by taking advantage of solar hot water panels and waste heat from the grocery store. All buildings are connected to the Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU), a district heating system that uses sewer heat recovery for space heating and domestic hot water. All units have in-suite energy consumption monitors so owners can regulate their energy consumption. With these measures, plus external solar shading devices and energy efficient appliances, units are expected to use only 50 per cent of the energy of a typical unit in Vancouver.

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Q: What is the Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU) at the Olympic Village?
The Southeast False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU) is an environmentally-friendly community energy system that will provide space heating and domestic hot water to all new buildings in Southeast False Creek, including the Olympic Village. The NEU makes use of sewage waste heat recovery technology, which is a renewable and locally available source of energy.

Thermal energy will be captured using a heat exchange process integrated with a new municipal sewage pump station. Similar to a geo-exchange application, heat pumps will transfer thermal energy from the warm sewage supply to a higher temperature range useful for residential space heating and domestic hot water. Sewage heat recovery will have efficiency and cost advantages when compared to typical geo-exchange systems, due to higher heat source temperatures and lack of expensive well-field installations.

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Q: How are water resources being managed?
The buildings reuse rainwater for toilet flushing and landscape irrigation. Bathrooms and kitchens are equipped with high efficiency appliances. Over 50 per cent of the roof and courtyard areas are covered with green roofs. Rainwater from public spaces is collected and treated in a storm water wetland before release to False Creek.

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Q: How is urban agriculture incorporated into the project?
Buildings include raised planters, extra balcony space, tool sheds and composters to encourage gardening. A Community Demonstration Garden is anticipated to be built north of the school site after the 2010 Winter Games.

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Q: How does this neighbourhood incorporate sustainable transportation principles?
The community is high density, mixed use and well connected to transit (ferries, bus, Skytrain). It also features extensions of Vancouver’s network of high quality bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Buildings are equipped with electric vehicle chargers and car share vehicles for residents to use. All measures promote walking, biking and transit ahead of personal vehicle usage.

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Q: How was the concept of energy efficiency incorporated into the design of the Southeast False Creek development?
BC Hydro has been working with Millennium Southeast False Creek Properties and the City over the last three years to incorporate numerous energy saving measures through its New Construction Program at the Millennium Water project.

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BC Hydro’s New Construction Program helps ensure buildings are energy efficient even before they are built. The buildings we create today will impact our community for more than 50 years. By providing incentives and tools, BC Hydro works with developers, owners, designers and architects to design and build energy efficient new buildings and to ensure they are cost effective and have lower environmental impacts.

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Q: What are the projected energy savings of the Southeast False Creek development?
Energy efficiency was a priority from the early design stage to the final building construction of the Southeast False Creek development. The conservation measures implemented could save up to 10.5 million kilowatt hours – enough to power more than 950 homes for an entire year.

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Q: What are some of the energy saving measures that have been built into the Southeast False Creek development?

  • Energy saving measures include:
  • Increased Wall and Roof Insulation
  • High Performance glazing
  • External Passive and Active Shading
  • Thermal Mass
  • Radiant Heating and Cooling
  • Natural and Displacement Ventilation
  • Occupancy Sensors
  • Passive Ventilation Air Tempering/Heat Recovery Ventilation
  • Heat Rejection via Parkade Exhaust
  • High Efficiency Transformers
  • Energy efficient lighting system design
  • Low Flow Plumbing Fixtures
  • Advanced Lighting Control System
  • Heat Pumps/Variable Refrigerant Flow
  • Solar Absorption Chiller  

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Project Costs, Funding and Financing Arrangements

Q: How much does the first phase of Southeast False Creek development cost?
The budget for Millennium’s market project, to "market ready" is approximately $1,075 million, including the land value of $200 million.  The proposed affordable housing units will cost $110 million, the civic centre $36 million, the Salt Building $15 million, the public spaces $89 million, with project and site management costs at $72 million.

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Q: How much will it cost to build the civic centre?
The budget to completion is approximately $36 million.

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Q: What was the cost to renovate the Salt Building?
The Salt Building restoration cost a total of $10.3 million, which includes shell rehabilitation, foundation upgrades, soil remediation, road construction and raising the building elevation.

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Q: Where does the money come from to pay for the City aspects of the development?
The City’s projects in the Southeast False Creek development, including the basic infrastructure and public amenities, is being funded from the sale of the land to Millennium, development cost levies (DCLs)generated in Southeast False Creek, proceeds from the leases for the civic centre restaurant and the Salt Building, and the $30 million that VANOC provided in return for the City agreeing to complete the Olympic Village. The plans for the proposed affordable housing will be discussed at Council this fall.

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Q: How much will Millennium pay the City for the land their buildings are built on?
Millennium has paid the City a deposit of approximately $29 million for the land. The remaining $171 million will be paid by Millennium to the City after the 2010 Winter Games.

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Q: Why is the City loaning money to Millennium for their market project?
In Fall 2008, Fortress, Millennium’s previous lender, stopped advancing funds to Millennium. The City, as guarantor of the Fortress loan, stepped in to keep the project moving along its very tight timeline with the use of protective advances. In January 2009, the Vancouver Charter was amended to allow the City to borrow and lend money for the development of the Olympic Village. Shortly thereafter, the City purchased the loan from Fortress and became the lender to Millennium.

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Q: Where does the City get the money that it lends to Millennium?
The City’s sources include a revolving $550 million credit facility from a consortium of Canadian banks, $150 million debenture issuance, $240 million (to date) commercial paper program and City’s internal funds.

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Q: How much has been advanced to Millennium to date?
As of October 15, the City had advanced $645 million. The advances occur monthly. The next advance will be made November 14.

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Q: How will the loan be repaid to the City?
Millennium is anticipated to repay the City its money through sales of the market residential units or through inventory financing.

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Sales of Millennium’s Condominiums

Q: How many condominiums/properties have been pre-sold to date?
Approximately 265 units have been sold to date, at a value of approximately $220 million. Most of remaining units have not been released for sale by the developer, but there are 226 units actively being marketed as part of the current sales program. The units being marketed reside in Parcels 2, 5, 9, and 10. Remaining inventory is anticipated to be on sale shortly after the 2010 Winter Games.

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Q: Are condominium sales continuing at this time?
The next release of units will be after the 2010 Winter Games. Please contact Rennie Marketing Systems for more information related to the purchase of a condo in the Olympic Village.

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Affordable housing

Q: Will the City again revisit the Official Development Plan (ODP) requirements for Affordable Housing in Southeast False Creek?
Yes, City Council will evaluate options regarding the proposed affordable housing component of the Olympic Village development later this month.

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Q: What is the cost per unit of the affordable housing?
The average cost of the proposed affordable housing is $110 million divided by 252 units which equals $436,500 per unit. This does not include the land value.

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Public Spaces

Q: What can Vancouverites do at Southeast False Creek other than own or rent a condo?
Southeast False Creek has become a destination already. The redeveloped inlet, Seaside Greenway, pedestrian bridge and island are a huge transformation from the industrial brownfield that was once there. After the 2010 Winter Games, the public will be able to enjoy many aspects of the neighbourhood: strolling though the park space west of the development (currently referred to colloquially as “Hinge Park”), eating in one of the restaurants surrounding the Village Plaza, taking a class at the community centre, shopping at the grocery store or visiting the restored heritage Salt Building complete with a coffee shop, bakery and restaurant/brew pub.

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Q: How many acres of park are included in Southeast False Creek? How many acres are included as part of the first phase of development?
Southeast False Creek includes 26 acres of park. 11 acres are currently being built as part of the first phase of development.

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Q: Why was the island built?
It was built to create intertidal habitat for fish, land habitat for birds and a unique urban experience for humans.

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Q: When will the park and the habitat island be open to the public?
Southeast False Creek parks are anticipated to be open to the public after the 2010 Winter Games in May 2010.

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Q: When will Myfanwy McLeod’s art work, The Birds, be installed in the Village Plaza?
The Birds will be installed in spring 2010, after the 2010 Winter Games.

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Q: What awards have the public spaces won to date?
Brownie Award for Best Overall Brownfield Project from the Canadian Urban Institute - October 2009; Honor Award from the Waterfront Center in Washington D.C. - October 2009; National Merit Award for the Waterfront Design from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects - March 2009; National Urban Design Award for the Public Realm Plan from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada - October 2006; and, Sustainable Transportation Award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities - January 2006.

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Q: What other work will occur just after the Games?
Subject to Council approval, the following public spaces, not required for the 2010 Winter Games but an asset to the Southeast False Creek community, are anticipated to be completed in summer 2010: Triangle Park west of the inlet, the Community Demonstration Garden north of the school site, the park east of the civic centre, the off street portion of the Ontario Greenway from 1st Avenue to the waterfront, and the Parcel 5 Crane Park where the gantry crane from the demolished Canron Building will be re-erected.

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Future development

Q: When will the other Areas of the Southeast False Creek area be developed?
Subject to Council approval, the City-owned land east and west of Phase 1 will be developed after the 2010 Winter Games. The timeline will be affected by the real estate market.

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Pipe insulation issue

Q: Have the pipe insulation issues raised by building trades in June 2009 been dealt with?
Yes. The pipe insulation at the Olympic Village has been done as per the specifications as outlined by the architect and the mechanical consultants. As the project parcels apply for occupancy – which is the case on parcels 2, 3, 4 and 6 - the consultants, both architectural and mechanical, have reviewed the insulation and provided a letter of assurance that the work has been completed to the specifications. As the other parcels near occupancy, the same will occur.

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