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Top Ten Endangered Sites
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(Saved - updated)
 The
future is still uncertain for this modern landmark. Arthur
Erickson designed the Evergreen as an office building for
owner John Laxton. Completed in 1980, the Evergreen’s
unique stepped terraces and hanging gardens were configured
to create the experience of working on a mountainside.
Unlike other office buildings, every floor has
access to outdoor patio space — an ideal condition for
residential conversion. Erickson took full advantage of the
stepped configuration, creating complex geometries through
the interplay of offset zigzag and linear floor plates, each
floor diminishing in floor area within a trapezoidal building
footprint.
But, according to Laxton, the Evergreen’s
smaller upper-floor areas are a disadvantage in the current
office market, while the location has high residential demand
due to spectacular views and amenities. The existing office
building is only 10 storeys high (about 130’) in a zone
that permits a tower height of up to 300’. Considering
conversion to residential, Laxton concluded that additional
floor space was needed to improve financial return.
To address compatibility with the original design,
Laxton retained Erickson, who designed a light, 4-storey,
glass and steel box — intended to resemble a lantern
— on the roof of the existing building. In September
2004, City staff supported the proposed addition, which would
bring the total building height to 175’.
To the surprise of many, however, the DP Board
(an independent panel) refused to approve the conversion application
due to the size of the proposed addition. Displeased, Laxton
responded that he would apply to replace the Evergreen with
a new 300’ tower; this, he claimed, would be cheaper
to build and more marketable than conversion of the existing
building. Unfortunately, the building has no heritage protection
as it did not meet the 20-year age requirement of the 1990
Recent Landmarks Inventory.
Fast forward to 2006: efforts to find a solution
to save the Evergreen have been fast and furious. Heritage
Vancouver and others have made representations to City Council,
which in turn instructed its heritage planning staff to further
engage Mr. Laxton regarding incentives and alternatives for
preservation.
Covering all angles, Laxton has responded by
filing two parallel development applications: the first is
to demolish the Evergreen and construct a new residential
tower, and the second is to keep the existing building.
The first application (to demolish) has already
been approved, subject to final disposition of the second
(retention) application — which is still being negotiated.
Details of the negotiations are not yet known but could possibly
involve the addition of floors and/or density transfer to
another site.
We are collectively holding our breath as the
retention option works its way through the process. If the
process fails, the way is clear for a demolition permit.
Updated 14 April
2006: HV has written a letter to Council in supoprt
of retention. City Council has referred the retention option
to Public Hearing for consideration of a Heritage Revitalization
Agreement (HRA). Council seemed favourable. As the office
market is improving, there is uncertainty as to whether the
final retention proposal (if approved) will be a residential
conversion with added floors, or primarily an office building
with townhouse infill along Cordova Street.
Updated 19 April
2006: Good news! City Council Tuesday evening, voted
to put an HRA on the Evergreen building, designating it and
thus preserving it in perpetuity. The developer, John Laxton,
still has the decision whether to accept the City's offer
of 177,000 in density bonus to conserve it as is, or put the
glass top on it, then convert it to residential use.
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