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Top Ten Endangered Sites
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(Lost w/ some parts salvaged - updated)
 Old
Kitsilano — particularly its early twentieth-century
commercial buildings — is rapidly disappearing.
The former ‘Black Swan Records’
building — a cherished community landmark at the corner
of West Fourth and Bayswater — is set to become another
casualty of unabated condo development.
Remarkably, this handsome two-storey wood building
is not listed on the City’s Heritage Register, even
though 2904-2906 West Fourth (aka Topanga Café) ranks
a ‘C’ on the list. Although Black Swan lacks Topanga’s
brick façade, it has arguably greater architectural
appeal and has always had great prominence as a corner building.
A rare surviving example of the early commercial
development of western Kitsilano, 2936 West Fourth is one
of a cluster of commercial structures built near the Fourth
and MacDonald intersection as the streetcar line was extended
west. Moreover, Black Swan has a storied history as part of
Kitsilano’s 1960s ‘hippie’ culture. One
of the few remaining icons of that era, Black Swan become
known in its later years for the jazz-themed mural along its
Bayswater façade.
Kitsilano residents want to retain the building
and, in response to community pressure, City Council had earlier
instructed heritage staff to explore all options to save it.
City staff attempted to negotiate a transfer of density, which
was ultimately rejected as insufficient compensation.
The most recent chapter ended January 19, 2006,
when Council unanimously approved a development permit that
will allow the developer to demolish and replace the existing
building.
What conclusions can be drawn from this experience?
At the very least, the Register must be upgraded
to fully reflect community values, but this will not help
unless the City’s toolkit of incentives is bolstered
to meet the pressures of contemporary development. In the
meantime, we urge the City to keep exploring avenues to save
this valuable heritage resource.
Updated 14 April
2006: As all redevelopment permits have been issued
for a new building, City staff are making a last-ditch effort
to relocate the existing building to a site a couple of miles
southwest of its present location. The final outcome will
depend on whether some tricky legal issues can be overcome.
Otherwise, the building will be demolished by April or May
2006.
Updated 10 August
2006: Time has run out - significant parts of the
building have been salvaged and are in storage awaiting approval
of permits to construct a new building on the receiver site
at 10th and Highbury, in which the salavged parts will be
incorporated. The rest of the original building has been demolished.
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| Jan
2006 ; Corner front of building; Heritage
Vancouver photo |
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Jan
2006 ; Side of building; Heritage Vancouver
photo |
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| Jan
2006 ; Front of building; Heritage Vancouver
photo |
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Jan
2006 ; Side front of building; Heritage Vancouver
photo |
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