Comments on: Former councillor Jim Green hired to help on Olympic village

By: MB

MB — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:20:59 +0000

Jim Green was the primary mover / shaker on the Woodward’s project. It sat derelict for years while various characters and schemes bobbed briefly to the surface then sank. Green brought together both public and private influences and resources, and their combined effort succeeded where more rigidly singular ideas failed.

Though his position in Millennium appears diluted (is he just a point man?), Green’s influence in defining a new poly-socioeconomic development model bodes well for Vancouver’s future.

Now, if we can just find a Jim Green for sustainability …..

By: A. G. Tsakumis

A. G. Tsakumis — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:30:43 +0000

Frances:

I believe you missed Jim’s better work…with Westbank…

AGT

By: fbula

fbula — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:45:45 +0000

Bastion is building some market rental apartments out at UBC, in aan arrangement the university has with Bastion. The market rental is part of deal that includes condos for sale and it’s structured so that the saleable parts of the project help subsidize the costs of building the rental.

By: Matias Salibian

Matias Salibian — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:03:00 +0000

Which ones would be the affordable-housing projects out at UBC?

By: foo

foo — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:09:57 +0000

Not that I like any condo-hypester developer, but it seems Millenium has been getting the short end of the stick in the fiasco. They haven’t really done anything wrong.

They bid on the project, won it, got financing in tough circumstances, built the complex to the city’s demanding standards, got screwed over by their financiers, and still keep plugging away on the building.

No-one’s suggesting they’re behind schedule, building crap (at least no worst than the crap everyone else is building), not meeting their commitments etc. This whole crisis has really been about politicians and bankers, not the builders.

By: fbula

fbula — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:52:27 +0000

Wendy,

To my knowledge, the city wants Millennium to remain as the official developer, in part because it keeps the 265 pre-sale contracts valid. If Millennium is removed as the developer, that’s a material change to the contract and buyers would have the option to end their contracts.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:06:22 +0000

Maybe this is about Millenium wanting to remain in charge of the project? It seems that if the city still technically owns the land and is now doing the financing — and seems to have construction management and engineering types running around the site too — that Millenium may not really be needed here?

Could Millenium / The Malek’s fear that the city might just take control of the project, and take their name off of it?

Most in the Development Biz still see that project as a winner and one that people globally will talk about for years as an example of how a sustainable community can be created, quickly.

Just my theory… I have no inside knowledge. But it might explain why Millenium is quickly cosying up to Vision.

By: jesse

jesse — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:39:27 +0000

They have been “dismayed” at all the bad press? And who indeed, in the end, is paying Mr. Green et al’s salaries?

Maybe I’m missing the general mood out there, but at this point it’s about money. The council would do well to put in a bi-partisan pit bull to interface to Millenium and their hired PR; the LAST think this city needs is back room dealings done through VV networks. Sounds ironically in camera.

By: re:place Magazine

re:place Magazine — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:17:40 +0000

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By: Denis

Denis — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:49:15 +0000

Jim Green pushed very hard to get the Four sisters Co-Op up and running down on Alexander Street which housed folks ranging from paying market rent( our family) to those heavily subsidised. It worked well. It was great to see single parents who then had a place of their own, go out to get educations ,sit on the board, and a job. The old hotel on Hastings became a place for the hard to house people.( sorry I can’t remember the name of it) The Peoples Bank was another of his projects. The guy isn’t perfect but none of us are. Let him show his expertize and then judge him. I figure he will be an asset.