Revitalization, Without Gentrification

That's the trick architect Gregory Henriquez is trying to pull off in a rundown section of Vancouver, in one of the biggest redevelopment projects the city has seen yet.

1 minute read

November 26, 2009, 9:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur


"To meet this objective, the development will pack many diverse tenants onto the site - a strategy that Mr. Henriquez described as generating "body heat."

For example, one of the four buildings, a 32-story tower, will include 75 rental units for low-income families; 170 market-rate condos; the offices of the National Film Board; and Nesters Market, the first new grocery in the neighborhood in more than 15 years. The building is the first in the city with both subsidized housing and condominiums."

The project came about when a city councilperson refused to sign on to the city's Olympic bid unless the Downtown Eastside got some affordable housing out of it.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 in The New York Times

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