Ella set to rise.....

[LANDM]

It’s called "engineering". Professionals are able to, firstly, determine if the developer is able to build on a site and, secondly, assist in the design requirements so that the building is sound.

Neither new nor novel. Happens all the time all around the world. The best real estate is always by water and these issues are commonplace.

Sure understand that, but proximity to water set aside for now, how is it the engineers who were doing the determining at Central Green, for instance, didn't pick up that the site can't support the towers, until 3/4 of the way into the build?

Are you saying there are towers 3/4 built and now they are asking for a change?
I don’t believe that is anything close to the case.

I understand that more detailed engineering from a developer led them to ask for a lower height because the engineering study showed that the higher height would be too costly.

I definitely don’t get what you are saying by 3/4 built. Unless you mean the entire project, which is meaningless because this developer finally did their engineering. Nobody else would have done it for the exact proposal and that is all that matters.

[dle]

In response to LANDM:


Yes, the whole project is apparently 3/4 built and it's only now (according to the articles) coming to light that no towers will be included. And from what I understand, all this engineering study of the site occurs PRIOR to submitting the bids etc, and prior to the City okay'ing the project as presented. So if that is the case then they would have to have known there were geotechnical issues from from go regarding towers WHICH would make it cost-prohibitive to do so why present it with towers to the City? Would you agree that's a fair assessment? And my point is that if they had to know, then how did the City wind up with proposals including towers? Not being a developer or an engineer I have to go with what I am reading from the articles.

[Gisley]

I think the key words here are "cost prohibitive", which I read as "we won't make as much profit". Of course, the developer had to know beforehand that this could be the case. The city should hold their ground (so to speak) and force them to finish as planned, we give into these developers in this city at an alarming rate and this makes it very difficult to achieve the actual vision of what the city wants.

[LANDM]

In response to LANDM:


Yes, the whole project is apparently 3/4 built and it's only now (according to the articles) coming to light that no towers will be included. And from what I understand, all this engineering study of the site occurs PRIOR to submitting the bids etc, and prior to the City okay'ing the project as presented. So if that is the case then they would have to have known there were geotechnical issues from from go regarding towers WHICH would make it cost-prohibitive to do so why present it with towers to the City? Would you agree that's a fair assessment? And my point is that if they had to know, then how did the City wind up with proposals including towers? Not being a developer or an engineer I have to go with what I am reading from the articles.

No, your understanding is wrong with respect to detailed engineering. They will do preliminary due diligence but it would not be final-design-specific. By definition, that is specific to what they are actually proposing rather than a generalized type of look at it. I believe, but am not certain, that the city has their "wish list" and the resultant design proposed for this piece that we are talking about is of a lower height, and they are referencing geotech issues. This is pretty normal and isn’t surprising in the least.

[GordonH]

I suspect one of the risk factors would be building in a known earthquakes zone.
Even though there is a fault line up & down middle of Okanagan lake.
I don't believe there is much of a history of quakes in the area, so it's safe to say highly unlikely of a earthquake in the area anytime soon if ever.


Of course quakes & a high water table = soup/major liquefaction. This is why I'd never live anywhere near the Fraser River delta.