Tag: Redevelopment

Planning for Climate Resiliency

When planning the design of our new building, we couldn’t ignore the current and future effects of climate change, especially considering the impact that we want the building to have in the Downtown Eastside for generations to come. Extreme weather like intense rain and flooding, severe cold snaps, oppressive heat domes, and wildfire smoke poses […]

Canada supports 103 new affordable homes in Vancouver at 320 E Hastings

FIRST UNITED Executive Director Amanda Burrows (centre) pictured with Vancouver City Councillors Lenny Zhou, Rebecca Bligh, Lisa Dominato, Mike Klassen, and Christine Boyle, Lu’ma Native Housing Society President Dave Baspaly, and Vancouver-Mount Pleasant MLA Joan Phillip. Photo by Maxine Bulloch. Vancouver, British Columbia, November 6, 2023 Construction is underway on 103 units for Indigenous residents and […]

Still a Sanctuary in the Heart of the Downtown Eastside

There is something notably different about East Hastings these days. The corner at Gore is missing a recognizable landmark—FIRST UNITED’s old church building. That’s because we’re currently undergoing a redevelopment, demolishing the old building to make way for a new purpose-built facility that will better serve the current and growing needs of the Downtown Eastside. […]

Summer Newsletter: A Retrospective On Our Building

Honouring the History of Our Old Building We’ve dedicated this summer edition of First Things First to our former building—to honour its history and legacy in the Downtown Eastside. Read just some of the significant events and milestones that took place in our old building. Featured photo by Walter E. Frost 1973 (City of Vancouver […]

Revisiting Our Totem Pole Ceremony

Our building at 320 East Hastings is currently being demolished and we’re feeling a little nostalgic. Just a little over a year ago, we were moving our programs out of our old building to prepare for hazardous material removal and demolition. Part of that preparation was safely moving the totem pole that was in our […]

Final Steps Through the Old FIRST

The bricks of our building are starting to come down this week. Before officially saying goodbye, we made sure to do a final walk through what’s left of the building that’s meant so much to so many. If you haven’t already, you can also subscribe to our email list to ensure that you’re getting all […]

Summer Newsletter, Building Construction Updates and Advocacy Plans

Sharing exciting updates from FIRST! Check out our latest newsletter with stories on how we spent the months leading up to the demolition of our 320 East Hastings building. Learn more about our Advocacy program and upcoming plans. First United Summer 2022 Newsletter

Construction Update: Demolition Begins!

Fence is up at 320 E. Hastings to prepare for demolition.

We’re excited to announce that the demolition of our building at 320 East Hastings is now officially underway!   This spring, our remaining staff, programs and services were moved to satellite locations in the Downtown Eastside. Last week, shelter residents were relocated to our newly renovated, state-of-the-art shelter on Alexander Street and by Thursday afternoon, […]