SA国际影视传媒

The list of people who played a role in making Bob & Michael鈥檚 Place a reality is so extraordinarily long that Carol Lee can hardly begin to name names.

鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a miracle we got it done,鈥� says the chair of the .

The daughter of the late Robert Lee鈥攖he philanthropist, real estate entrepreneur and former chancellor of USA国际影视传媒鈥攈as business in her blood. The younger Lee co-founded cosmetics company Linacare Cosmetherapy with Henry Fung in 2002 before moving on to incorporate VCF a decade later.

Chinatown, one of Vancouver鈥檚 oldest neighbourhoods, was 鈥渙n the downhill slide,鈥� she says. In trying to figure out how to revitalize a place where some of her best childhood memories inextricably reside, Lee had her first meeting for a social housing project at 58 West Hastings Street back in 2011.

鈥淸The site] is not technically in Chinatown, but because we鈥檙e the VCF for community revitalization, we thought, 鈥榃e need to help our neighbour first.鈥� It was going to be hard to help revitalize Chinatown if our neighbour was also struggling. We were tiny, and it was a pretty tall order: I had to go and raise $30 million for 231 units of social housing,鈥� she says.

What unfolded over the next 12 years was a symphony of collaboration: architects, builders, developers, philanthropists, nonprofits, three tiers of government, sports teams and many, many other organizations stepped forward to support the VCF鈥檚 mission to provide much-needed affordable housing in the city. Of the 231 units at Bob & Michael鈥檚 Place, more than half are set at welfare rates. The rest are being offered at Housing Income Limit (HIL) rental rates, which are also below-market.

The City of Vancouver donated the land for 58 West Hastings through a 99-year lease, while the provincial and federal governments contributed over $51 million through SA国际影视传媒 Housing and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The CMHC also loaned the VCF an additional $27 million for the project.

Michael Audain, the founder and chair of Polygon Homes, committed $5 million for it. He was good friends with Lee鈥檚 father, who committed $5 million as well. 鈥淐ommunity building has always been a part of their work,鈥� says the younger Lee. 鈥淢oney was an essential component, but it鈥檚 not what made this project. This project was made because people care. And you can see it in every inch of that building.鈥�

It鈥檚 true: at an open house on June 22, visitors (including elderly folks and single mothers) were seen touring the building with smiles on their faces. It was easy to spot Douglas Coupland art in the hallway, and many of the units (which range from studios to one- and two-bedroom suites) featured nice-to-haves like balconies, dens, dishwashers, kitchenware and furniture.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been really rewarding because right from the beginning, when we asked people, almost everybody said yes,鈥� Lee notes. Axiom Builders, Bosa Development and W.T. Leung Architects all worked on the project, but none of them profited from it.

Moreover, to help the people who will be living here, around 45 companies agreed to donate services, including Deloitte (to assist with taxes), Dress for Success, the Vancouver Public Library, the Vancouver Art Gallery, Working Gear, the Vancouver Canucks, the Vancouver Symphony, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the SA国际影视传媒 Lions. 鈥淪o people living in this building, on either the shelter side or the HIL side, will be able to go to Canucks games. We think that鈥檚 pretty exciting,鈥� Lee adds.

Local artists gifted artwork; Parker Hotel Vancouver gave sheets, robes and towels; and the Vancouver Gardening Club not only donated money, its members also brought the big garden at Bob & Michael鈥檚 Place to life. They even offered to hold workshops and classes for residents on topics like container gardening.

鈥淲e鈥檝e tried to layer as many pieces of the pie as far as community goes,鈥� Lee says. 鈥淵ou can see how, if you have the right intention, lots of people want to come in and help. If we all do a little bit, it鈥檚 amazing what we can put together.鈥�

Lay of the Land

A few facts about life at Bob & Michael鈥檚 Place:

The 10-storey building at 58 West Hastings Street includes a mix of micro, studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites.

• Micro suites: 275 sq.ft.
  $1,150/month

• Studios: 361 sq.ft.
  $1,250/month

• 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom suites: 507 sq.ft.
  $1,450/month

• 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom suites: 656 sq.ft.
  $1,800/month

The VCF鈥檚 Community Partnership Program connects tenants with organizations specializing in wellness, life skills, mentoring, sports, culture and entertainment.

Carol Lee鈥檚 mother, Lily Lee, donated $3.8 million for an integrated 50,000-square-foot health facility in the building. Vancouver Coastal Health will run the Lily Lee Community Health Centre Hastings, which will deliver primary care to the entire community.