>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK. WE ARE LOOKING AT DOWNTOWN
SEATTLE FROM THE WATERFRONT
TOWER CAM.
TOWER CAM. >>> WE ALL KNOW HOW FAST THE
SKYLINE'S CHANGE IN.
THERE IS RECORD GROWTH
DOWNTOWN AND BIG-TIME
DEVELOPERS ARE DRIVING DEMAND.
ONE NEW DEVELOPER COMING TO
TOWN AND MANY FEEL HE WILL
HELP TRANSFORM THE CITY INTO A
WORLD-CLASS TOWN.
WORLD-CLASS TOWN. >> Reporter: HE MAY BE
THINKING THERE IS ANOTHER ONE.
MORE RECORD GROWTH DOWNTOWN
THAT WILL PROBABLY TURN INTO
SOME BIG BUILDING.
AND IN A SENSE YOU ARE RIGHT.
TO TRULY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY
WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE YOU
HAVE TO TRAVEL TO VANCOUVER,
CANADA AND MEET THE VISIONARY
BEHIND IT.
BEHIND IT. IAN GILLESPIE IS GROWING HIS
WORLDWIDE EMPIRE.
WORLDWIDE EMPIRE. >> WHEN PEOPLE EXPERIENCE OUR
BUILDINGS THERE IS A DEGREE OF
ARTISTRY AND A SOUL THERE.
>> Reporter: THE TITLE OF
DEVELOPER DOES NOT QUITE FIT.
HIS COMPANY IS SINGLE-HANDEDLY
SHAPING THE VANCOUVER SKYLINE.
HIS NAME IS ON 100 TOWERS
ACROSS CANADA AND TOKYO LIKE
THIS ONE IN THE HISTORIC
GASTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD.
GASTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD. A DECADE AGO HE RESTORED THE
OLD WOODWARD'S DEPARTMENT STORE
WITH CONDOS AND A COMMUNITY
GATHERING SPACE.
GATHERING SPACE. FROM HOTELS TO HOUSING EACH
BUILDING IS MORE GUTSY AND
EACH HAS HIS SIGNATURE
ARTISTIC STYLE.
ARTISTIC STYLE. >> SPECIES SO MUCH MEDIOCRITY
AND BACKGROUND BUILDINGS.
THEY MAKE ME VERY SAD.
BEAUTY IS SOMETHING THAT
REALLY MATTERS.
REALLY MATTERS. IT ENRICHES PEOPLE'S LIVES.
>> Reporter: HIS NEWEST PROJECT
IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS.
VANCOUVER HOUSE IS THAT IS
GENIUS ANSWER TO A SIMPLE
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. HOW DO YOU MAKE THE MOST OF A
TINY TRIANGLE LOT?
>> THAT BUILDING IS CONSIDERED
THE FINEST HIGH-RISE IN THE
WORLD.
WORLD.
WORLD. >>
WORLD. >> IT IS DISORIENTING TO LOOK
AT.
AT.
AT. 375
AT. 375 CONDO UNITS EACH WITH ITS
OWN UNIQUE FLOOR PLAN.
IT IS A WORK OF ART FROM AN
ARTIST.
ARTIST.
ARTIST. YOU WILL FIND ART GALLERIES
AND MOST OF HIS BUILDINGS AND
A PORTION OF HIS VAST
COLLECTION OF DRESSES ARE ON
DISPLAY IN ONE OF HIS HOTELS.
>> WHY IS A CITY GOING TO BE
SUCCESSFUL?
SUCCESSFUL? IT NEEDS TO INSPIRE YOU.
YOU NEED TO WANT TO LIVE THERE
AS OPPOSED TO LIVING IN THE
SUBURBS.
SUBURBS.
SUBURBS. SURE WE CAN DO BETTER AND WE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO INSPIRE
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> Reporter: JUST IMAGINE
VANCOUVER'S HIGH-RISE STICKING
OUT OF HER SEATTLE WOULD STICK
OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB.
THERE ARE THREE PROJECTS IN
THE WERE -- IN THE WORKS.
THE FIRST AT 707 TERRY.
ON STEWART THESE TOWERS HAVE A
SIMILAR ARCHITECTURAL
SIMILAR ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION.
EXPRESSION. THERE IS THIS ONE AT THIRD AND
VIRGINIA.
VIRGINIA.
VIRGINIA. HE CALLS IT FIRST MIGHT.
THIS 47 STORY TOWER WITH
ROOFTOP SWIMMING POOL IS
DESIGNED TO BE AS ENERGY-
EFFICIENT AS YOU CAN GET.
>> I THINK SEATTLE NEEDS
DEVELOPERS LIKE THAT WITH A
LITTLE BIT MORE EDGE AND
PIZZAZZ.
PIZZAZZ.
PIZZAZZ. >> Reporter: CHRIS KNOWS A
THING OR TWO ABOUT SEATTLE
DEVELOPMENT.
DEVELOPMENT. HIS FIRM HAS HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF PROJECTS IN
SEATTLE AND SAYS THIS ARRIVAL
MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW
ERA.
ERA.
ERA. >>
ERA. >> WE ARE GETTING NEW
DEVELOPERS.
DEVELOPERS. >> VANCOUVER A SECOND ATTEMPT.
>> Reporter: MANY OF THE UNITS
ARE LUXURY CONDOS IN A CITY
THAT IS FACING THE WORST
THOMAS AND AFFORDABILITY
CRISIS ON RECORD.
>> THE QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU
RESPOND TO THAT.
I DO NOT THINK THIS IS A WIN
LOSE.
LOSE.
LOSE. MY
LOSE. MY PRODUCT DOESN'T APPEAL TO
RICH PEOPLE MY PROJECT APPEALS
TO PEOPLE WHERE AESTHETICS
MATTER AND WERE GREAT DESIGN
MATTERS.
MATTERS.
MATTERS. >> Reporter: WITH A NEW CANVAS
HE IS STRETCHING THE
BOUNDARIES OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE
YET AGAIN WITH THE EYES OF THE
WORLD CLOSELY WATCHING.
>> I THINK THAT SEATTLE IS
RIGHT AT THE CUSP OF THIS
INCREDIBLE TRANSFORMATION AND
I WANT TO BE PART OF IT.
>> AS WE HURT IN THE 6:00 OUR
THE ARCHITECT WORKING ON THAT
PROJECT IS JIM CHANG FROM
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON.
IF YOU GO THROUGH THE BODY OF
WORK THE PICTURE IS JUST
AMAZING.
AMAZING.
AMAZING. IT WILL BE NEAT TO SEE THAT IN
SEATTLE.
SEATTLE.
SEATTLE. ALSO SO THE BEES PUT TOGETHER
A GREAT INTERACTIVE MAP THAT
WE WILL POST ON KING5.COM WITH
THIS STORY . DOWNTOWN YOU CAN
SEE CRANES ALL OVER THE PLACE.
IT IS NOT SLOWING DOWN WHICH
IS JUST INCREDIBLE.
I THINK ONE THING HE IS REALLY
ZEROING IN ON IS ENERGY
EFFICIENCY IN EVERYTHING HE
DOES BUT ALSO THE IDEA OF
URBANIZATION AND PEOPLE MOVING
DOWNTOWN.
DOWNTOWN.
DOWNTOWN. >> SOME OF THOSE BUILDINGS ARE
SO INTERESTING BECAUSE
ARCHITECTURALLY THEY ARE
BEAUTIFUL AND IT COULD BRING
PEOPLE TO SEATTLE JUST TO
CHECK THEM OUT.