My 2 cents worth... I've been lurking and keeping an eye on this thread for a while. There are a few topics of interest: a) Location/Transportation While it is central within the Lower Mainland, CanuckDynasty is correct that there is only one way in and out of Mitchell Island so if the bridge is out for whatever reason, it will be difficult to get to. Having said that, I don't know if most people will be heading to the facility during peak hours (6:30 am to 9am and 3:30pm to 6pm) - I drive to work from Richmond to East Vancouver along Knight and there have been more than a few times where it has taken me hours to get home because of something on the bridge. Transit might be a problem but still better than no transit at all. Ace is a good location (as far as transit is concerned). b) Restaurant/Cafe/Lounge - not looking for a 3-5 star place but one that serve good and reasonably priced food where we can hang out and chat after a session. Obviously it would be nice if it shows badminton matches (and BWF have improved in this regard as per the World Championships with HD video streaming and uploads). c) Pro-shop - a must have and it's not to simply provide a place to sell equipment/supplies. It is required for stringing services. I agree that it is tough to compete with prices in Asia and yes, most folks would be getting their racquets from Asia as a lot of the players have relatives that come and go between here and Asia. It is possible to price the products competitively with Asian prices but it is almost impossible to do so if you getting your supplies through official channels (the wholesale prices are almost the same as the retail prices in Asia) although it is possible (depending on the brand and agent). d) Pricing - still got to be competitive regardless whether the facility is a class better than the orders. Most of the general public aren't like the serious badminton players where they would be picky about lighting placement, floor conditions, etc.
There was an accident on the Knight St Bridge one time in May (I think). It was impossible to get onto it at around 7:40pm. I had to detour to Arthur Lang cuz taffic was backed up everywhere. Normally I'm 10 minutes early but this time I was late at the courts arriving a 8:15pm.
^^The most recent Knight St. bridge accident was about 2 Tuesdays ago... south bound at around 6pm. Luckily I took Oak bridge to our usual 7pm baddy at ACE, but a few of my partners were over half hour late as they had to take side streets to Marine to Oak. So yeah, that is something to consider, especially around evening rush hour.
I' Welcome to the thread! Accidents on bridges are an unfortunate fact of life. I too have been stuck on them at times. Transit wise, one does not need to travel far into Mitchell island either East or West as we are located quite close to the exit of the bridge. I'm sure some others can attest to how close our location is to the bridge. hanging out and chatting and generally socializing we placed very high on my priority list. After all, its not just about whacking birds back and forth, its about spending time with friends. I'll look into getting a feed for BWF matches. I agree, a professional stringer needs to be on hand for emergencies. It really is an unfortunate fact that wholesale prices here are the same as retail in Asia. We're exploring some sort of grand opening special package, stay tune. Thanks for your feedback.
Sorry to hear some of your partners were late visor. Thanks for sharing your knowledge regarding the parking situation. Its actually somewhere around 105 parking spots available. Parking was one of my biggest concerns before we broke ground.
Bad-vancouver, belated welcome to BF. Same as WWC, I have been lurking this thread and following the development of your facility. There are a couple things a hope you will consider as well; parking security as one, amount the years, there are certainly cases of car break-ins happened in almost all the GVRD badminton facilities mostly during winter months, outdoor security camera may be a consideration? A more than adequate showering facility with rental lockers would be an added bonus as well. Cheers Ted
Hi Ted, welcome to the thread and thanks for coming out of the woodwork to be heard. Along with ample parking, the parking lot offers no hiding spots for would be thieves. As long as cars are driving into the lot, thieves will have no peace and quiet with which to do their business. The lot while well lit at night is also patrolled in the late hours by a security firm. Clean, modern showers was one of the main feedback points we collected pre construction. Lockers and clean private showers? You want it? You got it.
Oh I have seen the location and how close it is to the Vancouver side and I have no doubt that it is very possible to walk from the Vancouver end. Hey, I'm sure that there is no shortage of volunteers who are willing to come up and help "break-in" the courts for the grand opening I am looking forward to the completion of the facility as it is very possible for me to drop in on the way home from work (instead of going straight home ) to play a few games.
Good God! I can't imangine wanting to see the people I play badminton with naked! Even in the case of the one or two I wouldn't mind getting a peek at, a Co-ed shower wouldn't achieve anything as having to see the rest naked would have forced me to gouge out my own eyes. Thanks though, its 40 degrees C here and thanks to you, I've got chills.
Don't really understand your point about a reptile. Are you implying that my old fashioned values regarding my aversion to Co-ed showers makes me a dinosaur?
maybe even before the grand opening stay tuned for the latest news on facebook www.facebook.com/badminton.vancouver
Sorry, should have asked earlier thunder, what do you think makes for a superior badminton experience? I think from this picture you can get an idea of the parking situation. Most of it is available in the daytime for badminton players and all of it is available at night.
Superior badminton experience: -safe clean brightly lit parking: check -good ventilation and temperature regulation ie. not stuffy and not too hot in summer and not too cold in winter, ie. should be around 18-25 C -clean change and wash rooms -good shock absorbing floors, preferably BWF approved playing mats on top of suspended wood flooring -good distance of at least 2.5-3 feet separation between adjacent courts -good seating and tables courtside and waiting area -good lighting (this can't be emphasized enough!): not too dim and also not too bright/glaring. The ceiling must not be too dark, otherwise too much contrast between the lights and ceiling causes eyestrain. Obviously, lights should run along the sides of the courts, not directly over the court. Black cloth baffles must be used to control and prevent light glare between the two sides of the gym. That's about all I can think of now...
I think Visor has summed it up nicely. One small difference for me is the need for mats. VRC doesn't use them and when I play there I don't miss them. Mats are great for the first couple of months or so but then they tend to go to pot in a hurry. Also, if you're going to have drop ins they need to be well organized (ie supervised). If it's not well supervised you get all kinds of yahoos abusing it. Edit: Oh yeah, the stinging service needs to be competitive in terms of cost, workmanship and timliness. It could be hit and miss at times and some of the local gyms. To the point where'd I'd end up taking the trouble to drive to TADs.