A development application has been submitted to the City of Vancouver for a new market rental building on a site at 731-743 East Broadway, located mid-block between Fraser Street and Prince Albert Street, on the north side of Broadway. The site is 12,093 (122′ x 99′) and is zoned C2-C.

The proposal anticipates rehabilitation and heritage designation of the existing building at 741 East Broadway, owned and occupied by Raymar Realty. Also planned is a new 5- storey mixed-use building to the West. Overall, the proposal includes:

• 45 market rental units;
  • 29 studios, 3 one-bedrooms, 12 two-bedrooms and 1 three-bedroom;
• 3,198 SF of retail space;
• 1,695 SF of restaurant space;
• a total density of 3.00 FSR;
• a maximum building height of approximately 63.42 ft; and
• 1 level of underground parking with 20 stalls accessed from the rear lane.

The application describes the design rationale: “The first step in generating the design was establishing the basic relationships on the site. The primary criteria was that the existing Heritage asset at #741-745 E Broadway be retained as completely as possible. All major “character defining” elements would need to be retained & restored, and in some cases reconstructed. The goal in developing the massing of the new portion of the development was to create a complementary, non-competing contemporary structure which would emphasize the prominence of the Heritage asset on the streetwall. Thus. the new development is set back from the face of the Heritage structure – a ~9’ indent in the street wall creates a “forecourt” in front of the new development, and allows us to retain the three-dimensional reading of the Heritage building when viewed from E Broadway.”

Under the site’s existing C-2C zoning, the application is “conditional” so it may be permitted; however, it requires the decision of the Director of Planning.

The architect for the project is Gair Williamson Architects.

Coromandel Properties has applied to rezone the former Harvey’s Furniture site at 2725-2751 Kingsway, at the Northwest corner of Duke Street. The 49,893 SF site is zoned C-2 and RS-1 but is located in the Norquay Village Neighbourhood Centre Plan which allows rezoning for higher density.

The proposal consists of a mixed-use building at 4-, 5-, and 10-storeys over three levels of underground parking with:

• 219 condo units;
  • 1 studio, 118 one-bedrooms, 78 two-bedrooms & 22 three-bedrooms;
• 18,137 SF of retail on the ground floor;
• A total density of 3.78 FSR;
• A maximum building height of 116 ft.; and
• 259 underground parking spaces and 414 Class A bicycle spaces.

The application describes a unique aspect of the building’s lighting strategy: ” Much like how the old lit signs along Kingsway changed between day and night, the intention of the project is to have lighting integrated into architectural components (balconies) to transform the project throughout the day. Without lighting elements, the building fit into the context of the neighbourhood, however, as day turns to night, the intention is that the project transforms and visually marks this special site in the Norquay Village Neighbourhood Plan.”

The application is being considered under the Norquay Village Neighbourhood Centre Plan.

The architect for the project is GBL Architects.

Coromandel assembled the site in 2017 for a combined $40,000,000, or $212 per buildable SF.