Next week the False Creek Flats Plan goes to Vancouver City Council for final approval of the draft. The plan encompasses 450 acres of land anchored by the future St. Paul’s Hospital and new Emily Carr campus.

The False Creek Flats Plan planning process was originally launched two years ago and is now in final draft form after various stages of public input.

Here are a few details:

Existing Zoning

The Plan seeks to divide the plan area into four distinct sub-areas, as follows:

Health Hub

This area will be the main focus of development change; centered around the future St. Paul’s Hospital and will include uses that support health care and job space, as well as some new residential space.

Creative Campus

This area is located around three rapid transit stations and will be predominantly an employment area with some limited residential uses.

Terminal Spine

This area will see some modest density increases, but limited to industrial and employment uses.

Back of House

This area will continue to remain light industrial uses with a focus on food economies and a move away from low-employment uses like auto dealers and mini-storage.

For further information, take a look at the draft of the Plan here: http://council.vancouver.ca/20170517/documents/cfsc1-AppendixA-FalseCreekFlatsPlan.pdf

Trillium Projects has applied to the City of Vancouver for permission to develop an 11,440 SF site on MacDonald Street at Alamein Avenue, just South of West 24th Avenue in the Arbutus Ridge neighbourhood of Vancouver’s Westside. The area is a small commercial strip in an otherwise predominantly single family neighbourhood. The existing building on the site is an auto service centre.

The proposal is for a 3-storey building and duplex, including:

• 8 residential units, including 6 townhomes and a duplex;
• 2 retail CRU units on the ground level;
• a total density of 1.34 FSR;
• One level of underground parking accessed from the lane; and
• 21 parking stalls

Under the site’s existing CD-1 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 Shift Architecture.

Here is a link to the development application: http://development.vancouver.ca/4066macdonald/index.htm

A rezoning application has been submitted for the Gabriola Mansion property at 1523 Davie Street in Vancouver’s West End. The 26,000 SF property, principally occupied by one of the West End’s most notorious heritage buildings, was sold last year for $6.72 Million.

The application includes the preservation and restoration of the Gabriola Mansion building through conversion to rental apartments.

Further details include:

• the conversion of the mansion into 16 market rental units;
• 4 new infill 3-storey rental townhouses to be developed in the northeast corner of the property;
• 4 three-bedrooms, 5 two-bedrooms, 7 one-bedrooms and 4 studios
• an increase in FSR from 0.35 to 0.89; and
• no increase in height from the existing CD-1 (248).

The architect for the project is Ankenman Marchand.

Westbank‘s rezoning application for the Budget Car Rental site at 400 West Georgia Street has been submitted to the City. The site is located at the corner of West Georgia and Homer Street, across from the Central Library Branch. The letter of intent submitted by Westbank, suggests that the building will be built “on spec”.

The plan for the 20,992 SF (175′ x 120′) site calls for rezoning from Downtown (DD) District to Comprehensive Development (CD-1) District to allow for a 24-storey office building. The proposal includes:

• 350,000 SF of office space;
• 5,775 SF of retail space;
• a building height of 301 ft.;
• a total density 17.51 FSR;
• steel construction;
• six levels of underground parking; and
• 125 bicycle parking spaces.

Design features will include triple-paned curtain wall, openable windows, large spans of column free space, glass floors. It will also incorporate a 4-storey high lobby.

The application describes the design rationale:

The architect for the project is Merrick Architecture.

Construction continues to progress at Vancouver House, one of the more watched construction sites in the City of Vancouver, if only for its unique design. The building is now above the bridge level. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2019.

photo courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/tfp1og via @imageshack

photo courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/DsuFXn via @imageshack

photo courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/2CzaHU via @imageshack

photo courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/3h34VL via @imageshack