Later this week, the City of Vancouver council will consider a report recommending a revised rezoning application for the 28 acre Oakridge Centre site, being jointly developed by Westbank Projects and Ivanhoe Cambridge.

The project was originally introduced back in 2012, and was approved for rezoning over two years ago, to include 11 residential towers and over 4.6 Million SF of total building area including commercial. As was reported in the summer of 2015, the project faced a number of challenges since the rezoning approval, including:

• technical complications of constructing lower parking levels due to an aquifer
• accommodating continuous operation of the shopping mall during construction
• the need to maintain The Bay store in its current location due to lease requirements

The new rezoning proposal is summarized as “shedding 20% of the total density and delivering all of the public benefits from the previous application”. The letter of inquiry from Ivanhoe and Westbank outlines the following proposed changes to the project under a revised application:

• an overall reduction in the amount of new residential and commercial
  density (approx. 20%)
  
• larger park area at-grade
• maintaining the mall at one level with new mall space to be added at grade,
• keeping The Bay store in its current location,
• reconfiguration of the underground parking to avoid the existing aquifer,
• a Civic Centre and park at grade with further rooftop park and open space,
• comparable community amenities including affordable housing, and
•  building heights similar to the 2014 rezoning, but two fewer towers
• project construction in 6 years instead of 8 years
  

The new rezoning application will require a new negotiation on public benefits, and will require a full rezoning process with new public consultation. The total cost of the new application is $1.5M, which will be covered by the proponent.

Millenium Developments first submitted a rezoning application for this 74,661 SF site located at Douglas Road and Goring Street in November 2015, and is now at the point of First Reading, after which it would move to public hearing.

The site is currently industrial and zoned M2, but is seeking approval under the high density residential RM-5s designation.

Details of the proposed project include:

• two highrises of 32-storeys and 26-storeys
• 390 condo units
• 196 one-bedrooms, 182 two-bedrooms, 12 three-bedrooms
• below and above ground parking (429 stalls)
• a total density of 5.0 FAR
• 14,584 SF of work/live space

The architect for the project is Chris Dikeakos.

Otivo Development Groups’ plan for a new 6-storey project on a 3-lot assembly at 717-721 Breslay is heading to public hearing. The proposal calls for rezoning from the current RT-1 Zoning to RM-3 Medium Density Residential. The site falls within 400m of the new Clarke Road Evergreen Line Station. Details of the project include:

• 64 condo units
• 24 one-bedrooms, 30 two-bedrooms and 10 three-bedrooms
• a total density of 2.3 FAR
• 91 underground parking spaces
• Woodframe construction
• A CAC totaling $151,400

The architect for the project is Cicozzi Architecture.

• in 2015, there were 42 rezoning approvals resulting in 2.4 Million SF of additional density
• these rezonings generated a total of $103 Million in CACs
• by comparison, there were 1,600 building permits under existing zoning
• in 2015, five large projects accounted for 65% of all CACs:

• Cambie Corridor, Marpole and West End accounted for over 50% of rezoning density and CACs

• There were 14 secured market rental housing projects approved in 2015, representing 1,192 units

• in 2015, applications for density transfers totaling 160,000 SF were approved, reducing the heritage density bank down to 650,000 SF.
• Affordable housing was the largest recipient of public benefit contributions (56%), followed by childcare facilities (19%), heritage, community facilities, and parks/open space/public art.

Westbank Projects has applied to the City of Vancouver for permission to develop a site at 33 West Cordova with a 11-storey mixed-use building.The plan, which involves a deal between Ian Gillespie, the Portland Housing Society and BC Housing, was first announced a year ago.

The proposal for the 19,071 SF site that also fronts onto Blood Alley includes the following:

• 214 rental apartments (80 social housing units /134 secured market rental units);
• commercial uses on the ground floor and cabaret underground;
• 163,482 SF of gross floor area;
• total density of 8.57 FSR
• building height of 110 ft.;
• 267 bicycle parking spots.

Under the site’s existing HA-2 zoning, the application is “conditional” so it may be permitted; however, it requires the decision of the Development Permit Board. 

The architect for the project is Henriquez Partners Architects. In the application, Henriquez explains the design rationale: