Two current applications continue a recent trend of redevelopment of older I-1 zoned properties in the Mt. Pleasant area, referred to more recently by some as “Mt. Pixel” because of the many tech companies that are locating in the area. The I-1 zone was amended by the City in 2013 to be more flexible in allowing office uses up to 3.0 FSR in density, and this has spurred several land sales; primarily to developers, either for speculative development or build-to-suits. The pace of recent development applications points to the demand for general office use in an area that was traditionally limited to light-industrial uses.

The two projects are outlined below:

22 East 5th Avenue

This proposal for this site at the Southeast corner of East 5th and Ontario envisions restoring the facade of the existing one-storey industrial building on site, and adding a new 6-storey retail and office building with parking on the first and second floor (due to site slope). Details include:

• manufacturing and retail uses on the main floor
• office space on the 3rd to 6th floors
• total density of 54,389 SF (3.0 FSR)
• 46,537 SF of office space
• a building height of 80 ft.
• 70 parking stalls on the main and 2nd floor

Existing Site Condition

The architect for this project is Christopher Bozyk.

34 West 7th Avenue

An application has also been filed by Chard Development for a site at 34 West 7th, which was purchased for $8,150,000 earlier this year. Preliminary plans call for a 4-storey building with clothing manufacturing uses on the ground floor and office uses on the 2nd to 4th floors, and two levels of underground parking. The total density is not known at this time, but the site would allow for up to 54,350 SF (3.0 FSR).

The architect for this project is Proscenium Architecture.

Westbank has applied to the City of Vancouver to rezone a site in the Joyce-Collingwood area to allow a 29-storey condo tower. Details include:

• 3,530 SF of commercial space at grade
• 191,000 SF of residential space
• 236 apartment units
• A density of 14.33 FSR

The City describes the rationale for the proposed rezoning:

“This site falls within the area of the ongoing Joyce-Collingwood Station Precinct Review. The review is anticipated to provide new policy advice to consider rezoning applications in a focused area around the Joyce-Collingwood SkyTrain Station. The outcomes of the Station Precinct Review will be brought forward for consideration by City Council prior to the Council’s consideration of this application.”

The 63-storey Trump Tower Vancouver is nearing completion. The 63-storey, 218 unit condo and 147 hotel room tower is expected to open in summer 2016.

Photo courtesy 604 City on Flickr

PCI Group has filed an application to rezone a property they own at 2805 East Hastings Street, most commonly known as a Burger King for many years. The plan for the 24,902 SF, C-2C1 zoned site is to develop a six-storey rental building with retail on the ground floor. The proposal includes:

• 92 rental apartment units;
• 18,300 SF of CRU retail on the ground floor;
• a density of 3.84 FSR
• a building height of 70.2 ft. ; and
• 97 underground parking spaces.

This application is being considered under the Rental 100 Program and is possible due to the site’s location on a main arterial street. The site has 204 feet of frontage on Hastings.

The application describes the development as follows:

Lost amid the hype surrounding the impending City of Vancouver council decision on the removal of the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts is the release of the policy statement for the Oakridge Transit Centre (“OTC”) site, which is slated for imminent sale.

OTC is a 13.8 acre site on West 41st Avenue just east of Oak Street that is owned by Translink and has been used as a bus barn since 1948. Upon completion of the new Vancouver Transit Centre in 2006, the site became redundant over the next few years and Translink subsequently approached the City to redevelop the site. Planning began in early 2014, with various open houses and workshops, culminating in the current policy statement.

The report describes the vision for the site:

• a total density of 2.1 FSR
• 1,265,000 SF of development (estimated to be roughly 1,200 units)
• Building heights of 3-15 storeys
• 20% of units are affordable housing units
• 10,000-20,000 SF of retail uses along West 41st frontage
• 2.3 acre park
• $60 Million+ CAC
• Rezoning for adjacent Oakmont Medical Centre site (6-storeys, 2.5 FSR) and Petro Canada (8-storeys, 3.25 FSR)