McCarthy Properties have submitted a Master Plan Concept to the City of Burnaby for the redevelopment of McCarthy Plaza, a full city block property on Kingsway in the Metrotown area.

The 3.83 acre site is comprised of four parcels, occupied with a number of older lowrise retail and medical/office buildings, collectively known as the Plaza 5000 complex.

The McCarthy Plaza site is located within the Metro Downtown Neighbourhood of the Metrotown Downtown Plan area which designates site for high-density mixed-use residential development under the RM5s Multiple Family, RM5r Multiple Family Residential District, and C3 General Commercial Districts.

The preliminary concept includes three mixed use towers above podiums to be built in four phases, as well as a new North-South public street “McCarthy Way”. The overall project will include approx. 1.8 Million SF.

Phase 1 includes a 70-storey signature landmark tower that includes:

• 820,000 SF;
• 425,000 SF of residential including 160,000 SF of rental in the lowrise.
• 500 total residential units;
• retail and office space;
• substantial amenity space including daycare space, meeting spaces; gardens, bowling alley, fitness centre, basketball court and first nations art gallery.

The second and third phase anticipate a 54-storey mixed-use tower, and a 45-51 storey tower respectively. Phase 3 includes options for residential or commercial uses. Phase 4 includes a smaller lowrise commercial building.

The formal rezoning application for the project is expected in early 2023 and will include concurrent applications for the overall master plan and Phase 1 of the project.

The architect for the project is Dialog.

Coromandel Properties and Peterson Group have submitted two concurrent rezoning applications for sites in the Oakridge area. The rezonings contemplate two condo towers on Manson Street, and the required 30% social housing requirement to be placed on a nearby site at Ash Street and West 37th.

These applications represent the first transfer of social housing density between sites in the Cambie Corridor Plan. To date, no proposals have been made in the Oakridge Municipal Centre area with a blend of condo and social housing.

Manson Street Site

The proposal on Manson Street is for an assembly of 5 single family lots at 5392-5472 Manson St. The proposal is to allow for the development of two 18-storey condo buildings over four levels of underground parking. The proposal includes:

• 248 condo units;
  • 76 one-bedrooms, 146 two-bedrooms & 26 three-bedrooms;
• A total density of 5.6 FSR;
• A building height of 197 ft.; and
• 266 vehicle parking spaces and 567 bicycle parking spaces.

The architect for this project is IBI Group.

Ash Street Site

The proposal for the site at Ash and West 37th Avenue anticipates rezoning a 3-lot single family assembly to allow for the development of the social housing component to be transferred from the Manson site above. The rezoning at 5250-5270 Ash St and 595 W 37th Ave calls for a 6-storey building that includes:

• 77 social housing units;
• a total density of 2.97 FSR;
• A building height of 75 ft.; and
• 31 vehicle parking spaces and 162 bicycle parking spaces.

The architect for the Ash Street project is NSDA Architects.

Both applications are being considered under the Cambie Corridor Plan.

Bocci, a local lighting design and manufacturing company, has submitted a development application for construction of a new headquarters building located on East Georgia Street, across from Woodland Park in East Vancouver.

The proposal envisions a 7-storey concrete headquarters including manufacturing and office space, as well as a ground floor restaurant space. The site is 17,150 SF in size.

The project includes:

• 35,000 SF of manufacturing space;
• 13,500 SF of office space;
• 3,300 SF of restaurant space;
• amenity space including exhibition space;
• A building height of 100 ft.;
• A total density of 2.99 FSR;
• Parking and loading having vehicular access from the lane.

The application describes the design: “The floors above street level would include an interconnected glass atelier, studio, office, warehouse, production facility, prototyping area, and archive. The perimeter of the building features a series of balconies that provide our employees with access to natural ventilation, light, and green areas. These green areas cascade up to a forested roofscape, extending the visual greenspace of Woodland Park.

This development will make use of a newly-refined technique wherein concrete is poured over a fabric formwork. This formwork would describe the building’s vaulted internal spaces and transition through to the exterior balconies, revealing complex forms visible from the building facade.“

Under the site’s existing I-2 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 Mallen Gowing Berzins Architecture (MGBA) Inc.