A development application has been submitted by a partnership between Caulfield Rock, PortLiving and Hudson to the City of Vancouver for a long vacant Esso gas station site at 452 East Broadway at Guelph Street, a few blocks East of Kingsway. The plan for the 19,398 SF, C-2C zoned site is a 4-storey combination of woodframe and CLT building that includes:
- 61 condo units;
- 41 studios, 6 one-bedrooms and 14 two-bedrooms;
- 12,864 SF of commercial space (retail, restaurant & office);
- a total density of 3.0 FSR;
- two-levels of underground parking with 115 stalls accessed from the lane.
The application describes the design rationale: “The massing generally attempts to present a strong solid corner element that conveys the significance as a corner. Due to the E Broadway shift in alignment, this corner is further highlighted in importance, especially approaching from the west. The mass along Broadway continues east with a more articulated bay system, adding a more playful rhythm, while re-enforcing a strong street wall.
The building honours Mount Pleasant’s legacy of forestry by celebrating wood construction employing a combination of light wood framing and Cross-Laminated Timber structure, exposed CLT wood ceilings in the dwelling units, wood accented lobbies and common spaces, and a hybrid wood cladding, both at and above grade.”
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 site was acquired in December 2018 for $15,625,000, or $269 per buildable SF based on the application. It had been listed for sale in early 2018 without an asking price.
The architect for the project is Formosis Architecture.
The zoning for the Broadway property is C-2C, which permit a maximum density of 3.0 FSR. The East 8th Avenue property is zoned RM-4. The Mount Pleasant Community Plan allows rezoning for greater density based on a 6-storey building form. The City of Vancouver’s forthcoming Broadway Area Plan may also impact the development potential of the property.
