A rezoning application has been submitted for 1290 Hornby Street, a 14,995 SF site at the Northeast corner of Hornby Street and Drake Street in Downtown Vancouver. The site is currently zoned DD which allows a density of 5.5 FSR in this subarea, though the rezoning application seeks to more than double that density.

The proposal calls for a 35-storey mixed residential tower, and includes:

• 159 condo units;
  • 100 1-bedrooms, 43 two-bedrooms and 16 3-bedrooms;
• a total density of 10.28 FSR;
• a building height of 349 ft.;
• 10,531 SF of cultural amenity space on the ground, mezzanine and second levels to be owned by the City of Vancouver;
• 6 levels of underground parking with a total of 105 parking spaces and 345 bike stalls.

The application describes the design rationale: “The proposed project seeks to maximize density and height on the site, to the extent that an appropriate response to the surrounding context and the City will accept. The corner site on the northeast corner of Hornby and Drake Streets is small at 14,955 sf, and surrounded by taller and larger projects. To the east is 41 storey ‘Tate’, nearing completion, and across Drake Street to the south is 31 storey ‘Salt’. Burrard Place to the west across Hornby is under construction and when complete will be a dominant neighbourhood landmark at 53 storeys. The north property line is shared with ‘Pure’, a 15 storey mixed use project that sits only 25 feet from the common property line.

Given the close proximity to other buildings, it was understood at the outset of the project that any redevelopment in tower form would have to be tall, elegant and slender, and demonstrate a character that would make it ‘stand out in a crowd’. The project was seen as an opportunity to demonstrate that redevelopment of small sites is not only feasible, but can enhance the built environment through unique and original architecture.

The challenge to achieve feasibility has been much more difficult than anticipated, primarily due to two significant encumbrances on the property that were not fully anticipated at the outset. To achieve the City mandated 80 foot separation between towers, a setback on the north side of the property had to be increased from the typical 40 feet to 55 feet, due to the atypical proximity of ‘Pure’ to the common property
line. This condition meant that the tower floor plate of the proposal could not be much greater than 5,000 sf, which limits efficiency and the number of suites per level. It also forced a 2 versus 3 elevator solution, to keep the core as small as possible.”

This rezoning application is being considered under the Downtown Potential Benefit Capacity Policy.

The architect for the project is Merrick Architecture.

The development permit application has been filed for Oakridge Centre’s second phase. Oakridge Centre is owned by Quadreal and Westbank who previously rezoned the 28-acre site to allow a reconfigured mall, with several residential towers, office space, amenities and a public park.

The first phase of ‘Oakridge Vancouver‘ (Buildings 3 & 4 on the Northern portion of the site fronting West 41st Avenue) were approved for a development permit in late 2018 and subsequently launched for pre-sale. 

This second development permit application consists of Southeast corner of the site at Cambie and 45th, currently home to the Safeway and surface parking lot.

Details of this phase of the project include:

• Three towers, 32, 17 and 34-storeys in height;
• 615 condo units;
  • 199 one-bedrooms, 326 two-bedrooms and 90 three(+)-bedrooms;
• a podium containing retail and office uses;
• 358,397 SF of retail space including new below-grade grocery and liquor store;
• 119,582 SF of office space;
• a total density of 0.95 FSR (based on total Oakridge site);
• 3 levels of underground parking;
• A portion of the future 9-acre park;
• A “Summer House” pavilion to act as a stage for performances.

The application describes some of the design rationale:

“Building 6 & 7 –  Skin & Bones Concept
The metaphor of skin and bone is the ordering principal for the architectural tectonic for buildings here and elsewhere in the project. It is derived from the idea of draping the mall with a landscaped park. The acts of wrapping and revealing are used to help define the relationship between the landscape and buildings, as an approach to break down the mass of the buildings, as a passive solar strategy to have the buildings respond to their environment, and for providing way finding and programmatic identity. 

Building 8 – Mountain Concept
While much of the Oakridge project is conceived as a topographical emergence of architecture from landscape, Building 8 is more geologically expressive as if smoothed by eons of wind and water as it terraces up from the Woodland Park. The building seen as a newly formed mountain, we can analyze its parts: the forested valley floor at its base, the spur ascending to the summit, and the precipitous east and west faces.”

The architect for the project is Henriquez Partners Architects.

A development application has been submitted for the Southwest corner of Robson and Seymour Streets in Downtown Vancouver. The site was sold in 2018 for $40 Million to Bonnis Properties. The existing building is an older single storey retail building.

The application for the site is for a new 13-storey, commercial building. The proposal consists of the following:

• • 61,700 SF of office space;
  • 4,300 SF of retail space;
  • amenity space including outdoor terrace, gyms and yoga area on the 6th floor;
  • a building height of approximately 215 ft.;
  • a total density of 5.5 FSR;
  • all over 3 levels of underground parking accessed from Seymour Street through a shared access agreement with Capitol Residences.

The application describes the design rationale: “A number of strategies are employed to create a respectful and considerate massing.

The building reduces in width along the Robson Street frontage to limit the width of the building facing neighbors. The overall composition of the building is arranged as three elements, each responding to the conditions around them.

At the lower levels, retail uses line the street and will extend down Seymour Street at the corner. With the addition of a public plaza along Seymour that creates an entry to the office lobby, a high degree of transparency and a number of access points creating a welcoming frontage, an improved public realm, and renewed set of commercial uses will reinvigorate the site. Importantly, the building configuration creates a three-sided storefront that addresses the significance of the corner.

An outdoor amenity terrace is arranged on the second level of the building, overlooking Robson and Seymour Streets, which is accessible by all building users. Clearly visible and legible from the street, the activation of a second floor use is intended to improve the experience in the public realm. The existing large oak trees on Robson Street
encroach beyond the property line, and the building massing responds to accommodate their continued life on the street.

At the middle section of the building, larger floor office spaces are provided, is set off from the adjacent building to the south, providing a welcome interruption in a city block that is highly regular and large (Orpheum Theatre and Capitol Residences). Setting the massing off the party wall allows the floor space to benefit from greater access to daylight and air, with the space between the new space and party wall acting as a light well. A vegetated wall is introduced in the interstitial space, which covers the existing blank party wall of the neighboring building to the south. Introducing meaningful landscape downtown is intended as a public amenity and as an unexpected addition of nature downtown.”

Under the site’s existing DD 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 Perkins + Will.

The full development application can be viewed here: https://development.vancouver.ca/600robson/index.htm

Onni has submitted their rezoning and development permit application a large scale mixed-use development on a primarily vacant site at the Southeast corner Pinetree Way and Glen Drive in Coquitlam City Centre. The 2.7 acre site is vacant and was partially previously owned by the City of Coquitlam. The site sits just 500 feet from Lincoln Skytrain Station.

Directly to the East is another application for a 40-storey tower by Polygon at 1108 Westwood Street. The two sites were acquired via public sale of the lands in 2016.

The site can be rezoned per the City Centre Area Plan from City Centre
Commercial (C-4) and One-Family Residential (RS-l) to CD-11 Comprehensive
Development (CD-ll), based on the C-4 Zone, and the overall development plan includes three residential towers over retail and office space. Details include:

• Towers of 49, 45 and 25-storeys above a podium;
• 891 residential units
  • 705 condos;
    • 321 one-bedrooms, 289 two-bedrooms & 95 three-bedrooms;
  • 186 market rental units;
    • 40 studios, 66 one-bedrooms, 49 two-bedrooms & 31 three-bedrooms;
• 17,000 SF of retail space;
• 46,520 SF of office space on floors 2-5 of the podium;
• a total density of 7.32 FAR;
• total tower heights of 514 ft, 472 ft and 258 ft. respectively;
• 67,000 SF of common amenity space;
• An 8,500 SF daycare;
• 1,329 parking spaces;
• $31 Million in density bonus funds and CACs.

The architect for the project is Cicozzi Architecture.

Westbank has submitted their rezoning application for 720 Beatty Street, the Central Heat site located at the Southeast corner of West Georgia Street and Beatty Street in Downtown Vancouver. The site sits adjacent BC Place. The site was acquired as part of the Creative Energy purchase and rebranding five years ago. The Beatty Street site, which totals 51,820 SF, has been deemed surplus and suitable for commercial redevelopment.

The proposal is for a unique 17-storey office tower that includes:

• 515,150 SF of office space;
  • 35,000 SF average tower floorplates;
• 18,503 SF of retail space;
• a total building height of 263.8 ft;
• a total density of 11.55 FSR;
• a 5-storey retail and entertainment pavilion fronting Georgia Street;
• an upgrade to the creative energy plant;
• 4 levels of underground parking; 358 parking spaces and 
  325 bicycle spaces.

The application describes part of the rezoning rationale as follows: “This rezoning proposal seeks to repurpose these industrial lands and increase the existing allowable commercial density rights from 7 FSR (under the CBD policies) with 597,192 sq ft of office, retail and Creative Energy plant space on 720 Beatty Street. As one of the largest and only undeveloped areas in the downtown peninsula, we have an extremely rare opportunity here to not only significantly upgrade an aging steam plant, but also create an architectural landmark capable of housing large office floorplates that will draw creative economy tenants into Vancouver. This will allow our city to attract both talent and employers that would otherwise find the standard Vancouver size office floorplates and workspace offerings inadequate for their needs.”

This application is being considered under the Rezoning Policy for the Central Business District (CBD) and CBD Shoulder.

The architects for the project are Bjarke Ingles and HMCA Architecture + Design.

The full rezoning application can be viewed here: https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/720beatty2/index.htm