The city has sold the Merchant Square office tower to a company owned in part by two Vancouver tycoons, including well-known philanthropist Joe Segal.

The eight-storey building is under construction at the corner of Columbia and Eighth streets. It sits atop Anvil Centre civic facility.

The tower has fetched $36.5 million for the city, and the price does not include the three levels of parking or the “tenant improvements” needed to lease the space.

The building’s new owner is 777 Columbia, a company jointly owned by Segal’s Kingswood Capital Corporation and CRS Group of Companies. Developer Suki Sekhon runs CRS.

“We’ve been looking at it for a few years. It’s a growing area and we think it’s got great potential,” said Sekhon, who said the building has no tenants confirmed.

Read more: http://www.newwestnewsleader.com/news/248291681.html

Renters could have more options in West Vancouver if Hollyburn Properties’ infill project is given the green light.

An additional 49 purpose-built rental units in two low-rise buildings could be built beside an existing highrise in Ambleside at 195 21st St.

The development proposal, Hollyburn Gardens, brings a change of pace for West Van.

In the last 30 years, most developers have steered clear of building rentals. There are currently 1,900 purpose-built rental units in West Van, most built during the 1960s and ‘70s in the Ambleside Apartment Area.

Many are vulnerable to loss as new developers move in and want to maximize the return on their investment in expensive district land.

Read more: http://www.northshoreoutlook.com/news/247300781.html

A four-storey condo project is proposed for a long-vacant site at the southeast corner of Imperial Street and Royal Oak Avenue.

The site is made up 6808 and 6826 Royal Oak Ave and 5250 Imperial St. The proposal is for a mixed-use development with ground-floor commercial space and parking underground.

Rezoning for an earlier proposal was given third reading by council in 2008 but the owner has since revised the plan, making a new process necessary.

The current proposal is for commercial on both Imperial and Royal Oak with 45 apartment units on the three upper floors.

The units will comprise 15 one-bedrooms, 10 two-bedrooms, 17 two-bedrooms-plus-den units and three three-bedrooms-plus-den units.

Read more: http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/news/247098061.html

IMG_9040, a photo by devguy920 on Flickr.

MNP Tower under construction on a beautiful winter day, February 25, 2014.

It appears that the tower will be topped out in the next couple of months.

IMG_0581, a photo by devguy920 on Flickr.

Telus Garden office tower under construction February 25, 2014.