Kenstone Properties proposed new project at 1155 Hornby Street in Downtown Vancouver will likely move one step forward next week at public hearing.

Kenstone is seeking approval for a 20-storey tower which has been approved pending heritage designation of the Murray Hotel building, located at 1119 Hornby as a protected heritage property to complete the incentive and compensation package for the development next door. The hotel is listed as class ‘B’ on the Vancouver Heritage Register.

The total proposed density is 6.09 FSR. The site had been sold in 2007.

The City of North Vancouver has earned “an array of interesting and attractive” community benefits by swapping extra development density for community perks, but it may be impossible to know if they were worth the trade off – at least financially.

Those are two of the early findings of a study into the city’s density bonusing policy being carried out by consultants hired by the city.

The practice of trading extra developable floorspace and height above what is written in the official community plan has worked to get the city its new library and refurbished city hall, as well as childcare space and affordable housing at no cost to taxpayers, but the process has bred much consternation among critics, on council and off.

Critics of the process complain that the city’s method of negotiating with developers for community perks lacks transparency and creates confusion; that density bonusing has run amok and the city now allows projects that are too big simply to pull in more amenity investment from the developer; and that there is no benchmark to measure each bonusing agreement for value.

That last point stuck out at an informal council workshop on Monday when consultants Brent Toderian of Toderian UrbanWORKS and Jay Wollenberg of Coriolos Consulting presented the first phase of their report. The two reviewed the last 12 projects the city approved that involved density bonusing, but found not every community perk came with a price tag.

Read more: http://www.nsnews.com/news/Density+bonusing+benefits+hard+quantify+consultants/8558032/story.html#ixzz2X92bA92m

The Brentwood neighbourhood will be home to Burnaby’s tallest tower after the second phase of the SOLO District development held its groundbreaking ceremony Saturday.

The project by Appia Developments will stand more than 550 feet tall, second in B.C. only to the Shangri-La in downtown Vancouver. The 55-storey building will have 48 “floors” due to some levels being double height.

Commercial units, including office space, will take up the first 14 floors, while 280 residential units will make up floors 15 to 48. A 5,000-square-foot, indoor-outdoor amenity space for building residents, dubbed “Club 55,” will take up the rooftop.

A public preview of the new homes was held last Saturday with sales to start this weekend, on June 22.

Recent reports of a slowing real estate market and concerns about an oversupply of condos don’t concern Jim Bosa, president of Appia.

Read more: http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/news/212005321.html

From the press release:

VANCOUVER, June 19, 2013 /CNW/ – Holborn Group and TA Global Bhd. today confirmed plans to welcome the city’s first Trump development, Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver®. Situated on Georgia Street in Downtown Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, the premium $360-million Arthur Erickson-designed tower will include a world-class hotel and residences.

In addition to 147 guest rooms, the luxury hotel will include a Champagne lounge, signature restaurant, Trump Spa, and banquet and conference centre. It will also be home to Vancouver’s first pool bar nightclub. Above the hotel will be 218 stylish residences, offering residents spectacular views of the North Shore and beyond. When completed, the twisting tower will stand at 616 feet (63 storeys).

The original twisting design of the tower maximizes the window features and views in every suite, making each unit distinctive, with no two views exactly alike. Attention to detail and personalized service will further differentiate the development. Residences will range from 644 to 2,117 square feet with the penthouses between 3,500 and 4,400 square feet.

Official announcement regarding Trump International Hotel and Tower streaming live at 1:30pm today on CTV.

Pix by Built Form @ SSP