The promised land.

Is the North Shore the next big real estate play?

That’s the question posed at the April 9 Vancouver Real Estate Forum, which, for the first time in its nearly two-decade history is eying up the North Shore as the next investment hot spot.

The forum is slated to include Park Royal Shopping Centre vice-president Rick Amantea, as well as Beau Jarvis, vice-president of development at Onni, which recently won approval for its 344-unit condo development on Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver.

The decision to focus on the North Shore was made by a committee of about 20 real estate executives who cited the overhaul of Park Royal, the Seaspan shipbuilding contract and the possible Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion.

Those elements, combined with a scarcity of land south of the Burrard Inlet, have combined to make the North Shore a fertile ground for fresh foundations, according to Mark Stephenson, vice-president at Informa Canada, the company producing the forum.

Intergulf Development Group in conjuction with the owners of the Quality Inn at 1335 Howe Street are proposing a 39 storey, 180 unit residential tower in Downtown South.  The architect for the project is Ramsay Worden.

A preliminary open house for the project was held on April 3 at the Quality Inn. 

Cue outrage from purchasers of suites in Maddox and Salt.

Peace Arch News – Superstore site takes shape.

Public curiosity runs high as site clearing continues for the newest addition to Grandview Corners’ urbanized landscape – a planned Superstore and gas bar on the southeast corner of 24 Avenue and 160 Street in South Surrey.

Ontario-based Loblaw Companies Ltd. started work last month following approval of building permits for a 122,692-square-foot Real Canadian Superstore, plus gas bar and convenience store.

Timeline for completion of the project has not been announced by Loblaw, and project spokespeople were not available by Peace Arch News’ press time Monday.

The project has been in the works since 2005 when Loblaw first received zoning for the 20-acre site, which faces the Wal-Mart across 160 Street.

Read more: http://www.peacearchnews.com/business/201121561.html

Concord Pacific has applied to the City of Vancouver to amend the existing CD-1 Zoning for the Marine Garden Site at 445 Southwest Marine Drive, just east of the rapidly changing intersection of Marine Drive and Cambie. The proposal includes:

• two residential towers totaling 514 units in 388,000 sq. ft.: one at 27 storeys (235 ft.), with a 7 storey podium, and one at 21 storeys (185 ft.), with a 6 storey podium;
• 70 units of affordable housing and a 37 space daycare in a 6.5 storey mid-rise;
• 411 underground parking spaces; and,
• a density of 4.27 FSR

This project comes on the heels of Marine Gateway by PCI (415 units) and MC2 by Intracorp (443 units). In addition, Wesgroup owns the site at the Northwest corner of Cambie and Marine which could add another 400 units. In total, this intersection could see close to 2,000 new units in under 5 years…

Twelve-storey proposal will go to public hearing.

A 12-storey building proposal for Vidal Street in White Rock was moved forward at council Monday, paving the way for the public to have its say.

The proposed development would see 12 townhouses and 97 apartment units go up between 1467 and 1519 Vidal St., the site where the Mariners Reach townhouse complex currently stands.

Coun. Larry Robinson said he expects a fair bit of community discussion surrounding the proposal, which could set the mood for future developments.