Colliers has acted on behalf of the Vendor in the sale of 5895 Barker Avenue, a 48-unit apartment building in Metrotown, that represents a 31,520 SF development site. The purchase price was $12,500,000, representing about $117 per buildable SF based upon anticipated rezoning to allow a high-density residential project. The RM-3 zoned site is located about l 100 metres from Patterson Skytrain Station.

UPDATE: District tries, again, to sell Steveston site.

The Richmond school district is hoping a poor economy and a desperate need for a city centre school will entice the Ministry of Education to finally approve the sale of the former Steveston secondary land to a non-government or profit entity.

The Richmond Board of Education has okayed district staff’s bid to once again approach the ministry about selling the site in order to use that money to build a new school in the fast-growing city centre.

12.58 acre Steveston Secondary Site

The property was put up for sale in 2007 with the caveat the buyer had to be a government or nonprofit organizations. However, after a deal with the city (the only entity to make an offer) fell through, the district opened the sale to the highest bidder later that year.

Richmond Review – Sportstown redevelopment proposal gets sent back to the drawing board.

A bid by the owner of Sportstown to flatten the longtime East Richmond recreation hub in favour of townhouses has hit a roadblock at city hall.

A city council committee has ordered planners to dig up more information and consider other development options for the long-and-narrow site, located parallel to Highway 91 at 4991 No. 5 Rd.

Coun. Bill McNulty said council’s planning committee, which he chairs, wants to maximize the potential of the land and wants commercial and retail uses explored, along with the possibility of a mixed-use development.

Read more: http://www.richmondreview.com/news/188934651.html

Cressey Development has applied to the City of Richmond to rezone 5640 Hollybridge Way in the Oval Village area of Richmond to build 244 residential units. The development includes:

• Two market residential buildings of 14/15 stories facing Lansdowne Road with a total of 218 units, located above commercial space on the ground and second floors.
• A 5-storey block facing Elmbridge Way with a 5,000 SF childcare facility and 15 affordable housing units located above street-oriented commercial space.
• Street-oriented commercial space with two levels of parkade located above.
• A block of 13 townhouses and street-oriented commercial space facing Hollybridge Way.

The site’s designation within the City Centre Area Plan allows for 2.0 FAR residential, with a requirement for 5% affordable housing and 1.0 FAR commercial. The total density proposed is 2.67 FAR (0.67 FAR commercial).

Source: City of Richmond

After multiple offers were received late last year, it has been learned that bcIMC has been the successful purchaser of the 2.98 acre Canada Post site located at Homer and Georgia Streets in Downtown Vancouver. Udpate: the purchase price was $159 Million.

Here is the press release from bcIMC:

“bcIMC is pleased to confirm that we have purchased the Canada Post site at 349 West Georgia, a 2.98 acre city block in downtown Vancouver from Canada Post.

We see the Canada Post site as a long-term investment that provides a unique opportunity for a large-scale mixed-use development in a desirable and strategic location in downtown Vancouver. The purchase of this property is consistent with our strategy to invest in prime real estate with the potential to provide steady and attractive long-term returns for our pension plan clients.

A redevelopment of this scale requires extensive and careful planning. Redevelopment will commence once sufficient planning has been completed, required approvals have been received and market conditions support it. We look forward to working with the City of Vancouver as we move forward with our planning.

bcIMC is one of Canada’s largest institutional investment managers and is responsible for investing the assets of public sector pension plans within British Columbia. bcIMC invests more than $95-billion of managed gross assets. bcIMC has a long and successful track record of property ownership and real estate development.”