Larco has applied to the City of Vancouver for permission to develop the first phase of Arbutus Village. The plan calls for development of the Northeast corner (“Block A”) of the 7-acre site with one mixed-use building comprising office space, a below-grade self-storage facility, a grocery store, and residential rental apartments. The proposal includes the following:

• a mixed-use building comprising office space and a grocery store on the ground floor, and seven floors with 215 apartments units above;
• total floor area of 395,000 SF (including 120,000 SF below-grade self-storage facility and a 54,000 SF new Safeway grocery store);
• four levels of underground parking (374 spaces) and self-storage facility, accessed off of a proposed Yew Street extension.
• First step will be demolition of the Northeast portion of the existing mall, followed by new internal streets and eventual relocation of Safeway

The rezoning for the site was approved back in July 2011, but no further development approval activity has taken place since. The whole plan calls for 508 residential units. The development application effectively quiets any previous rumours that the site may have been for sale.

The Development Permit Board meeting is scheduled for this application on September 8, 2015. Subsequent phases of the project will require additional development permits.

The City of Vancouver will present their third annual Housing and Homelessness Strategy Report Card to council next week. The purpose of the annual report is to track progress of the City’s various initiatives under the Housing and Homelessness Strategy 2012-2021.

The report is an excellent source of some key housing indicators compiled from CMHC and REBGV, of which several are summarized here:

• the City of Vancouver had 4,648 dwellings commence construction in 2014 (approximately 25% single family and 75% multi-family units). This rate is close to the 5-year annual average of 4,824.
• Vacancy rates continued to decrease between 2013 and 2014, both in the city of
  Vancouver (from 1.0% to 0.5%) and regionally (from 1.7% to 1.0%) reflecting
  ongoing population growth and demand for housing
• Between March 2014 and March 2015, the benchmark  price for a single family

  house increased by 14% on the eastside and 12% on the westside, while the

  benchmark price for condos fell by 1% on the eastside and increased by 5% on

  the westside.
• 409 units of interim supportive housing were created in 2014 (395 Kingsway, 3475 E. Hastings, 1335 Howe and 1060 Howe)
• 439 units of permanent supportive housing were created (1134 Burrard, 111 Princess, 2465 Fraser and 951 Boundary)
• 3,783 secured market rental units have been approved during 2012-2014 (only 407 were actually completed in 2014)

As was reported in the media late last week, two major rezoning inquiries are going before the City of Vancouver’s Standing Committee on City Finance and Services on Wednesday; one was expected and one was a bit of a surprise within the industry. The inquiry stage simply confirms Council’s approval to proceed to a formal rezoning application stage.

Sinclair Centre

• 1.54 acre site
• Proposal to increase the density and height for commercial uses
• 1,100,000 SF of office space for Federal Gov’t (up from existing 390,000 SF)
• A density of 17.0 – 20.0 FSR
• Max height of 350 ft due to view cones (29 storeys)
• Existing CD-1 zoning proposed to be amended

Excerpt from the Policy Report explaining the heritage aspect:

• the former Main Post Office (built in 1910) — Municipally Designated and Federally Recognized Heritage Building, listed as an ‘A’
• the R.V. Winch Building (built in 1911) — Municipally Designated and Federally Recognized Heritage Building , listed as an ‘A
• the Customs Examining Warehouse (built in 1913) — Vancouver Heritage Register, listed as an ‘A,’ and Federally Recognized Heritage Building , listed as an ‘A,
• the Federal Building/Post Office Extension (built in 1936) — listed as a ‘B’ (but not designated).
• In 1986 the four buildings were restored by the Federal Government. While the buildings were seismically upgraded, they would not meet today’s standards and some portions of the buildings received very modest upgrades

Post Office Site

• 2.98 acre site acquired by bcIMC in 2013 for $159 Million
• Rezoning to allow reuse and retention of the existing building, with new residential and commercial uses
• Existing Post Office building would contain retail, office, hotel, residential lobbies
  and the blank granite walls would be modified to provide for pedestrian-oriented at-grade retail
• New building above would contain office, hotel, and rental/condo housing
• View cones limit building heights between 225 feet and 285 feet

Comment from the Policy Report on the heritage aspect:

A rezoning application has been filed for a 12,500 SF C-1 zoned site at East 64th Avenue and Fraser Street for a 5-storey market rental building. The proposed rezoning would see the current C-1 zone go to CD-1 under the Rental 100 Secured Market Rental Housing Policy. The proposal is for a 5-storey mixed-use building that includes:

• 37 secured market rental units;
• commercial space at grade
• a building height of 52 ft. ;
• a density of 2.65 FSR; and
• 28 underground parking spaces.

The site sits just one block from the Super 8 Motel, which is in preliminary planning for a rezoning and redevelopment, including multi-family housing.

Here is a brief overview of City of Vancouver rezoning applications going before City Council next week:

468 West 33rd Ave & 4956-4958 Cambie Street

This application was made by Kenstone Properties back in August 2014.

The proposal is for a 65-unit, 6-storey condo building at the Southeast corner of 33rd and Cambie. If approved by council it will go to public hearing next.

5648-5678 Victoria Drive

This proposal, by Bhandal Homes, is for a 6-storey, 48-unit market rental apartment building with retail at grade. The site is currently zoned C-2, but the application for greater density (3.48 FSR) is being made under the Rental 100 policy.

It is seeking to go to public hearing.

3819 Boundary Road

This is another market rental application being made under the Rental 100 program. The plan for this site, originally conceived in 2013, is to rezone from C-1 to allow a 4-storey building with 23 rental apartments. If approved it goes to public hearing.