A development application has been filed for 9 West Cordova (at the corner of Cordova and Carrall Street in Gastown, formerly home to Boneta) to rehabilitate the heritage building by converting 22 vacant SRA units into 8 self-contained residential market rental units that could also include office and artist studio uses on the 2nd and 3rd floors. The conversion of SRA units and heritage revitalization agreement was previously approved in 2008 after the plan was originally proposed in a slightly different form in 2007.  This time it appears that the owner, King Tiger Investments, is planning to proceed.

” [The Boulder Hotel]…started life as a 2-storey building in 1890, and later grew another at some point before 1910…. It was designed by the Fripp Brothers (Robert and Charles) for American tunnel builder turned real estate mogul A G Ferguson.” – Changing Vancouver

An 11-unit building at 2358 York Avenue has sold for $3,938,000, or $358,000 per unit / 2.6% cap rate. The realtor’s brochure describes the building as follows:

“…a well maintained three storey plus penthouse apartment building located in Vancouver’s extremely popular Kitsilano neighbourhood. Only one block south of Kits Beach, the property features 11 suites including 2 penthouse units with sweeping views of English Bay and the North Shore Mountains.  Ideal for owner-occupier.  Rents significantly below market.”

The building had been listed for sale for $4,000,000.

The owner of two rental apartment buildings at 141 & 147 East 21st Street in North Vancouver has applied to rezone the properties to allow a new 6-storey rental apartment building. The application for the site, which is located behind the London Drugs on Lonsdale, proposes to demolish and replace the existing buildings on site with a new building. The redevelopment would result in a net increase of 74 units. The site is 27,670 SF in size and the total proposed density is 72,613 SF, resulting in a total density of 2.53 FSR. The provision of rental under a secured agreement is considered the CAC for the rezoning.

Plans for a rental building in Kerrisdale that were submitted earlier this year, have now been withdrawn.

Bogner Development Group had proposed rezoning on the church site for a 6-storey, 56-unit rental building. A notificaiton on the City’s website indicates that Bogner is withdrawing the proposal:

“After review of the public feedback provided through the application process, the applicant has decided to withdraw rezoning application for a 6-storey secured market rental building on this site. The applicant is now working with staff to review potential options for the site.”

The rezoning would have been one of the first under the Interim Policy for Affordable Housing, and at 6-storeys, would’ve also been taller than most proposals under existing zoning in Kerrisdale.

Here is what was proposed:

A project that we wrote about back in January goes to public hearing next week. 2975 Oak Street is an existing 14-unit apartment building at Oak and W 14th that is being proposed for partial heritage preservation and replacement with 50 rental units in a new 10-storey tower; for a total density of 2.8 FSR on the 12,500 SF site. All of this is being done under the existing RM-3 zoning.

Existing Building

Proposed New 50-unit Tower

The Aquilini family bought the property back in April of 2012 for $4,600,000 ($130 per buildable SF based on the proposed density).

Demolish 14 units and build 50…and no rezoning. How are they able to do this?

It’s all about the heritage. The existing building is a Heritage ‘B’ and the proposal includes a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA) for the site.

Under the current RM-3 zoning applicable to the site, the existing building could be demolished and the site redeveloped with a density of up to 1.9 FSR and a building height of 120 feet without Council approval, subject to replacement of the existing rental units and securing these units through a Housing Agreement.

However, as incentive and compensation to the owner for the heritage designation, rehabilitation, and conservation of the heritage facades of the existing building built in 1928, an increase in permitted density to 2.8 FSR with a new tower is being supported by the City.

As with any demolition of existing rental, Aquilini had to provide a Tenant Relocation Plan which meets the requirements under the Rate of Change Guidelines for RM, FM, and CD-1 Zoning Districts.

Overall, not a bad little deal especially considering that this project isn’t going under Rental 100 and therefore rents won’t be capped. But before you get excited about finding another just like it, keep in mind that this one was unique with a very small heritage building on a disproportionately large site RM-3 zoned site. Even the City acknowledges that it won’t be setting a precedent as there are so few properties where an HRA would be viable in this area.

More details here.