Oxford Properties has changed the design plan for their 1133 Melville Street office building project, originally proposed for rezoning back in July 2015. The previous design was not supported at the Urban Design Panel in 2015, and has since been reworked with a smaller, but taller building.

The new design by James Cheng, features a much more interesting building massing. The revision includes stacked box design with the third box twisted from the street grid. There is a slight increase in height from 33 to 34-storeys. Details include:

• a building height of 550 ft.
• a total floor area of 555,047 SF
• a total density of 18.20 FSR (down from 22.46 FSR)
• four floorplate sizes, multiple decks including a rooftop deck
• floor to ceiling windows
• six levels of underground parking (231 vehicle spaces and 221 bicycle spaces)

The previous rezoning application can be viewed here: http://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/1133melville/index.htm

Westbank‘s rezoning application for the Budget Car Rental site at 400 West Georgia Street has been submitted to the City. The site is located at the corner of West Georgia and Homer Street, across from the Central Library Branch. The letter of intent submitted by Westbank, suggests that the building will be built “on spec”.

The plan for the 20,992 SF (175′ x 120′) site calls for rezoning from Downtown (DD) District to Comprehensive Development (CD-1) District to allow for a 24-storey office building. The proposal includes:

• 350,000 SF of office space;
• 5,775 SF of retail space;
• a building height of 301 ft.;
• a total density 17.51 FSR;
• steel construction;
• six levels of underground parking; and
• 125 bicycle parking spaces.

Design features will include triple-paned curtain wall, openable windows, large spans of column free space, glass floors. It will also incorporate a 4-storey high lobby.

The application describes the design rationale:

The architect for the project is Merrick Architecture.

Oxford Properties has applied to the City of Vancouver for permission to build a brand new infill office building on an underutilized portion of a 59,000 SF lot and existing 22-storey office building property they own at 401 West Georgia (built in 1987) , which runs along Homer Street all the way to Dunsmuir Street on the North, where the new building will be located.

The plan is to build a new 9-storey office building on the North part of the property facing Dunsmuir Street. Details include:

• retail and office use on the ground floor and office use on the 2nd-9th floors;
• 4,654 SF of new retail space
• 147,000 SF of new office space
• Office floorplates of 14,000 – 19,000 SF
• 6,600 SF of amenity space, 2,300 SF conference centre & 4,300 SF fitness facility
• a building height of 139.4 feet
• two levels of underground parking accessed from the lane; and
• retention of the existing commercial building on the south portion of the site.

The project is being proposed under the existing DD zoning and so only requires a development permit as opposed to rezoning.

The architect for the project is B + H Architects Inc.

In an interesting move, 10 floors of the Exchange Building are being converted to hotel use instead of office use. This comes as Executive Group has acquired the adjacent Edward Chapman property at 833 West Pender, with soon to be released plans for a hotel on the site.

A development application has been submitted for The Exchange Building to allow:

• conversion of office use to hotel on floors 2 through 11
• 110,000 SF of the building will be converted

Under the site’s existing CD-1 (555) zoning, the application is “conditional” so it may be permitted; however, it requires the decision of the Director of Planning.

Urbanics Consultants, on behalf of Andrew Peller Limited have applied to allow a redevelopment of the 5.0 acre Andres Wines site, a collection of lots on the West side of Port Moody’s Town Centre area, fronting both Clarke Street and Barnet Highway.

The proposal calls for an OCP amendment  and rezoning to allow for the development of a new mixed-use residential and commercial development, including:

• one 32-storey tower, one 21-storey tower, one 12-storey tower & multiple lowrises
• 418 residential units
• 132 strata units, 176 rental units, 98 seniors units & 12 artist studios
• a mix of other uses including light industrial, retail, office, 80-room hotel, clinic, athletic club, arts centre (including a daycare) and an arts village (artist work space, galleries, and residences).
• 725,390 SF of gross floor area
• a total density of 3.33 FAR
• open space comprising 25% of the total site area
• 940 parking spaces

The plan is proposed to be built in one phase and at full build-out is estimated to have a resident population of 800 and will support 585 jobs.

The OCP amendment was not originally supported at City Council, but has been deferred to the Community Planning Advisory Committee for further design review to address various issues including geotechnical, traffic and parking, and site servicing, among others.