PWC’s annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2014 report was released this week. The annual report surveys industry professionals and rates Canada’s nine largest commercial real estate markets on prospects for investment, development and homebuilding.

This year the survey placed Vancouver fourth, just slightly behind Saskatoon, and behind the energy-driven markets of Calgary and Edmonton; in first and second respectively.

Perhaps not surprisingly, respondents placed Vancouver firmly in buy/hold territory for most asset classes in 2014. Here are a couple of examples:

Apartment Buy/Sell/Hold Recommendations

Office Buy/Sell/Hold Recommendations

Download the full report here: http://www.pwc.com/ca/en/real-estate/emerging-trends-real-estate-canadian-summary.jhtml

The so-called International Trade Centre at Versante could bring 214,008 square feet of new commercial, hotel and office space to North Richmond, according to a report presented Tuesday at city hall.

Marketed as “Richmond’s next epicentre of business,” the proposed development consists of three towers—nine, 12 and 14 storeys—and a common five-storey podium. Included in the project is a 110-room hotel.

The proposal comes from Hotel Versante Ltd., which is seeking to rezone a 0.7-hectare (1.6-acre) triangular site at 8451 Bridgeport Rd. to build it. City council’s planning committee considered the project this week, 14 years after council approved a previous rezoning application that’s now being abandoned.

The site is located in Bridgeport Village, near the Airport Connector Bridge and next to Duck Island, where a multi-phase development of retail, entertainment, office, hotel and conference uses is in the early planning stages.

Read more: http://www.richmondreview.com/business/230718231.html

From Business in Vancouver – Avison Young has announced the listing of 815 West Hastings Street, a 106,943-square-foot office block built in 1976. The property last sold in December 2010 for $45.3 million, when a private buyer acquired it from Investors Group.

815 West Hastings

 According to RealNet Canada Inc., office properties valued in excess of $10 million enjoy an annual compound growth rate of 7.2%. Documentation Avison Young circulated last week suggests a “pricing guideline” for 815 West Hastings of $60 million, though a formal list price has not been set.

Read more: http://www.biv.com/article/20131015/BIV0320/310159888/us-debt-shenanigans-stand-to-boost-local-borrowing-costs

Morguard has applied to the City of Vancouver to amend the existing CD-1 for their property 601 West Hastings Street (also referred to as 333 Seymour Street) to retain the existing office tower, and build a 25-storey office building with:

• A total floor area of 227,700 SF
• 3,627 sq. ft. of ground level retail space
• a public plaza
• a density of 24.34 FSR
• a proposed height of 357 ft
• 102 parking spaces and 78 bicycle parking spaces in 5 levels of underground parking