An interesting development application was submitted this week for a property at the Southwest corner of Granville and 6th, owned and occupied by Zonda Nellis. The plan is relatively unique since the site is only 30′ x 120′ (3,600 SF). The site is zoned C-3A so the density max of 3.0 FSR is conditional. It is exceedingly rare to see a site of this scale seek a DP for a density as high as 3.0 FSR. Sometimes this type of plan makes sense on corner sites if assembly isn’t possible, or if as the case may be here, the property has been owned for a long time and the cost base of the land is quite low.

The plan calls for the existing single-storey retail building to be replaced with a 5-storey mixed-use development with retail at grade and four levels of residential above, with one level of underground parking below. Details include:

• 2,464 SF of retail space (3 CRUs)
• 8,336 SF of residential space
• A total density of 3.0 FSR (10,800 SF)
• A total of 4 parking stalls (one per residential floor)

The building at 1424 West Broadway, better known at the Joeys Broadway location, has sold for $14,300,000. It had been marketed for sale by Colliers in the summer and received multiple offers.

The property is leased to Joey Broadway and generates an income of $228,000. The site area is 15,265 SF and the zoning is C-3A. The buyer was a local investor.

By Paul Brent

Considering Manulife Financial Corp.owns more than 38 million square feet of real estate worth valued at about $11 billion, it is easy to overlook component parts such as its relatively new Manulife Canadian Property Portfolio.

Established in 2011 as a co-mingled fund to hold diversified real estate for Canadian institutional investors it has grown to an impressive $600 million in assets in the four main property types.

A broad and balanced investment approach is at the heart of the fund’s offering, explained the executive in charge of the fund, Timothy Blair, Manulife Real Estate’s managing director and senior portfolio manager.

“We are really looking to grow that Canadian fund by investing in Canadian assets, we are looking to be geographically diversified across Canada and we invest in the four major asset classes: office, industrial, retail and multi-family – and we are also looking at some development deals.

“. . . a good and growing portfolio,” he added. “We really focus on what I would call quality assets.”

What it owns

Notable holdings of the Manulife fund include the 22-storey 736 – 6th Avenue SW in Calgary “a great little office building,” …read more

Source:: RENX