A rezoning application has been submitted for the redevelopment of the Poor Italian Restaurant site at the Southwest corner of East 1st Avenue and Rupert Street in East Vancouver.

The 16,100 SF site is currently zoned CD-1 and is located within the Rupert and Renfrew Interim Rezoning Policy boundary, adopted by council in 2022. This policy allows rezonings for rental apartments in advance of the overall area plan being finalized.

The development proposal anticipates replacing the existing restaurant building with a new 6-storey mixed-use rental building with the Poor Italian Restaurant on the ground floor over 2 levels of underground parking and includes:

• 63 market rental units;
  • 16 studios, 27 one-bedrooms & 20 two-bedrooms;
• 5,700 SF of new space for Poor Italian on the ground floor;
• A total density of 3.34 FSR;
• A building height of 71 ft.; and
• 53 vehicle parking spaces and 106 bicycle spaces.

The architect for the project is Cornerstone Architecture.

A development application has been submitted to the City of Vancouver for the Dunbar Theatre site at 4555 Dunbar Street, at the corner of West 30th Avenue.

The proposal calls for the redevelopment of the 19,700 SF corner site with a new 5-storey, mixed-use building containing retail use on the first level and residential on levels 2 through 5.

The proposal includes the following:

• 45 rental units;
  • 2 studios, 24 one bedrooms, 13 two-bedrooms & 6 three bedrooms;
• 6,702 SF of theatre space;
• 4,944 SF of retail space including a coffee shop and restaurant;
• a total density of 2.89 FSR;
• a building height of 68 ft.
• Two levels of underground parking having vehicular access from the lane.

The proposal includes heritage designation of the retained exterior and structure of the Dunbar Theatre, originally constructed in 1935 and expanded and altered in 1964. The plan includes retaining the historic façade, theatre lobby, and select interior elements of the auditorium that are reinstated or replicated to match the original.

Under the site’s existing C-2 zoning, the application is “conditional” so it may be permitted. However, it requires the decision of the Director of Planning.

The architect for the project is Giant Union Design Architecture & Planning Ltd.

The site was assembled between 2017 & 2018 for a combined $30,180,000 or $558 per buildable SF based on the application.

A preliminary rezoning application has been reviewed by the District of North Vancouver for ‘Seylynn Centre’, a 3.1 acre assembly of 24 lots previously single family homes demolished in 2018. The site, owned by Denna Homes, is now being used as the construction staging for the neighbouring ‘Apex’ tower by Denna across Fern Street from the site.

A previous proposal was submitted in 2017 that envisioned a 19-storey tower and 6-storey building with 412 units and a density of 2.90 FSR.

The revised proposal for the site includes a 22-storey tower and 6-storey podium in the eastern portion of the site (“Phase 1”) and a 29-storey tower and 6-storey podium in the western portion of the site (“Phase 2”).

Details include:

• 334 condo units;
• 146 market rental units;
• 152 student housing units;
• 17,825 SF of retail space;
• a total density of 3.90 FSR;
• a public plaza on the southern portion of the site;
• 597 parking spaces.

The current proposal includes a density of 3.9 FSR, exceeding the site’s envisioned density of 2.9 FSR, and the “CRMU3” land use designation which supports a density up to approximately 3.5 FSR. The applicant is seeking an OCP amendment for the additional density, with the provision of non-market student housing, which equates to 1 FSR and 24% of the proposal’s residential component, provided in support of this request.

Further information about the preliminary proposal can be viewed here: https://www.dnv.org/property-development/1505-1571-fern-st-520-540-mountain-highway-1514-1568-hunter-st-seylynn-centre