Thind Properties has applied to the City of Burnaby to rezone a 57,809 SF site at 6525-6585 Sussex Avenue for a new mixed use development including market residential, non-market rental and retail and office uses. The original rezoning application was made over a year ago, but the details have now been finalized and it is now ready to move forward to public hearing.

As detailed in the Burnaby Now, the project is a partnership between Thind, New Vista Housing Society and BC Housing. 

The existing site is located just a few steps East of Metrotown Skytrain Station on Beresford and is comprised of three lots improved with three older walkup apartment buildings totaling 64 units.

The plan calls for rezoning per the Metrotown Downtown Plan to RM5s, RM4 and C2 zoning districts. Details include:

• a 48-storey tower including 10-storeys of office and 38-storeys of residential on the North portion of the site
• 327 market residential units
• 160 one-bedrooms units, 125 two-bedroom units and 41 three-bedroom units;
• 4,700 SF of retail uses at grade;
• 69,515 SF of office space;
• a 14-storey tower with 125 non-market rental units on the South portion
• A combined total density of 8.0 FAR;
• Building heights of 520 ft. and 155 ft;
• 544 underground parking stalls

M28 Holdings Ltd. has submitted a development application for a 75′ x 112′ site at the Southeast corner of 28th and Main for a new rental apartment building. The C-2 zoned site is currently occupied by single storey retail including Le Gent Antiques on the corner.

The new development will be 4-storeys and will include:

• retail and restaurant uses on the ground floor;
• 21 rental market rental units;
• a total density of 2.5 FSR;
• a building height of 45 feet;
• two levels of underground parking accessed from the lane.

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 site sold in December 2016 for $6,980,000, or $341 per buildable SF based on the application.

Port Living has submitted a rezoning application for a site at 2202 Main Street, on the Southeast corner of 6th and Main in Mount Pleasant. 

The 17,445 SF site, currently occupied by Blue Star Motors and a 2-storey commercial building, is currently zoned IC-2 but has rezoning potential as part of the Mount Pleasant Community Plan.

The proposal, entitled “Main Street Arts”, is to permit the development of a 6-storey mixed use building that includes:

• • 65 condo units;
  • 19 studios, 19 one-bedrooms, 17 two-bedrooms and 10 three-bedrooms;
  • 9,614 SF of at-grade retail plus 6,617 SF of below ground retail;
  • A total density of 3.86 FSR;
  • A building height of 74.5 ft;
  • 99 parking spaces (including 1 car share space); and
  • 2 Class B loading spaces.

The architect for the project is Studio B Architects. 

Concord Pacific‘s preliminary rezoning application will go to City of Burnaby council next week for the master plan of the 8.9 acre Sears Metrotown site at 4750 Kingsway. Concord acquired the site from Sears Canada in 2015 for $100,000,000.  The site is currently home to a soon to be closed Sears store, a Toys-R-Us store and a presentation centre.

Initial planning work got underway in 2013 when Sears selected Concord Pacific as the developer, but had been partly delayed pending the City of Burnaby’s revision of the Metrotown Downtown Plan, completed earlier this year.

The purpose of the current rezoning application is to establish a Conceptual Master Plan, Design Guidelines and a detailed first phase of development, which would provide for specific development rights for the initial phase; and guide further applications for the development of the site which will include substantial commercial and residential components. The site is designated for high density development utilizing the RM-5s and C3 guidelines.

The overall vision for the site is described as: ” a pedestrian-oriented, transit-connected
community that reflects the strong urban design principles and an urban form unique in the City. The Sears Metrotown site is envisioned to be fully integrated with the surrounding Metro Downtown neighbourhood and the broader Town Centre through the creation of new vehicle, pedestrian and cycling connections to existing streets to the north including McMurray and McKercher Avenues, as well facilitating new future connections to the south and west through the Metropolis at Metrotown site and Station Square.”

Preliminary details for the overall master plan include:

• Seven towers
• Four development phases
• 1,945,855 SF of residential space
• 660,734 SF of commercial space
• a total density of 9.75 FSR

Phase 1 details include:

• 1,309 units in Phase 1
• 3 towers ranging from 33 to 65-storeys
• 1,485 parking spaces on 7 levels of underground parking 
• a 48,000 SF indoor amenity space
• towers designed with a ceramic frit super graphic design element
• addition of a new East-West road “Metro Way”

The application describes the first phase: “Phase I is the initial phase of development, located along the Kingsway frontage between McMurray Avenue. The Phase I site measures approximately 132,364 sq.ft., with a frontage on Kingsway of 1,053 ft. Phase
I consists of three residential high-rise apartment buildings.  All three residential buildings are located atop a 3 storey commercial and amenity podium.

The signature tower at the corner of Kingsway and Nelson Avenue does not have commercial uses on the Nelson Avenue frontage, but maintains the high volume in amulti-storey atrium lobby fronting on to the Lake Plaza. Tower 2’s lobby fronts onto Kingsway, in between commercial storefronts, while Tower 3’s lobby is oriented toward McMurray Avenue fronting on to the River Plaza.”

The architect for the project is IBI Group.

Beedie Living is proposing changes to its proposed development on the 89 acre ‘Fraser Mills’ site in Southwest Coquitlam, branded the Village at Fraser Mills.

The project, one of Metro Vancouver’s largest ever master planned communities, was approved nearly a decade ago when the City of Coquitlam approved a master plan including up to 3,700 residential units. In the years that followed, there has been very little development of the site, with only three industrial buildings having gone under construction more recently.

Beedie has now applied to the City to revise the overall plan for the site, citing “changing market conditions over the past nine years”.

Key changes being proposed include:

• Adding 1,000 residential units (up to 4,700)
• Increasing the number of towers from 10 to 15;
• Increasing tower heights up to 41-storeys;
• Increase in total density from 4,062,430 SF to 4,757,000 SF;
• Expanding the plan area to include vacant 4.8 acre Air Care site;
• Addition of a 40,000 SF public community centre with aquatics;
• Reducing the industrial space by 250,000 SF;
• Reducing the proposed retail space by 50,000 SF;
• Replacing the post-secondary use with a 4-storey strata office building;
• Retaining the Kiewit Wharf as a public amenity;
• Removing the elementary school use;
• Reduction in number of project phases from 16 to 9.

Should council endorse staff’s recommendation to move forward to the next phase, the proposed changes would go through further planning and another round of public consultation before the development is fully approved.

Further details regarding the application can be viewed here: http://www.coquitlam.ca/docs/default-source/council-agenda-documents/councilincommittee_2017_10_23_-_item_6.pdf?sfvrsn=2