Westbank has submitted their rezoning application for 720 Beatty Street, the Central Heat site located at the Southeast corner of West Georgia Street and Beatty Street in Downtown Vancouver. The site sits adjacent BC Place. The site was acquired as part of the Creative Energy purchase and rebranding five years ago. The Beatty Street site, which totals 51,820 SF, has been deemed surplus and suitable for commercial redevelopment.

The proposal is for a unique 17-storey office tower that includes:

• 515,150 SF of office space;
  • 35,000 SF average tower floorplates;
• 18,503 SF of retail space;
• a total building height of 263.8 ft;
• a total density of 11.55 FSR;
• a 5-storey retail and entertainment pavilion fronting Georgia Street;
• an upgrade to the creative energy plant;
• 4 levels of underground parking; 358 parking spaces and 
  325 bicycle spaces.

The application describes part of the rezoning rationale as follows: “This rezoning proposal seeks to repurpose these industrial lands and increase the existing allowable commercial density rights from 7 FSR (under the CBD policies) with 597,192 sq ft of office, retail and Creative Energy plant space on 720 Beatty Street. As one of the largest and only undeveloped areas in the downtown peninsula, we have an extremely rare opportunity here to not only significantly upgrade an aging steam plant, but also create an architectural landmark capable of housing large office floorplates that will draw creative economy tenants into Vancouver. This will allow our city to attract both talent and employers that would otherwise find the standard Vancouver size office floorplates and workspace offerings inadequate for their needs.”

This application is being considered under the Rezoning Policy for the Central Business District (CBD) and CBD Shoulder.

The architects for the project are Bjarke Ingles and HMCA Architecture + Design.

The full rezoning application can be viewed here: https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/720beatty2/index.htm

A rezoning application has been submitted for a site at 2810 and 2830 Grandview Highway; a 16,104 SF lot currently improved with an older 2-storey officed building on the South side of Grandview between Kaslo Street and Renfrew Street.

The plan calls to rezone from C-1 to allow for a new 6-storey rental apartment building under the Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Program, which requires that 20% of the units are assigned to moderate income households.

The proposal includes:

• 57 rental units;
  • 14 studios, 23 one-bedrooms & 20 two and three-bedrooms;
• 6,990 SF of retail space at grade;
• a total density of 3.12 FSR;
• a building height of 69 ft.; 
• 41 underground parking spaces (including one car share);
• 111 bicycle spaces.

The architect for the project is MCMP Architects.

A development application has been submitted for a full city block on Dunbar Street, on the East side of Dunbar between West 39th and West 40th Avenue, which is the northern extent of the commercial strip on Dunbar in the Southlands area. The site totals 12,170 SF in size. The site is currently improved with an older single storey commercial building and a community garden. The site is zoned C-2.

The plan for redevelopment is a new 4-storey mixed use building containing commercial/retail shops on the ground level and residential above. Details include:

• 14 market condo units;
• 5,693 SF of retail space;
• A total density of 2.05 FSR;
• A building height of 48.17 ft.
• one underground level of parking, loading and bicycle parking having access from West 40th Avenue .

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 Wensley Architecture.

The site was acquired in early 2018 for $15,500,000, or $677 per buildable SF based on the application.