Here’s a quick look at the largest deals of 2014. While the announcement of the sale of the Jericho Lands was considered to be among the biggest deals of the year, this is not included as this was not a market transaction.

1. Hyatt Regency ($140 MM)

The sale of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Downtown Vancouver to InnVest REIT last month was the largest deal in Vancouver in 2014. The 644-room hotel sold for $140 Million. According to an InnVest press release: “InnVest funded the acquisition of the Hyatt with a new $70 million, 3.8% floating rate mortgage (three-year term plus two one-year options) and cash on hand”.

2. 1500 West Georgia ($120 MM)

Bosa Properties acquisition of 1500 West Georgia from Morguard was one of the most talked about deals in 2014. The 193,000 SF A Class office building sits on a very valuable and partially underutilized 43,320 SF, full-block site at the Southeast corner of West Georgia and Cardero. Speculation abounds as to future redevelopment.

3. Langara Gardens ($102 MM)

Peterson Group quietly sold a 50% interest in their 621-unit, 21 acre apartment property on Cambie Street known as Langara Gardens to Concert Properties in a deal that would peg the value over $200 Million. The site has been undergoing a preliminary planning process with the City of Vancouver since 2013.

4. 3777 Kingsway ($87 MM)

Another 50% sale managed to make Vancouver’s top deals of the year. The 50% sale of a building that many Vancouverites refer to as the ‘Telus Boot’, a 22-storey office tower near Metrotown, was sold by H&R REIT to Crestpoint for $87 Million.

5. 1444 Alberni & 740 Nicola ($84 MM)

Wall Financial’s acquisition of a full-city block in the West End was one of Vancouver’s largest deals with redevelopment potential. At just under an acre and containing existing apartments and office space, the site has redevelopment potential under the City of Vancouver’s new West End Community Plan.

By ChangingCity

The façade of 151 Water St would be retained, and 157 Water Street would be redeveloped. The project would end up with six floors of office over retail and restaurant uses, and the letter says the project would be 95 feet high. Musson Cattell Mackey are the architects. The Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee will review the scheme this week – they have a few more details; the total space would be 105,426 square feet and their notes say it would be 103 feet high to the top of the mechanical room.

…read more

Source:: Changing City

The Lotus Hotel, a six-storey building retail and apartment property located at West Pender and Abbott Street in Downtown Vancouver has sold for $17,900,000.

The building, built in 1913, was substantially upgraded in 2001 and  2009  The main floor and basement  have been leased as a 12,000 SF retail tenant operating as The Pint Public House. The upper floors feature 110 bachelor suites, which are self-contained with kitchenettes (fridge, stove, sink) and three-piece bathrooms. These units reportedly average 210 SF.

The building was sold by Steve Fame at Colliers and had been listed for sale for $18,698,000.

As construction progresses on PCI Group‘s first phase of King George Station, here is a video outlining the various phases of this large mixed-use project that promises to be transformative for the City Centre area of Surrey. The project entails 345,000 SF retail and 495,000 SF of office space, along with approximately 1,200 residential units.

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)