Here is a brief overview of rezoning applications going to City of Vancouver Council next week seeking approval to move forward to the final public hearing stage. While these proposals have been posted on this site before, their potential advancement to public hearing signals an intent by each proponent to move forward with their respective projects.

101 East 2nd Avenue

This application is for the new MEC location at 2nd and Quebec. MEC will be relocating from their existing West Broadway location when their lease expires.

The plan is for a 3-storey building totaling 45,262 SF of retail space and 16,350 SF of office and fitness space. The total density is 2.04 FSR. A CAC of $11.50 per SF is being charged.

288-388 West King Edward Ave

This proposal, by Mosaic Homes, is for a 4-storey, 56-unit condo building at the Southeast corner King Edward and Yukon. The site is a 5-lot assembly being rezoned under the Cambie Corridor Plan.

The proposed density is 1.76 FSR, and the CAC is based on the fixed rate of $55 per SF of net increased density.

4085 Ash & 619-633 West King Edward

Also in the same area as the project above, Aragon is planning a development on a 3-lot assembly at the Northwest corner of King Edward and Ash Street.

The plan for the 19,150 SF site is a 4-storey condo building with a total of 31 units. The total proposed density is 1.93 FSR and the CAC is $55 per SF.

Cressey‘s plan for a rental apartment building on a site at Commercial Drive and East 18th Ave includes relocation and restoration of a heritage house. The new 6-storey building on the site will have 101 much needed rental apartments. The total density for the project is 2.70 FSR. 37% of the units will be family-oriented. There is no CAC.

420 Hawks Avenue

Atira Women’s Resource Society originally made this proposal back in November 2014 and it has been the subject of some media attention recently amid some objection by the Strathcona Residents’ Association.

The plan has been revised since the original proposal, with 21 social housing units being proposed in a 7-storey building. A unique aspect of the building is that it will be constructed out of shipping containers. There is no CAC for this project.

753 Seymour Street

GWL’s plan to redevelop the parkade it owns next to 650 West Georgia (Vancouver Centre) became public with an application back in the summer of 2013.

The plan is for a 33-storey office tower, totaling 398,942 SF of new office space above the existing 6-storey parkade structure. The parkade could also be converted into an additional 65,000 SF of office space in the future. The total density of the project is 22.96 FSR. A CAC equivalent to $5 per SF is being paid as a contribution towards childcare facilities downtown.

Here’s a quick look at the recent uptick in resales values and activity for Downtown Vancouver condos, which have reported to have taken quite an upturn over the last few months after having been relatively flat over the past few years.

Here is data derived from all Downtown Vancouver condo resales from 2011 to April 2016. A couple of observations:

• the average price YTD 2016 is $908 per SF (up from $761 for the same period 2015)
• Average sold price/list price ratio 2016 YTD is 1.03

The above data contains all downtown Vancouver condo resales. For simplicity, all luxury  condo sales above $2,000 per SF were removed (approx. 40 sales).

Data source: MLS/REBGV data

Here is an interesting map from 1956 from the City of Vancouver Archives showing land value assessments by $/SF from 1954 assessments in Downtown Vancouver.

Granville Street was the prime area back then at over $24.00 per SF of land! Conversely, Coal Harbour and Yaletown were steals at less than $1.50 per SF. Of course, these areas were still primarily industrial areas and condos were simply an idea that wouldn’t take hold for another decade. Fast forward sixty years and land values in those ‘hoods have increased approximately 2000%.

(click on the map for a zoomed in view)

“Scope and content Item is a map showing land values in dollars per square foot for the downtown area bounded by Burrard Street, Robson Street, and Nicola Street in the west and Main Street in the east.”