Developer floats Lower Cap revamp.

DEVELOPERS are looking to completely revamp a large section of the Lower Capilano neighbourhood, converting what is largely empty space to a “village centre” complete with multifamily homes, a community centre and public plaza.

Larco Investments presented the plan to neighbours at two meetings last week. The proposal, still in its preliminary stages, would see a cluster of multi-storey residential buildings and a limited amount of commercial space appear on what is now a vacant lot – once the home of the Capilano Winter Club. The 4.35-acre site sits between Curling Road and Fullerton Avenue to the west of Capilano Road.

Vancouver planner wants to end ad hoc approach to developer fees.

Vancouver’s new director of planning wants to get rid of the city’s contentious method of negotiating with developers over fees they are required to pay for public services.

Brian Jackson, who starts his job as the general manager of planning and development Aug. 27, said the current “one-by-one” method of negotiating so-called community amenity contributions with individual developers is both unproductive and divisive. Instead, he wants the city to institute a system that allows developers to know up front what they’ll have to pay for parks, daycares and other needed community services.

A review of resales data for newer condos in Downtown Vancouver (2 years old or less) shows that sales activity has slowed since the beginning of 2012 but pricing has maintained an average around $800 per sq ft.

The vast majority of sales are between $600 and $1,000 per sq ft depending on the building/unit quality and location, with some sales such as units in The Erickson and Fairmon Pacific Rim showing sales values above $2,000 per SF. One can speculate that given a slowdown in sales activity, pricing will be affected eventually, particularly at the lower end of the spectrum where there are competing new developments in presales and/or under construction.

Source: MLS