A number of new rezoning applications are going before Burnaby City Council next week:

4444 and 4488 Kingsway

This 80,000 sq ft site at the Southwest corner of Kingsway and Willingdon is currently an Esso Gas Station and presentation centre and parking lot. The proposal is from Bosa Properties.

The proposal for the site is to rezone the property based on the RM5s /
RM5r and C3 zoning bylaws for a landmark, 70+ storey mixed use high-rise tower, containing the following proposes uses:

• Market condo
• Market rental
• Affordable rental
• Hotel
• Office
• Retail

The maximum allowable density is 14.3 FAR.

The application reveals the architect involved: “We have engaged New York based architecture firm Gensler as the design architect, with support by Vancouver based IBI Architects.”

Gensler designed Bosa’s nearby Central Park House which is currently in pre-sales.

6031 Wilson Avenue

This is a 58,000 sq ft. site also owned by Bosa Properties on the Eastern edge of Metrotown on Wilson Avenue just South of Kingsway.

Bosa is proposing to rezone the property from the current zoning to a zone based on the RM5s / RM5r as per the designation in the Metrotown Downtown Community Plan.

The proposed form of development will be a high-rise tower, containing a market condo use, with an accompanying low-rise rental building that will provide the required affordable inclusionary rental housing.

Gensler and IBI are also listed as the architect for the upcoming project.

3965 North Road

Candarel has submitted a rezoning for this 57,000 sq ft. site at North Road and Austin Road in the Burquitlam area of Burnaby.

The site is located within the Lougheed Town Centre Plan area and is designated for high-density mixed-use development using the RM5s/RM5r
and C3 Districts as guidelines. The site is currently improved with a gas station and older office building.

The preliminary development concept includes two high-rise condo and rental towers with an office podium, including retail at grade.

The total proposed density is 14.3 FAR.

5292-5318 Kingsway

This proposal is from Porte Communities for a site located within the Royal Oak Community Plan. The Royal Oak Community Plan designates the subject site for medium-density mixed-use development using the C9 Urban Village District as a guideline. The site is currently improved with a single storey car wash.

The proposal calls for a 6-storey building with 80 residential units above retail, with 20% of the units as affordable rentals.

The total proposed density is 3.025 FAR.

6622 and 6688 Willingdon Avenue

This 52,000 sq ft site is also located in the Metrotown area. The site is located within the Maywood neighbourhood area of the Metrotown Downtown Plan. The Metrotown Downtown Plan designates the subject site for high-density development using the RM5s/RM5r District as a guideline. The site is currently improved with two three-storey rental apartment buildings with atotal of 72 units, constructed in the 1960s.

The proposal is a 30-storey condo tower with a 7-storey rental podium.

The total proposed density is 8.3 FAR.

The application is being made by IDS Group.

Bosa Properties has submitted new rezoning applications for two tower sites they own in the West End that had previously been envisioned for condos & social housing in 2017. With a slowdown in the condo market in 2018-2019, the projects were put on hold.

The sites are located at the Northeast and Southeast corners of Harwood Street and Thurlow Street.

The former development proposals sought 191 condos and 59 social housing units spread between the two sites, or 75% market condos with 25% social housing; however, a City of Vancouver policy change in November 2020 allowed a switch to rental housing with below-market rental in place of social housing.

The proposal for the two site is two 34-storey residential towers and includes:

• 575 rental units (with 462 market rental units and 113 below-market rental units)
• A gross density of 13.1 FSR for both sites;
• Building heights of 316 ft.;
• Seven levels of underground parking with 151 vehicle parking spaces, 11 accessible spaces, 534 Class A bicycle parking spaces and 15 Class B bicycle parking spaces.

The application is being considered under the Criteria for 100% Secured Rental and Below-Market Housing as an Alternative to Inclusionary Social Housing in the Burrard Corridor, Rezoning Policy for the West End,and the West End Community Plan.

The architect for the project is Henriquez Partners Architects.

Bosa Properties, in partnership with Kingswood Properties, has submitted their rezoning application for the site they own at the Southwest corner of Alberni Street and Bidwell; half a block East of Denman Street in the West End of Vancouver.

The site is an assembly of two existing strata residential properties. The smaller strata building at 735 Bidwell was acquired in 2015 for $43,680,000.

The proposal, entitled “1700 Alberni” is to allow for the development of two residential towers (30-storey east tower and 34-storey west tower) over a five-storey mixed-used podium. The zoning would change from RM-5C to CD-1 District. The proposal includes:

• 401 condo units;
• 12 studios, 160 one-bedrooms, 199 two-bedrooms & 30 three-bedrooms;
• 14,700 SF of ground floor retail;
• a 24-space childcare facility;
• A total density of 10.88 FSR;
• Building heights of 345 ft. for the east tower and 385 ft. for the west tower;
• 499 vehicle parking spaces, 20 visitor parking spaces, 3 commercial parking spaces, 2 childcare parking spaces, and 524 bicycle parking spaces

The application is being considered under the Rezoning Policy for the West End.

The architect for the project is Heatherwick Studio, in partnership with local team IBI Group.

The full rezoning application can be viewed here: https://shapeyourcity.ca/1728-alberni-st-and-735-bidwell-st