A development application by Rendition Developments for a 50 foot lot at the Northwest corner of Ontario and West 6th Avenue demonstrates the type of development we are likely to see more of in the I-1 zoned area of Mount Pleasant. The site address is 2151 Ontario.

The plan for this 6,039 SF site is a three-storey building with clothing manufacturing on the ground floor, and general offices on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Details includes:

• 5,909 SF of manufacturing area
• 11,875 SF of office space
• A density of 2.95 FSR
• 13 underground parking stalls

The site is currently improved with a single storey industrial building that was listed for sale late last year for $2,695,000, and sold for full asking price.

Changes made to the I-1 zone in 2013 allowed more flexibility with respect to building general office space, which was previously restricted to uses related to the manufacturing. Parking relaxations have also allowed sites such as 2151 Ontario to reach full density without further assembly for underground parking.

Not surprisingly, the 2013 zoning changes have resulted in an attendant increase in sales activity and land values over the past 18 months, a trend which is reinforced with stagnant rates for older light-industrial space.

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)

Here’s an update on a property I sold earlier this year at 1546 Nelson Street, which is now going through the development permit process to add laneway housing.

The existing 6-unit residential building is located on a 33 ft. site zoned RM-5, but the new West End Community Plan allows conditional laneway units. The proposal includes:

• 4 new residential units
• Ground-oriented family housing
• Landscaped inner courtyard
• Zero parking spaces
• Total density of 1.71 FSR