Polygon has prepared a proposal including two options for a development at 119 – 131 West Esplanade in North Vancouver, also known as “Site 8”. The site also includes lands owned by City of North Vancouver. The overall rezoning application seeks an amendment to the City’s OCP to increase the allowable building height and to rezone the site to allow the construction of a mixed-use building consisting of a residential tower over a commercial podium. This would be supported by four levels of underground parking.

The site was previously owned by Millenium Properties who proposed a 35-storey tower back in 2007, which was subsequently withdrawn. The site later sold to Polygon.

Two development options are being presented for the City of North Vancouver’s consideration:

Option 1 – with Non-Market Office Space

• 11-storey tower with 107 residential units
• a building height of 122 ft.
• a total density of 3.78 FSR
• sale of City lands, transfer density and density bonus resulting is a cash contribution of $10.3 Million.
• 6,000 SF of office space owned by Polygon and rented at below market rates to non-profits

Option 2 – with Community Amenity Space

• 12-storey tower with 117 residential units
• a building height of 139 ft.
• a total density of 4.07 FSR
• sale of City lands, transfer density and density bonus resulting is a cash contribution of $8.7 Million.
• 16,155 SF of City-owned community space for a museum

In both scenarios, the site has to accommodate almost 100 parking spaces for off-site uses.

View from Esplanade

The architects for the project are DYS Architecture and Nigel Baldwin Architects.

In what has become one of the most rapidly densifying areas of Metro Vancouver, two more tower proposals are closer to reality in the Brentwood Town Centre area of Burnaby. Both projects were introduced previously but are now at first reading with the City of Burnaby.

1846-1904 Gilmore Avenue

This 58,234 SF site at the corner of Gilmore and Halifax was originally proposed for rezoning back in 2012, but the application was withdrawn. The current proposal includes:

• a 46-storey condo tower
• a 3-storey townhouse podium on Halifax
• 340 units
• a total density of 5.0 FAR
• 408 underground parking spaces
• outdoor swimming pool

2338-2440 Madison Avenue

Polygon Homes is proposing a new project entitled ‘Fulton House’ on an 80,967 SF site on Madison Avenue, South of Lougheed. The plan was originally for a 35-storey tower in 2014, but the revised proposal now includes:

• a 41-storey condo tower
• below and above-ground structured parking
• 300 units
• a total density of 3.6 FAR
• 349 parking spaces

Polygon Homes has applied to rezone the Mountain Court multifamily complex in North Vancouver for a new multi-phase strata and rental complex in four 5-storey buildings. Mountain Court is an aging apartment complex built in 1968 on a 4.13 acre site located just south of Lynn Valley Centre. This sits next to Polygon’s Canyon Springs project; currently under construction and expected to be completed in 2016.

The District of North Vancouver’s Official Community Plan allows a total density on this site of 2.5 FSR, and the more recent Lynn Valley Town Centre Flexible Planning Framework allows buildings up to 5-storeys.

The proposal includes:

• Phase one:
  • a 75-unit market rental building (1:1 unit replacement, this is the CAC for the development)
  • a 68-unit strata building
• Phase two:
  • two buildings totaling 178 units
• A total of 321 units (76% two and three bedrooms)
• A total of 372,072 SF
• A density of 1.82 FSR

It is anticipated that this will be built out over a five year period.

Polygon Homes has a rezoning application at first reading tonight with the City of Burnaby for a 37-storey, 253 unit residential tower at Dunblane Avenue and Marlborough Avenue on the East side of Metrotown. The site at 6592/6650 Dunblane Avenue and 6579/6611 Marlborough Avenue is currently occupied by four walkup apartment buildings. This is a site first mentioned a year ago.

To the west across Dunblane Avenue is the “Met I” development, a 35-storey tower with townhouses by Concord Pacific, which was rezoned and is currently under construction. To the northwest of the subject site and directly north of the “Met I” is the “Met II”, a 38-storey tower with townhouses fronting Nelson Avenue under rezoning, which is also

currently under construction.

Another week, another highrise proposal for Brentwood. This one is from Polygon Homes for an 81,414 SF site at the foot of Madison Avenue. The rezoning application is based on the RM4s designation under the City of Burnaby’s Brentwood Town Centre Plan, with a total density of 3.6 FAR, or 280 units.

Interestingly, due to high groundwater and challenging geotechnical buildings, the parking is above-grade and is proposed to be located behind street-oriented residential units.