Alpha Beta Developments has applied to the City of New Westminster to allow development of a new 6-storey condo development on an existing 13,510 SF, three lot land assembly in the Uptown area.

The application entails an OCP Amendment and Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA)  for the properties located at 612 to 618 Brantford Street. The OCP amendment would change the land use designation of the property from (CH) Commercial Historic Area to (RM) Residential Medium Density. The HRA application allows retention of the existing 1890 heritage home on the site.

Details of the project include:

• a total of 41 units
• 17 one-bedroom units, 18 two-bedroom units & 7 three-bedroom units
• total density of 2.90 FSR
• 57 underground parking spaces

The architect for the project is Boldwing Continuum Architects Inc.

Viva Grand Developments has applied to rezone a site that they own at Cambie Street and West 42nd Avenue, across from Oakridge Centre. The plan for the 31,194 SF site at 5812-5888 Cambie Street is to rezone from the existing C-2 to CD under the Cambie Corridor Plan to allow a 10 and 8-storey mixed-use development, including:

• a total of 117 residential units;
• 20 studios, 28 one-bedrooms, 50 two-bedrooms & 11 three-bedrooms
• 8 live work units at the lane;
• 6 commercial units at grade totaling 14,700 SF;
• 21,000 SF of office space;
• a maximum building height of 116 ft.;
• a total density of 5.22 FSR; and
• 215 underground vehicle parking spaces and bicycle spaces.

Viva Grand had acquired the site, currently occupied by single storey retail, in 2013 for $26,000,000.

The architect for the project is IBI Group.

The full rezoning package can be viewed here: http://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/5812-5888cambie/index.htm

A rezoning application has been submitted for a 90 x 110 ft, C-3A zoned site at 521-525 West 8th Avenue, just west of Cambie Street (across from Whole Foods). The site is currently comprised of two single-storey retail buildings, one of which is now vacant.

The proposal calls for a nine-storey office building with retail, and includes:

• 60,300 SF of office space
• 2,000 SF of retail space
• Office floorplates ranging from 6,400 to 9,015 SF
• A total density 6.91;
• A building height of 111 ft.;
• 88 parking spaces on 3 1/2 underground levels; and
• 35 bicycle parking spaces

Typical Tower Floorplan

This application is being considered under the Metropolitan Core Jobs and Economy Land Use Plan. The “Metro Core” plan policy has been in place now for almost ten years. The primary purpose the plan was to facilitate rezoning for commercial development, either by restricting residential use, or by allowing greater density for office uses. The site falls within the “Broadway Corridor Choice-of-Use Areas” which allow for increased commercial density by virtue of proximity to transit.

The architect for the project is Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership.

This application is the latest in a recent trend of rezoning applications for office buildings on sites under 10,000 SF which traditionally would’ve been viewed as too small to accommodate larger floorplates and parking requirements.