A partnership between Strand Development and Intracorp has submitted an application to rezone a site located at 1055 Harwood Street, between Thurlow and Burrard in the West End area of Downtown Vancouver.

The proposal is for a 32-storey residential building with:

• 82 market residential units;
• 68 two-bedrooms, 8 three-bedrooms and 6 four-bedrooms;
• 44 social housing units;
• a density of 10.35 FSR;
• four levels of underground parking with 156 vehicle parking stalls;
• 158 bicycle parking spaces; and
• a building height of 300 ft.

The RM-5A zoned site was redesignated under the West End Community Plan, adopted in 2014. Currently occupied by a lowrise coop, the site was acquired in August 2016 for $40.5 Million.

The application describes the design rationale:

A rezoning application has been submitted for the Gabriola Mansion property at 1523 Davie Street in Vancouver’s West End. The 26,000 SF property, principally occupied by one of the West End’s most notorious heritage buildings, was sold last year for $6.72 Million.

The application includes the preservation and restoration of the Gabriola Mansion building through conversion to rental apartments.

Further details include:

• the conversion of the mansion into 16 market rental units;
• 4 new infill 3-storey rental townhouses to be developed in the northeast corner of the property;
• 4 three-bedrooms, 5 two-bedrooms, 7 one-bedrooms and 4 studios
• an increase in FSR from 0.35 to 0.89; and
• no increase in height from the existing CD-1 (248).

The architect for the project is Ankenman Marchand.

Hollyburn Properties has submitted their rezoning application for the existing office/apartment property they own at 1640-1650 Alberni Street.  The site is located within Area A of the West End Community Plan, and has been identified for rezoning potential for a building up to 385 feet.

The plan is to rezone and rebuild the RM-5C zoned, 17,296 SF (132′ x 132′) property with a new 42-storey residential apartment tower with a four-storey podium, including:

• 276 units of secured market rental housing;
• 172 one-bedroom units, 89 two bedroom units and 15 three-bedroom units;
• a total density of 13.69 FSR;
• five levels of underground parking with 148 vehicle parking stalls;
• 345 bicycle parking spaces; and
• a building height of 385 ft.

This application is being considered under the West End Community Plan and Rezoning Policy for the West End.

The project architect, Francl Architecture, describes the design rationale:

“The architectural expression of the building is derived in response to the surrounding urban context and to the opportunities that this site presents for its residents. With mountains to the north, Stanley Park to the west, the west end to the south and downtown to the east, views are exceptional in all directions. All of the tower suites have corner windows to take advantage of these views. The east and west facades have increased opaque massing with a curving solid envelope structure.

The facade orientations minimize the privacy and overlook issues with neighboring buildings and yield the best distant view potential for residents of the building. Suites are arranged and laid out to maximize these view opportunities. The tower is shaped to present a relatively narrow façade to the street, giving it a tall slender silhouette against the skyline. The rhythm of balcony projections further animate the tower facades as well provide the necessary solar control for the south and west facing facades.”