1133 Barclay Street has been sold by Gordon Nelson Properties for $9,225,000 to a local investor. The purchase price represents a cap rate of 4.5% and a price per unit of approx. $300,000. The building was fully renovated including new stainless steel appliances, dishwashers, granite countertops, porcelain tiling and refinished floors. The building has an ideal location, but does not fall within the West End Plan’s potential rezoning area.

The building had been listed for sale for $9,898,000, and was sold by Matt Saunders and Steve Fame of Colliers in approx. 1 month.

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

This article in the New York Times highlights some challenges in incorporating social housing in a higher-end market condo building. This is an issue that may become more prominent in Vancouver as the City tries to generate new social housing units by requiring social housing in new market developments; particularly in higher density areas like the West End.

‘Poor Door’ in New York Tower Opens Housing Fight

New York Times, August 27, 2014

A 33-story glassy tower rising on Manhattan’s waterfront will offer all the extras that a condo buyer paying up to $25 million would expect, like concierge service, entertainment rooms, and unobstructed views of the Hudson River and miles beyond.

The project will also cater to renters who make no more than about $50,000. They will not share the same perks, and they will also not share the same entrance.

 The so-called poor door has brought an outcry, with numerous officials now demanding an end to the strategy. But the question of how to best incorporate affordable units into projects built for the rich has become more relevant than ever as Mayor Bill de Blasio seeks the construction of 80,000 new affordable units over the next 10 years.

 The answer is not a simple one. As public housing becomes a crumbling relic of another era, American cities have grown more reliant on the private sector to build housing for the poor and working class. Developers say they can maximize their revenues, and thus build more affordable units, by separating them from their luxury counterparts.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/27/nyregion/separate-entryways-for-new-york-condo-buyers-and-renters-create-an-affordable-housing-dilemma.html