vancouver-chinatown-project-pivots-from-condos-to-social-housing
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Vancouver Chinatown project pivots from condos to social housing

ByKenneth Chan

The Brickhouse development site on the southern edge of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown will be pivoting into a 100% social housing project for its residential uses, removing all of the previous strata market ownership condominium uses. This follows the property’s sale to the Hogan’s Alley Society last year. As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized in April 2024, Bonnis Properties sold their property at 796 Main Street and City’s 2021-approved development plans to Hogan’s Alley Society in November 2023, with the non-profit organization paying the developer $20 million. On the same day the deal was finalized, the federal government’s Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) provided Hogan’s Alley Society with a $25.2 million mortgage. The property is a 12,800 sq ft lot that is largely vacant but contains several small structures — the 1910-built two-storey building fronting Main Street, which contains the Brickhouse Late Night Bistro and Dive Bar, and a 1925-built single-storey building fronting Union Street, which previously housed the Jimi Hendrix shrine. Location of the approved design for 728-796 Main Street, in relation to the future developments on the city-owned blocks to the south, including Hogan’s Alley (right city block). (Studio One Architecture/Bonnis Properties) Brickhouse development site of 796 Main Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive) Artistic rendering of the 2021-approved design for 728-796 Main Street, Vancouver. (Studio One Architecture/Bonnis Properties) This week, the City of Vancouver noted it had received an application to allow a change in residential tenure to 100% social housing. The building’s height will also increase slightly from 116 ft to 127 ft, which will enable more floor space — an increase in the floor area ratio (FAR) density from a floor area that is 6.79 times larger than the size of the lot to a density of 7.4 FAR. Other details on the revised project are not available at this time. This application, first submitted in June 2024, is being considered under the City’s Affordable Housing Policies. In February 2021, after a long delay, the previous makeup of Vancouver City Council approved Bonnis Properties’ rezoning application to redevelop 796 Main Street into an 11-storey building with 94 homes, including 75 strata market condominium homes and 19 social housing units, as well as over 6,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses. Artistic rendering of the 2021-approved design for 728-796 Main Street, Vancouver. (Studio One Architecture/Bonnis Properties) Brickhouse development site of 796 Main Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

safeway-on-west-4th-avenue-in-kitsilano-acquired-for-redevelopment
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Safeway on West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano acquired for redevelopment

Bymichael

Another major Safeway grocery store location in Metro Vancouver is being eyed for a new mixed-use building development. There was recently a change of ownership for the Safeway at 2315 West 4th Avenue, which is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Vine Street and West 4th Avenue in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood. Since it was built in 1968, the grocery store has served as a major anchor business for the West 4th Avenue retail district. A spokesperson for local developer PCI Developments confirmed to Daily Hive Urbanized that the firm has acquired the property as part of its continuing joint partnership with LowTide Properties in pursuing new development opportunities. As the planning process for the redevelopment is still in the early stages, they have indicated that there are limited details to share at this time. However, they have noted that they will proceed directly to the development permit application step — indicating that the proposed project’s uses and size will align with existing zoning and will not require a rezoning application — and that the new building development will include a replacement Safeway as part of its mix of uses. The grocery store property spans almost the entirety of the city block’s land area — about 2.2 acres, with the vast majority of the property used as surface vehicle parking. The grocery store building itself has a floor area of over 27,000 sq ft. Records show the two properties that form the Safeway property changed hands on June 11, 2024 in a combined deal worth $90 million. Safeway at 2315 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps) Safeway at 2315 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps) As of July 2023, according to BC Assessment, the property’s assessed value was $87.2 million, with $87.13 million coming from the land and $65,300 coming from the structure. This was down substantially from $116.2 million in July 2022, with $116.23 million coming from the land and $60,000 coming from the structure. At its peak, in both assessment years of 2018 and 2019, it was worth $126.9 million, following an upward climb since its 2014 assessment of $50.3 million. This property is not under the City of Vancouver’s Broadway Plan, as it falls just west of Vine Street, which is the westernmost boundary line of the area plan. For the area of the West 4th Avenue retail strip that is within the Broadway Plan (east of Safeway), such as the Whole Foods Market building across the street, the area plan limits the potential new developments to low-rise heights to maintain the retail district’s village-like character. “Rezoning applications will generally not be considered in this area under the Broadway Plan. All development should conform with the C-2B zoning district and any associated design guidelines,” reads the Broadway Plan for sub-area KW4A, which is the continuous stretch of West 4th Avenue between Vine Street and Burrard Street. PCI Developments and LowTide Properties are also collaborating on a major mixed-use developments with rental housing next to SkyTrain’s VCC-Clark Station (with a grocery store) and the future Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station. As well, PCI Developments is also pursuing a number of transit-oriented development projects along Broadway, such as the under-construction 39-storey mixed-use rental housing tower (with Loblaws City Market) fully integrated with SkyTrain’s future South Granville Station at 1477 West Broadway and a proposed 25-storey rental housing tower at 1434-1456 West Broadway next to South Granville Station. Last week, PCI Developments’ rezoning application to build a 30-storey mixed-use rental housing tower at 2096 West Broadway, next to SkyTrain’s future Arbutus Station, was approved by Vancouver City Council. It is a 50/50 partnership with TransLink, with this particular project being the public transit authority’s very first for-profit real estate building development. Other prominent projects by PCI Developments include the low-rise Crossroads building (with Whole Foods Market and London Drugs) next to Broadway-City Hall SkyTrain Station and the Marine Gateway complex (with T&T Supermarket, Cineplex, and Winners) next to Marine Drive SkyTrain Station. In partnership with Westbank, Crombie REIT is proposing to redevelop the Safeway next to Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain Station, with the latest application revision indicating there will be three towers up to 43 storeys with over 1,000 rental homes and a new replacement Safeway. BentallGreenOak is also looking to turn the site of the former Safeway at 4545 West 10th Avenue in West Point Grey into a mixed-use development of up to 19 storeys with 569 rental homes and a new 37,000 sq ft replacement and expanded grocery store. In Summer 2025, Fresh St. Market will open a 20,000 sq ft location within the new Kitsilano Block mixed-use building at the northwest corner of the intersection of West 4th Avenue and Macdonald Street — just four blocks west of PCI Developments and LowTide Properties’ newly acquired Safeway property.

$35m-in-bc-funding-for-burnaby-heights-social-housing-and-childcare-project
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$35M in BC funding for Burnaby Heights social housing and childcare project

Bymichael

A long-planned social housing and childcare project in the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood is going ahead with the financial support of the Government of British Columbia. This will be a redevelopment of the vacant city block property of 3838 East Hastings Street at the southeast corner of the intersection of Esmond Avenue and East Hastings Street — just east of Boundary Road. In 2017, the City of Burnaby selected SUCCESS Affordable Housing Society to build and operate the new complex on the City-owned site. The project is going forward following today’s funding announcement. There will be two six-storey buildings containing 161 social housing units, with rents geared to income where residents will pay 30% of their income for rent, market rates, or deep-subsidy rates for people on income assistance. The unit size mix is 26 studios, 85 one-bedroom units, 30 two-bedroom units, and 20 three-bedroom units. Site of 3838 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. (DYS Architecture/SUCCESS) Site of 3838 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. (Google Maps) Artistic rendering of 3838 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. (DYS Architecture/SUCCESS) Ground-level uses entail 10,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant spaces to help activate the building’s long East Hastings Street frontage and a childcare facility for up to 75 kids operated by the YMCA of Greater Vancouver. Two underground levels will contain 139 vehicle parking stalls and 224 bike parking spaces. DYS Architecture is the project’s design firm. Both buildings are interlinked within the upper levels by enclosed skybridges. “Providing affordable housing is now a growing part of our work at SUCCESS. We are grateful for the partnership with the provincial government and City of Burnaby to make this project possible,” said Queenie Choo, the CEO of SUCCESS Affordable Housing Society, in a statement. Artistic rendering of 3838 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. (DYS Architecture/SUCCESS) Artistic rendering of 3838 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. (DYS Architecture/SUCCESS) Artistic rendering of 3838 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. (DYS Architecture/SUCCESS) Mike Hurley, the Mayor of Burnaby, added, “This project represents a significant step forward for our community as it addresses two of the most urgent needs in Burnaby — affordable housing and more child care spaces. By providing land for projects like this and working with our partners at the provincial level, we’re taking a bold approach to addressing the affordability crisis in our community.” The provincial government is providing SUCCESS with $28 million in non-repayable funding for the social housing component, including $11 million for a cost pressure grant to help cover inflationary construction prices. The childcare component also separately received nearly $7 million in provincial funding. It is also noted that the City-owned property is worth about $27 million, with the municipal government providing $3 million in grant funding and $112,000 in waived development fees. Metro Vancouver Regional District is also waiving $425,000 in development fees. Artistic rendering of 3838 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. (DYS Architecture/SUCCESS) Artistic rendering of 3838 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. (DYS Architecture/SUCCESS) Artistic rendering of 3838 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. (DYS Architecture/SUCCESS) If all goes as planned, construction on the project will reach completion in 2026. “We are taking action to help families who have struggled to find affordable housing and child care and provide them with the supports they need to thrive in their community,” said Ravi Kahlon, BC Minister of Housing. “Our government is proud to lead the way to help people across the province have healthy, vibrant neighbourhoods with the quality care and homes they deserve.”