1903-built home to be incorporated into East Broadway condo redevelopment

Artistic rendering of 2525 Carolina Street, Vancouver. (Studio B Architects / PortLiving)

Another new development that involves preserving and restoring heritage buildings on its development site has been proposed for Broadway in East Vancouver.

Local developer PortLiving has submitted a development application to transform a half-block site at 2525 Carolina Street — the southwest corner of the intersection of Carolina Street and East Broadway — into a 69-ft-tall, six-storey, mixed-use building with 65 homes.

The unit mix entails 42 studio units, nine one-bedroom units, and 14 two-bedroom units.

Site of 2525 Carolina Street, Vancouver. (Studio B Architects / PortLiving)

The existing corner building, dubbed the Carolina, currently occupied by the Sushi Loku restaurant, will be retained and repurposed into retail uses, while the 1903-built heritage home — Connacher House — will be retained and relocated to the laneway of the property as a two-bedroom dwelling.

The redevelopment’s entire frontage along East Broadway is retail, spanning a total retail floor area of about 6,200 sq. ft. Two artist studios are also envisioned in the Carolina courtyard, and within the residential entry and lobby and off the laneway.

One of the artistic renderings of the redevelopment shows Porto Cafe as the tenant of the Carolina, replacing Sushi Loku.

Artistic rendering of 2525 Carolina Street, Vancouver. (Studio B Architects / PortLiving)

“Our main design generator revolved around positioning a modern compatible, non-competing, and complimentary new mixed-use building in juxtaposition to two heritage assets,” reads the design rationale by Vancouver-based Studio B Architects. “Our goal was ultimately to position the heritage assets comfortably along Carolina Street with the new modern building setting back respectively while comfortably integrated.”

“The architecture endeavours to achieve an elegant and timeless quality through the use of a contrasting colour palette, architectural rhythms, and the layering of components. The attractive contemporary design strives to make a positive contribution to its surroundings and to the revitalization of the Mount Pleasant/E Broadway community.”

Artistic rendering of 2525 Carolina Street, Vancouver. (Studio B Architects / PortLiving)

There will be two underground levels for 83 vehicle parking stalls. The project’s total floor area is about 54,000 sq. ft., providing it with a floor space ratio density of 3.35 times the size of its lot.

Other upcoming projects in Vancouver that also incorporate heritage character homes into their contemporary designs include a five-storey creative industrial and office building at 43 West 6th Avenue and an 11-storey, 138-home building at 2685 Victoria Drive near Commercial-Broadway Station.

Artistic rendering of the proposed development at 35 & 43 West 6th Avenue in Vancouver. (Yamamoto Architecture / Medali Developments)

1837-1857 East 11th Avenue and 2631-2685 Victoria Drive Vancouver

Artistic rendering of 1857 East 11th Avenue and 2685 Victoria Drive, Vancouver. (Perkins+Will / Intracorp)

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