450 Gore Avenue development responds to the DTES Local Area Plan

The rezoning of 450 Gore Avenue from residential to a multi-use site proposes a 6-storey development with a ground level retail component that responds to the DTES Local Area Plan.

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A community open house was held on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at the Chinese Cultural Centre at 50 East Pender Street with the applicant team and City staff available to answer questions.

The design rationale for 450 Gore Ave, propped by Gair Williamson Architects, shows the 6-storey massing of the project with its tripartite elevation, employing architectural treatment that addresses the visual weight and solidity of the neighboring brick buildings.

In effect, the solution involves deep indents in its brick façade to develop the required solar performance of the envelope.

The architectural solution of this building to the urban fabric of the neighborhood is defined by four objectives:

1. At grade the retail frontage on Gore is divided into 25 foot bays with fabric canopies to approximate the scale and character of the shops across the street.
2. The residential levels to the fourth floor are wrapped in brick to complement the neighboring buildings.
3. The two upper levels are paneled in white vertical plaster sunscreens that metaphorically acknowledge the crown of the First United Church to the north.
4. Mimicking the colour quality of 245 East Georgia Street, clad in a palette of black and white, a colour combination with historic resonance to Chinatown.

The 450 Gore Avenue building proposal includes:

• 81 secured market rental units
• Residential units range in size from 355 to 490 square feet
• Bicycle storage at ground level and level 2
• Residential unit storage at level 3
• Common amenity deck facing north, south and west on the roof.
• Underground parking for 66 cars
• A proposed building height of 21 metres

The Downtown Eastside Local Area Plan provides a vision, policies, and strategies for the Downtown Eastside that focus on ways to improve the lives of low-income DTES residents and community members.

The plan was developed in partnership with the DTES Neighbourhood Council (DNC), Building Community Society (BCS), and the Local Area Planning Committee.

Images: Gair Williamson Architects