Westbank proposes condo tower for Shaughnessy gas station site in Vancouver | Daily Hive

Condo tower redevelopment of gas station in Vancouver's Shaughnessy neighbourhood proposed by Westbank

Concept of 1010 King Edward Avenue, Vancouver. (Olson Kundig/Kasian Architecture/Westbank)

The longtime Esso gas station at the southwest corner of the intersection of King Edward Avenue and Oak Street in Vancouver could be redeveloped into a mixed-use strata market ownership condominium tower.

A new rezoning application by local developer Westbank seeks to turn 1010 King Edward Avenue into a visually distinct 143-ft-tall, 14-storey mid-rise tower, envisioned as a series of vertical sky gardens.

This is a relatively significant project for the property, given the area; it is located within the easternmost edge of the Shaughnessy neighbourhood, immediately west of the Safeway grocery store at King Edward strip mall, and just northwest of the BC Children’s Hospital campus.

Designed by architectural design firms Olson Kundig and Kasian Architecture, the building’s exterior will have plantings and green terraces on its protruding, Jenga-like masses.

The private outdoor spaces for these new homes define the building’s appearance; each residential unit will have a balcony with a planter for indoor-outdoor connection, which not only creates a green screen for the building but also shade from sunlight.

1010 King Edward Avenue vancouver esso gas station westbank

Site of the Esso gas station at 1010 King Edward Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Existing condition:

Site of the Esso gas station at 1010 King Edward Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Concept of 1010 King Edward Avenue, Vancouver. (Olson Kundig/Kasian Architecture/Westbank)

“On the prominent corner the building massing is grouped into multi-storey volumes, which are alternately pushed out into the context or into the building mass, creating occupiable porches and perches,” reads the project’s design rationale.

“This unique corner expression is countered on the neighbourhood facades, where recessed balconies are staggered to create a smaller scale, responding to the residential context. These two-floor groups and staggered patterns are intended to mimic the scale of housing, creating townhouses in the sky with outdoor gardens.”

There will be a total of 85 strata market ownership condominium homes, with a unit size mix of 34 one-bedroom units, 36 two-bedroom units, and 15 three-bedroom units.

An 800 sq. ft. commercial retail/restaurant unit will also be provided at ground level, located at the building’s corner with the intersection — next to a small plaza area and open green spaces.

Concept of 1010 King Edward Avenue, Vancouver. (Olson Kundig/Kasian Architecture/Westbank)

Five underground levels will contain 106 vehicle parking stalls, and 187 secured bike parking spaces will be provided.

The total building floor area will reach about 90,600 sq ft, establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is eight times larger than the size of the 11,328 sq. ft. lot.

The gas station was first constructed in 1980. Prior to its 2019/2020 refresh and Esso conversion, it carried the Husky gas station brand.

Concept of 1010 King Edward Avenue, Vancouver. (Olson Kundig/Kasian Architecture/Westbank)

Existing condition of 1010 King Edward Avenue, Vancouver. (Olson Kundig/Kasian Architecture/Westbank)

Concept of 1010 King Edward Avenue, Vancouver. (Olson Kundig/Kasian Architecture/Westbank)

The site falls within the stipulations of the City’s Cambie Corridor Plan, which permits a building of up to six storeys for this particular gas station site.

However, greater weight will be given to the prescriptions of the new city-wide Vancouver Plan, which designates the general area around this intersection as a “Neighbourhood Centre” — where mixed-use areas will be catalyzed for vibrant local shopping areas, green leafy residential streets, a wide range of housing options, and supportive amenities. Furthermore, smaller mid-rise towers of up to roughly 12 storeys will be considered within one or two city blocks of a local shopping street in such areas classified as a Neighbourhood Centre.

“With the Vancouver Plan looking towards the future for neighbourhoods across the city, this is also an opportunity to introduce gentle density at the periphery of the Shaughnessy neighbourhood, which has seen extremely limited development over the last decades; in turn, this supports the increased density and vibrancy experienced by the South Cambie neighbourhood as a result of the Cambie Plan,” reads the application.

Westbank’s proposal also provides visuals of the potential future redevelopment possibilities of the city block-sized King Edward strip mall immediately to the east — where a Safeway grocery store and a Shell gas station are located — based on existing City policies.

Concept of 1010 King Edward Avenue, Vancouver, in relation to potential future redevelopments in the area, including Safeway at King Edward Mall. (Olson Kundig/Kasian Architecture/Westbank)