70 micro homes proposed for Vancouver's Railtown

A vacant mid-block site near the border of the Downtown Eastside and Railtown districts is slated to become a mixed-use residential building.

See also:

• 25-ft-wide social and rental housing building coming to East Hastings
• Super-skinny social housing building slated for Downtown Eastside
• Narrow 10-storey residential building proposed for Vancouver’s Chinatown

On behalf of Anhart Community Housing Society, a development application by Birmingham & Wood Architects and Planners has been submitted to the City of Vancouver to redevelop 138 Main Street — just south of Alexander Street — into a 75-ft-tall, six-storey building.

Site of 138 Main Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Site of 138 Main Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

The proposal outlines plans for a 70 micro dwelling residential units, including 42 social housing units and 28 market rental units.

These micro units will each have a floor area of between 250 sq. ft. and 320 sq. ft., with custom built-in furniture modules such as fold-down beds, kitchenettes, and storage being considered for all units.

As well, the units will be designed in a way that allows them to be merged to create one- and two-bedroom units in the future.

Artistic rendering of 138 Main Street, Vancouver. (Birmingham & Wood Architects and Planners / Anhart Community Housing Society)

Tenant amenities include a shared indoor lounge and a shared outdoor roof deck.

Retail is envisioned for the ground level of the building.

No vehicle parking is planned, but space will be set aside for 79 bike parking stalls.

The proposal envisions a floor space ratio density of 5.1 times the size of the lot, based on the structure’s total floor area of 30,622 sq. ft. and the lot size of 6,000 sq. ft.