6-storey retail and condo building proposed near Commercial-Broadway Station

Jul 4 2020, 9:22 am

Local developer Wesgroup has submitted a rezoning application to redevelop the two-storey strip mall property at the southwest corner of the intersection of Commercial Drive and East 12th Avenue.

The property at 1650 East 12th Avenue is just a three-minute walk from the East 10th Avenue entrance of SkyTrain’s Commercial-Broadway Station.

The application designed by Ciccozzi Architecture calls for a new 74-ft-tall, six-storey building with 62 condominiums within the upper levels, with a unit mix of 15 studios, 27 one-bedroom units, 15 two-bedroom units, and eight three-bedroom units.

1650 east 12th avenue vancouver

Site of 1650 East 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

1650 east 12th avenue vancouver

Site of 1650 East 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Ciccozi Architecture / Wesgroup)

Residents will have access to amenity spaces on the second level, including a 1,259-sq-ft indoor amenity space that opens up to a 1,543-sq-ft outdoor amenity area, facing the laneway.

The ground level will have over 7,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space spread over four commercial units. This single commercial floor will use concrete construction, providing a platform for the five levels of wood frame residential above.

1650 east 12th avenue vancouver

Artistic rendering of 1650 East 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Ciccozi Architecture / Wesgroup)

1650 east 12th avenue vancouver

Artistic rendering of 1650 East 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Ciccozi Architecture / Wesgroup)

“Following the objectives of Grandview Woodland Community Plan, this proposal is a revitalization for a prominent location in heart of Commercial Drive, currently occupied by energy inefficient building in poor condition,” reads the application.

“The development will increase the supply of housing in the neighbourhood considerably and by targeting to meet the Green Building Policy of City of Vancouver, it will support the city’s objective to move forward to become a sustainable city.”

Although the property is served by frequent and high-capacity transit services, the property’s height and density is severely constrained by both the city’s Grandview-Woodland Community Plan, which calls for a maximum of six storeys, and a low-elevation view cone that crosses through most of the site.

This particular view cone, looking north from the intersection of Commercial Drive and 15th Avenue, protects the mountain views from the “historic drive.”

commercial-broadway station precinct grandview woodland community plan

Height restrictions and uses within the Commercial-Broadway Station Precinct of the Grandview Woodland Community Plan. (City of Vancouver)

View cone height restrictions penetrating much of the site at 1650 East 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Ciccozi Architecture / Wesgroup)

Two underground levels will accommodate 71 vehicle parking stalls and 117 bike parking spaces. The building’s total floor area is 55,000 sq. ft., creating a floor space ratio density of three times the size of the 18,300-sq-ft lot.

Wesgroup acquired the property for $9.2 million in October 2018.

Kenneth ChanKenneth Chan

+ News
+ Architecture & Design
+ Development
+ Urbanized