Over 240 rentals eyed for Burrard Street and 12th Avenue corner

22-storey rental housing tower proposed for Burrard Street and 12th Avenue corner near future South Granville SkyTrain station

Artistic rendering of 1770 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar)

The prominent southeast corner of the intersection of Burrard Street and West 12th Avenue in Vancouver’s Fairview neighbourhood could see a new 22-storey, mixed-use tower.

On behalf of South Carolina-based international developer Greystar, local architectural firm Dialog has submitted a rezoning application to redevelop 1770 West 12th Avenue.

This is another project under the City’s Broadway Plan, and the site is within close walking distance to two future SkyTrain stations on the Millennium Line’s Broadway extension — an 11-minute walk northeast to South Granville Station or a 13-minute walk northwest to Arbutus Station.

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Currently, this site is occupied by a 1973-built, six-storey building with 41 strata condominium homes. This is a significant site that occupies almost half a city block.

1770 west 12th avenue vancouver rental housing

Site of 1770 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar)

Existing condition:

Site of 1770 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Artistic rendering of 1770 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar)

The proposal calls for a new 219-ft-tall tower containing 243 secured purpose-built rental homes, including 194 market rental units and 49 below-market rental units, based on the Broadway Plan’s required minimum of setting aside at least 20% of the rental homes as below-market units.

The unit size mix is 43 studio units, 90 one-bedroom units, 83 two-bedroom units, 25 three-bedroom units, and two ground-oriented, live-work units.

Ample shared amenities are planned for residents, including the dedication of the tower’s entire seventh level for indoor amenity space, which opens up to landscaped outdoor space on the base podium’s rooftop. As well, the 22nd floor on the tower rooftop would be a partial floor with indoor amenity space that opens up to an outdoor amenity deck.

Artistic rendering of 1770 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar)

There would also be 3,800 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses on the ground level, activating the building’s Burrard Street frontage.

The proponents note that their concept needs to go beyond the Broadway Plan’s prescriptions and constraints for the site to ensure the project remains financially viable.

This includes an additional floor of residential units for the tower — from the 20-storey limit to 21 storeys, not including the partial rooftop level for amenities — and an increase of the residential base podium height from the four-storey limit to six storeys. The two extra levels for the base podium have slightly smaller floor plate sizes from setbacks.

Additionally, the tower floor plate sizes will increase from the 6,500 sq ft limit to 7,100 sq ft.

Combined, all of these measures provide an additional 33 rental homes — 243 units instead of 210 units.

“For redevelopment to be financially viable, the proposal needs to achieve a density (FAR) close to what is permitted by the Plan, which requires additional height beyond 20-storeys,” reads the application.

Existing condition:

Site of 1770 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Artistic rendering of 1770 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar)

Despite the desired push to go beyond the Broadway Plan’s limitations for the site, the project would still align with the area plan’s permitted maximum floor area ratio (FAR) density of a floor area that is roughly 6.5 times larger than the size of the 30,341 sq ft lot. The total building floor area would reach 197,800 sq ft.

Three underground levels would host 171 vehicle parking stalls and 477 secure bike parking spaces.

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