Four-storey retail and rental building proposed near Commercial-Broadway Station

Artistic rendering of 2886 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Headwater Living)

Another Commercial Drive corridor site south of SkyTrain’s Commercial-Broadway Station is seeing limited development potential due to the area’s view cone height restrictions protecting mountain views.

A 45-ft-tall, four-storey, mixed-use building is proposed by Headwater Living for 2886 Commercial Drive — the northeast corner of the intersection of East 13th Avenue and Commercial Drive.

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The property, currently occupied by Grandview Tire & Auto Centre in a single-storey building with surface parking, is just a four-minute walk from the SkyTrain station’s East 10th Avenue entrance.

Site of 2886 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Site of 2886 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Headwater Living)

Site of 2886 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

The development application submitted by local architectural firm Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership to the municipal government calls for 47 secured market rental homes in the upper levels, with a unit mix of 21 studios, 17 one-bedroom units, and nine two-bedroom units.

All one- and two-bedroom units will have balconies or decks, while one-fifth of the studio units will have decks, with the remainder provided with faux-Juliet balconies “with generous outswing windows.”

As SkyTrain’s elevated guideway runs along the east side of the property, special attention is being provided to mitigate the noise from speeding trains, including enhanced building envelope and windows. The target noise levels is 35 dBA for bedrooms, 40 dBA for living and dining rooms, and 45 dBA for kitchen, bathrooms, and hallways.

Artistic rendering of 2886 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Headwater Living)

Residents will be provided with a communal amenity space on the second level, with a 517 sq ft indoor amenity space opening up to a 316 sq ft outdoor amenity space facing the laneway and SkyTrain guideway. Plantings and screens along the edge of the outdoor amenity area will provide privacy and further noise mitigation from SkyTrain.

On the ground level, there will be about 6,800 sq ft of retail and restaurant space, with storefronts enhancing Commercial Drive’s continuous retail strip.

However, despite its close proximity to the region’s busiest transit hub, the density of this site is severely limited by height restrictions from View Cone 21 emanating north from the intersection of Commercial Drive and East 15th Avenue, just two blocks to the south.

View Cone 21 impact on 2886 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Headwater Living)

At least two projects in the immediate area are also severely impacted by View Cone 21.

The redevelopment at 2929 Commercial Drive, located just kitty corner from 2886 Commercial Drive, is restricted to a six-storey building. It calls for 27 units of affordable housing for elementary and secondary school teachers, and a community teaching training hub.

A block to the north at 1650 East 12th Avenue, the southwest corner of the intersection of Commercial Drive and East 12th Avenue, the site is also limited to a six-storey building. There will be 62 condominium homes and 7,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space.

The impact of View Cone 21 (from the intersection of Commercial Drive and East 15th Avenue) on the Broadway & Commercial Safeway redevelopment. (Perkins + Will/Westbank/Crombie REIT)

Artistic rendering of 2886 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Headwater Living)

Due to the height restrictions, 2886 Commercial Drive will have a total floor area of only 36,000 sq ft for a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 2.6 times larger than the size of the 13,900 sq ft lot.

A single underground level will offer 24 vehicle parking stalls and 82 bike parking spaces.

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