Proposal to build 48 rental homes in Hastings-Sunrise advances to next stage
Some refinements have been made to a proposal to build a mixed-use building in Vancouver’s Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood.
The proposal’s rezoning application was approved by Vancouver city council in January 2019, and a development application is now under city staff’s consideration.
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The mid-block site at 3435 East Hastings Street, near the northeast corner of the intersection of Hastings Street and Cassiar Street, is currently occupied by a 1992-built, five-storey commercial building, where Maximum Core Cardio Studio is located.
Site of 3435 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)
Site of 3435 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)
Some changes have been made to the window and balcony configuration and the exterior’s materials and colours, but the overall design remains consistent with the rezoning stage.
The redevelopment will create a new 68-ft-tall, six-storey building with 48 secured market rental homes under the city’s Rental 100 Secured Market Rental Housing Policy. The unit mix is 24 studios, seven one-bedroom units, 10 two-bedroom units, and seven three-bedroom units. All units will have outdoor balconies or patios, except for the Juliette balconies for the studios located on levels two to five facing Hastings Street.
Residents will have access to 525 sq. ft. of amenity space on the second level.
2018 rezoning application design:
2019 artistic rendering of 3435 East Hastings, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)
2020 development application design:
2020 artistic rendering of 3435 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)
“We believe the need to provide family oriented rental accommodation on these arterial sites means some flexibility related to sculpting the rear of these buildings to increase frontage for windows,” reads the application by Cornerstone Architecture.
“This proposal represents revitalization of currently underutilized land, occupied by energy inefficient buildings in poor condition. The development will increase the supply of housing, specifically market rental housing.”
2020 artistic rendering of 3435 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)
2020 artistic rendering of 3435 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)
On the ground level, 2,370 sq. ft. of commercial space will help activate the building’s Hastings Street frontage.
The upper levels of the laneway frontage are stepped to reduce the impact on the single-family neighbourhood to the north.
The west-facing exterior wall of the building is slated to become a canvas for a mural, with the art bleeding over to a small portion of the Hastings Street facade.
2020 artistic rendering of 3435 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)
2020 artistic rendering of 3435 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)
The structure will consist of a concrete parkade and main floor, and a woodframe for the five upper levels. Proponents are pursuing a Passive House green building standard to reduce the energy and operating costs of the building over its lifetime.
“This is a rental building and as such it presents opportunities for life cycle decisions that are difficult to achieve when the developer is not involved in a project once it is constructed,” continues the application.
“In this case all common area operating cost savings pay directly to the bottom line of the operator. We have made a few planning decisions that are important for this style of ownership.”
2020 artistic rendering of 3435 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)
2020 artistic rendering of 3435 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)
Underground levels will contain 27 vehicle parking stalls and 90 bike parking spaces.
The proposal calls for a total floor area of 39,192 sq. ft., giving it a floor space ratio density of 3.18 times the size of the 11,366-sq-ft lot.
2020 artistic rendering of 3435 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Cornerstone Architecture)