New major office and industrial complex in Mount Pleasant approved | Daily Hive

Concept of 4-36 West 3rd Avenue and 5 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/PCI Developments)

Vancouver City Council has given the go-ahead to one of the city’s biggest office development proposals in recent memory.

This is the mixed-use office and creative/light industrial development of 4-36 West 3rd Ave. and 5 West 4th Ave. — an L-shaped development site, occupying most of the city block framed by West 3rd Avenue to the north, Ontario Street to the east, West 4th Avenue to the south, and Manitoba Street to the west.

The site is just kitty corner from the new AbCellera headquarters office and research campus, and a short walking distance from five SkyTrain stations, including Olympic Village Station, Broadway-City Hall Station, and Main Street-Science World Station, as well as the future Mount Pleasant Station and Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station.

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PCI Developments will construct a complex comprised of an 182-ft-tall, 11-storey north building, and a 170-ft-tall, 10-storey south building. There will be about 480,000 sq. ft. of total building floor area in this complex, including about 185,000 sq. ft. of office space in the upper levels and 264,000 sq. ft. of industrial space in the lower levels.

To better serve the needs of the growing concentration of jobs within the Mount Pleasant Industrial Area, both within the new complex and in the surrounding area, the project also includes 16,700 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space and a 14,300 sq. ft. private childcare facility for 37 kids.

5 west 4th avenue vancouver pci developments

Site of 4-36 West 3rd Ave. and 5 West 4th Ave., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Existing condition:

Site of the existing heritage building at 4-36 West 3rd Ave. and 5 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Concept of 4-36 West 3rd Ave. and 5 West 4th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/PCI Developments)

During the public hearing last week that concluded with City Council’s unanimous approval of the rezoning application, PCI president Tim Grant emphasized this is a project that seeks to meet longer-term demand for such employment spaces, and within a location that is uniquely positioned to attract major businesses.

“We think it could be a strong, desirable anchor for resurgent globally competitive Mount Pleasant, particularly serving innovation industries and industrial urban industrial market segments,” said Grant.

“It remains a challenging commercial leasing market, particularly for office. However, we are optimistic that a development such as this will be an attractive, globally-competitive option, particularly for innovation industry businesses that the city aspires to attract the Mount Pleasant,” continued Grant, noting that the next step after the rezoning approval will be to “try and secure the type of businesses that the City desperately wants us to pursue in this area.”

However, Grant asserts that the City needs to expand the range of allowable uses within creative/light industrial spaces to accommodate a broader variety of businesses. These large, flexible open spaces make up more than half of the complex’s floor area. He noted there is “little to no demand” for industrial space located above the ground floor under the current classification, as the limitations are tied to operational logistics and function rather than actual market demand.

Moreover, the “allowable industrial uses as currently defined are [a] seemingly insurmountable barrier to project viability,” continued Grant, adding that his company does “not expect to be able to overcome this without broadening and allowable industrial uses.”

Blair Quinn, a vice chairman of commercial real estate firm CBRE, told City Council during the public hearing that based on his extensive experience in leasing the area’s office and industrial spaces, only a very limited number of businesses would fit into the current industrial use classification, such as AbCellera, Aspect Biosystems, and Rad Power Bikes.

He asserted that some of Vancouver’s restrictions and other challenges are leading some businesses to open up elsewhere in the region.

They fit into the zoning “without paying expensive consultants, [and] taking long lead times, which has driven a lot of these modern tech companies to other cities like Richmond and Burnaby.”

Quinn also argued that the requirement for extra-high ceilings — 17 ft. in height — for much of the project’s industrial space is unnecessary for the laboratory needs of the life sciences sector. He noted that this design specification significantly increases construction costs in a way that is ultimately uneconomical. While acknowledging that life sciences is a strategic growth sector, he cautioned that it remains relatively small industry, and the special design considerations being mandated for such projects may be excessive.

Existing condition:

5 west 4th avenue vancouver pci developments 6

Site of 5 West 4th Ave., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Concept of 4-36 West 3rd Ave. and 5 West 4th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/PCI Developments)

During the discussion, several city councillors acknowledged the issues raised by the proponents and public speakers, and affirmed that their concerns will be take into consideration for potential future policy changes.

“We know that we have several key players in the tech sector that are already in that Mount Pleasant area. I’d love to see a lot more of them, but when we’re hearing that they’re going to Burnaby and Richmond — and no knock on our neighbouring cities — I would like it if those companies would be operating here in Vancouver. I think that is very desirable,” said ABC city councillor Mike Klassen during the public hearing.

“There’s just so many things happening in this area right now that I think are going to be very attractive for people working in the tech sector in its many forms.”

The project’s overall design by architectural firm Perkins&Will and amenities were also well received by City Council.

The 1910-built, two-storey red brick warehouse building at the southeast corner of the site will be retained, restored, integrated with the new-build complex, and expanded with a one-storey vertical expansion. This building — previously known as “Nelson’s Laundry” and “Dominion Steam Laundry” — will see retail/restaurant and childcare uses.

Other than the slight height difference, both new-build mid-rise buildings practically carry a mirroring architectural design. There will be terraced decks on the side of each building that face inwards towards the core of the city block — terraces on the east side for the west building, and the west side for the north building.

Additionally, the project features a privately-owned, mid-block courtyard plaza along West 4th Avenue, activated by retail/restaurant frontage.

“I really appreciate the innovation and creativity. I rarely comment on built form, and I don’t have an architectural background of any kind, but when I saw this with the renderings, I actually think it’s quite a beautiful building and the design,” said ABC city councillor Lisa Dominato.

“We talked about all inclusion of all of those amenities in terms of office, industrial, childcare, and heritage, but I actually think it’s a really nice design and I think it’ll add value to the area.”

Four underground levels will contain 405 vehicle parking stalls and 201 secured bike parking spaces.

The total building floor area will reach a floor area ratio (FAR) density of a floor area that is 6.62 times larger than the size of the 72,500 sq. ft. development site, with at least 3.0 FAR being industrial space. In exchange for the added commercial density, the developer will provide a cash community amenity contribution (CAC) of about $2.5 million, plus $11.15 million in development cost levies and $950,000 worth of public art.

Earlier this year in a public hearing, City Council also unanimously approved two other mixed-use creative/light industrial, office, and retail/restaurant projects — all smaller in size, located nearby within the Mount Pleasant Industrial Area.

City Council approved the rezoning application for 43-95 East 3rd Ave., spearheaded by Atelier Capital Partners and designed by architectural firm Gensler. This will be a 136-ft-tall, eight-storey building with 76,000 sq. ft. of industrial space, 62,000 sq. ft. of office space, and 8,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space.

The other rezoning application that saw approval is for the site of 210-220 West 6th Ave. and 2224 Alberta St. — where there will be a 142-ft-tall, 10-storey building with 72,000 sq. ft. of industrial space, 90,000 sq. ft. of office space, and 4,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space, within a retained and restored 1915-built, three-storey heritage building. This is a joint partnership between Nicola Wealth Management and local developer PC Urban, and the design is by Proscenium Architecture & Interiors.

43-95 East 3rd Avenue Vancouver Gensler 12

Artistic rendering of Project Phoenix at 43-95 East 3rd Ave., Vancouver. (Atelier Capital Partners/Gensler)

Artistic rendering of Project Phoenix at 43-95 East 3rd Ave., Vancouver. (Atelier Capital Partners/Gensler)

Artistic rendering of 2224 Alberta St. and 210-220 West 6th Ave., Vancouver. (Proscenium Architecture & Interiors/Nicola Wealth/PC Urban)

2224 Alberta Street 210-220 West 6th Avenue Vancouver

Artistic rendering of 2224 Alberta St. and 210-220 West 6th Ave., Vancouver. (Proscenium Architecture & Interiors/Nicola Wealth/PC Urban)

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