215 rental homes proposed for Kingsway in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant

Artistic rendering of 445 Kingsway and 2935 St. George Street, Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

A pair of 14-storey, 150-ft-tall mixed-use towers are envisioned for the current site of Honda used car dealership on Kingsway, just across from Mount St. Joseph Hospital in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant area.

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The rezoning application submitted for the amalgamated 47,000-sq-ft site at 445 Kingsway and 2935 St. George Street calls for 215 secured rental homes under the City of Vancouver’s Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Program (MIRHPP).

445 Kingsway 2935 St George Street Vancouver

Site of 445 Kingsway and 2935 St. George Street, Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

MIRHPP stipulates all residential space must be used as secured rental housing and at least 20% of the floor area set aside for moderate income households earning between $30,000 and $80,000 annually.

The proposed unit mix is 54 studio units, 86 one-bedroom units, 54 two-bedroom units, and 21 three-bedroom units, with residents provided with indoor and outdoor amenity spaces located on the third level.

Significant commercial spaces totalling 129,000 sq. ft. of floor area are included, but much of this commercial usage — 96,000 sq. ft. — is uniquely located below ground within the underground levels for a commercial car wash and commercial parking for the vehicle storage needs of the nearby Kingsway Honda dealership and service centre at 2770 Sophia Street.

Layout of 445 Kingsway and 2935 St. George Street, Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

Artistic rendering of 445 Kingsway and 2935 St. George Street, Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

A total of five underground levels will host a total of 224 vehicle parking stalls and 443 bike parking spaces for the complex’s various tenants.

On the ground level with Kingsway frontage, there will be 20,400 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space, including a large 13,300-sq-ft unit that could potentially be suitable for a small grocery store.

One floor up on the second level, about 10,000 sq. ft. of the floor plate is dedicated for office space.

Artistic rendering of 445 Kingsway and 2935 St. George Street, Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

“Varied massing forms and heights reduce shadowing at Robson Park and neighbouring properties. The westernmost mid-rise rental tower is oriented toward Kingsway to establish a strong street wall presence along the Kingsway corridor,” reads the design rationale by Acton Ostry Architects.

“The southernmost mid-rise tower is rotated 90° to face St. George Street, which reduces shadowing at the park and creates variation of the overall massing. Residential penthouse levels are stepped back for additional articulation and reduction of shadowing.”

Altogether, the proposal will create over 324,000 sq. ft. of floor area, resulting in a floor space ratio of 6.96 times the size of the lot, including 2.12 of the ratio from the underground commercial uses.

Artistic rendering of 445 Kingsway and 2935 St. George Street, Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

Layout of 445 Kingsway and 2935 St. George Street, Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

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