Another phase of Little Mountain in Vancouver enters the proposal stage

Jul 28 2020, 12:59 am

Local developer Holborn Group is advancing another phase of its Little Mountain redevelopment to the City of Vancouver’s development application stage.

The latest parcel at 5098 James Street is located close to the core of the 15-acre development site, which is framed by Queen Elizabeth Park and Ontario Street to the west, 33rd Avenue and 35th Avenue to the north, Main Street and the laneway west of Quebec Street to the east, and 37th Avenue to the south.

James Street will be a new north-south street running through the redevelopment.

According to the application designed by Arno Matis Architecture, this 23,000-sq-ft parcel will be redeveloped into a 58-ft-tall, six-storey building with 87 condominiums. The unit mix is 32 one-bedroom units, nine one-bedroom units with a den, 10 two-bedroom units, 30 two-bedroom units with a den, and six three-bedroom units with a den.

The total floor area is 74,400 sq. ft., and three underground levels will offer about 100 vehicle parking stalls and approximately 180 bike parking spaces.

5098 James Street Vancouver Little Mountain

Artistic rendering of 5098 James Street at Little Mountain in Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture/Holborn Group)

5098 James Street Vancouver Little Mountain

Artistic rendering of 5098 James Street at Little Mountain in Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture/Holborn Group)

When fully developed, Little Mountain will have over a dozen buildings up to 12 storeys in height, with 1.66 million sq. ft. of total floor area, including 1.32 million sq. ft. of condominiums, 332,000 sq. ft. of social housing, and 32,800 sq. ft. of commercial space.

There will be approximately 1,400 units of market condominiums and 282 units of social housing, including the 53 units of social housing already built. An extensive public realm is planned, including a new public park, community plaza, open and green spaces, a new city street, and an extension of 35th Avenue.

5098 James Street Vancouver Little Mountain

Site of 5098 James Street at Little Mountain in Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture/Holborn Group)

A small parcel on the southeast corner of the site is currently occupied by a temporary modular housing structure for the homeless, until it is ready for a permanent development.

Up until the late 2000s, Little Mountain was previously an aging, multi-building social housing complex. A decision was made by the provincial government at the time to sell the property to the developer, with the developer also responsible for building new social housing, including replacements for over 200 of the demolished social housing units.

The project’s lengthy timeline and the provincial government’s decision to dispose of the property has been controversial.

In early 2019, there was some movement with the project, with the developer submitting four development permit applications to the city:

  • 150 East 36th Avenue: Six-storey, mixed-use building with 48 social housing units, daycare, and a 12,000-sq-ft mini-community centre.
  • 155 East 37th Avenue: Eight-storey building with 63 social housing units and 4,200-sq-ft of ground-level restaurant space.
  • 5299 Main Street: Eight-storey building with 126 market condominiums and 15,200-sq-ft of ground-level commercial space for a grocery store and fitness gym.
  • 8 East 3rd Avenue: A 10,000-sq-ft presentation centre building for the sale of the condominiums.
little mountain

2016 rezoning concept rendering of the Little Mountain redevelopment in Vancouver. (Holborn Group)

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