Army & Navy Vancouver redevelopment progresses to application (RENDERINGS)

Army & Navy Vancouver redevelopment progresses to official rezoning application (RENDERINGS)

Artistic rendering of the Army & Navy redevelopment at 15-27 West Hastings Street and 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

The proposal to provide the Army & Navy complex in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with a new life as an economic engine — complete with office, retail, and affordable housing uses — has advanced to the formal rezoning application stage.

This follows April 2023’s pre-application public consultation with the community, when the project was first revealed.

Jacqui Cohen, who is the president and CEO of Army & Navy Properties, and the granddaughter of founder Sam Cohen, and her family have partnered with local development firm Bosa Properties to realize the redevelopment of the century-old department store, which closed in 2020 due to the pandemic.

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“By redeveloping the site, we hope to be a catalyst for positive change in the Downtown Eastside and Gastown — bringing renewal to the area, embracing sustainable best practices, and investing in the preservation of heritage buildings that are in much need of repair,” reads the newly released rezoning application file.

“The redevelopment’s name, Cohen Block, is a testament to the enduring legacy of the Cohen family – it will celebrate heritage while creating a future that once again is a heartbeat in Gastown and the Downtown Eastside.”

Army & Navy 15-27 West Hastings Street 8-36 West Cordova Street Vancouver rezoning

Site of the Army & Navy redevelopment at 15-27 West Hastings Street and 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Artistic rendering of the Army & Navy redevelopment at 15-27 West Hastings Street and 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, in relation to the height of nearby towers. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

It is noted that this project will be significantly smaller than the high-rise towers that frame the district, including the Woodwards complex just a city block to the west.

The application emphasizes the potential height of the buildings are restricted to roughly 170 ft due to the View Cones J1.1 and 1.2, which emanate from Creekside Park’s children’s playground next to Science World.

These protected mountain view cones are enforced, even though the playground structure and growing trees obscure the view from the protected vantage point. As a result, the redevelopment’s greater potential for providing more affordable housing and employment space than what is proposed is highly constrained.

It should also be highlighted that this proposal is proceeding into the formal rezoning application stage without the support of City of Vancouver planners, who previously emphasized view cone and heritage concerns. With a rezoning application now submitted, it is expected Vancouver City Council will ultimately decide on the merits of the proposal.

Protected mountain View Cone J 1.1 and 1.2 from the Creekside Park playground next to Science World. (City of Vancouver)

The April 2023 perspective of the protected mountain View Cone J 1.1 and 1.2 from the Creekside Park playground next to Science World. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The department store’s main parcel on the northern lot fronting West Cordova Street will see 100% commercial retail/restaurant and office uses, while the smaller annex secondary parcel on the southern lot fronting West Hastings Street will see market rental housing, social housing, and some retail/restaurant uses.

The entire redevelopment will carry a total floor area of 424,000 sq ft, establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is nine times the size of the land.

Mixed uses of the Army & Navy redevelopment at 15-27 West Hastings Street and 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, with the view cone height restrictions also depicted. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Mixed uses of the Army & Navy redevelopment at 15-27 West Hastings Street and 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Both towers will carry a mass timber design by Vancouver-based Michael Green Architecture, with the Vancouver office of European firm Arcadis, previously known as IBI Group until its acquisition by Arcadis last year, serving as the architect of record.

Samuel Residential Tower on West Hastings

The department store’s smaller 15,000 sq ft southern lot, an annex building at 15-27 West Hastings Street, will be demolished and redeveloped into a 19-storey secured purpose-built rental housing building.

There will be 189 rental homes, including 62 units of social housing owned and operated by the BC Indigenous Housing Society within the lower floors, with 48 of these units being 80% of average rental rates in the Downtown Eastside for annual incomes between $55,000 and $85,000, and 14 units being deep subsidy/shelter rate rents. The remaining 127 units within the tower’s upper floors will be market rental housing.

The social housing unit mix is 54 studios and three eight bedroom units, while the market rental housing unit mix is 39 studios, 51 one-bedroom units, and 37 two-bedroom units.

Artistic rendering of the Army & Navy redevelopment’s rental housing tower at 15-27 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Social housing residents will have access to a common outdoor amenity space on the second level facing the laneway, while market rental residents will have access to amenity areas on the tower rooftop.

A 5,000 sq ft retail/restaurant component will activate the building’s ground level frontage with West Hastings Street.

Three underground levels provide 69 vehicle parking stalls and 410 secured bike parking spaces.

The resulting total building floor area is 282,000 sq ft, establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 8.77 times larger than the size of the southern lot. The existing building fronting West Hastings Street will be demolished as it has no remaining heritage value.

Drawing of the Army & Navy redevelopment’s rental housing tower at 15-27 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Drawing of the Army & Navy redevelopment’s rental housing tower at 15-27 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, in relation to the Woodwards towers. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Office building on West Cordova

Army & Navy’s main building at 8-36 West Cordova Street, the northern parcel of the former department store, will see 100% commercial uses.

The 1893-built heritage facade will be fully retained and restored, and a stepped tower will rise above the three-storey heritage podium. The stepped tower’s east volume is nine storeys, the centre volume is 10 storeys, and the west volume is 11 storeys.

There will be over 18,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses on the ground level, providing West Cordova Street with over 300 ft of continuous street frontage activation.

Artistic rendering of the Army & Navy’s office redevelopment at 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

The ground level also features a north-south, through-block indoor connection atrium linking West Cordova Street with the activated laneway.

The grand entrance into the atrium on West Cordova Street is also strategically aligned with the through-block connection of Westbank’s Blood Alley mixed-use complex immediately to the north, supporting the potential creation of a future mid-block pedestrian crossing across West Cordova Street.

Artistic rendering of the Army & Navy’s office redevelopment at 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Army & Navy 8-36 West Cordova Street Vancouver office rezoning 11

Artistic rendering of the Army & Navy’s office redevelopment at 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, with a close-up view of the mid-block, through-connection atrium. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Within the upper levels, the building will offer 264,000 sq ft of office space, including large open office floor plates up to nearly 28,000 sq ft — suitable for tech and creative businesses.

The combined office and retail/restaurant uses of both the north and south parcels of the redevelopment will provide enough space for 2,000 jobs. The critical mass of employment will help support the area’s businesses.

Office tenants will have access to expansive outdoor amenity spaces on the fourth level podium rooftop and on the 10th level rooftop.

Three underground levels will accommodate 212 vehicle parking stalls and 152 secured bike parking spaces.

Ground level retail/restaurant use plan for the Army & Navy redevelopment at 15-27 West Hastings Street and 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, with the mid-block connection for the north parcel also depicted. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Cross-section of the Army & Navy redevelopment at 15-27 West Hastings Street and 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Drawing of the Army & Navy’s office redevelopment at 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Drawing of the Army & Navy’s office redevelopment at 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, in relation to the Woodwards towers. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

Artistic rendering of the Army & Navy redevelopment at 15-27 West Hastings Street and 8-36 West Cordova Street, Vancouver. (Michael Green Architecture/Bosa Properties)

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