TransLink proposes North Vancouver towers with 400 rental homes | Daily Hive

TransLink proposes nearly 400 rental homes in mixed-use development for former North Vancouver bus depot

Preliminary concept for the Moodyville Development at 502 East 3rd Street, North Vancouver. (Francl Architecture/TransLink)

A tentative preliminary concept has been identified for TransLink’s second building development project under its new for-profit Real Estate Development Program.

This is the redevelopment of the public transit authority’s former North Vancouver Tarnsit Centre bus depot, situated at 502 East 3rd Street in the Moodyville neighbourhood of the City of North Vancouver.

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Now referred to by TransLink as its Moodyville Development, this is a 2.2-acre, L-shaped site located at the northeast corner of the intersection of East 3rd Street and St. Davids Avenue — spanning the entire block fronting East 3rd Street Avenue between St. Davids Avenue and Ridgeway Avenue, and an attached small north lot that fronts the southwest corner of the intersection of East 4th Street and Ridgeway Avenue.

502 East 3rd Street North Vancouver Transit Centre TransLink

Site of TransLink’s former North Vancouver Transit Centre bus depot at 502 East 3rd Street in North Vancouver City. (Google Maps)

Site of TransLink’s former North Vancouver Transit Centre bus depot at 502 East 3rd Street in North Vancouver City. (BC Assessment)

Along East 3rd Street, TransLink is proposing to build a pair of 16-storey towers that share a six-storey mixed-use base podium. The ground level along the East 3rd Street frontage would primarily be used for commercial retail and restaurant space, while the easternmost end of the block would see the ground-level frontages of amenity and residential space.

As for the smaller lot that fronts East 4th Avenue, there would be a pair of three-storey rowhouse buildings.

502 East 3rd Street North Vancouver bus depot TransLink Moodyville Development

Site of the Moodyville Development at 502 East 3rd Street, North Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Preliminary concept for the Moodyville Development at 502 East 3rd Street, North Vancouver. (Francl Architecture/TransLink)

Altogether, TransLink is proposing to build up to nearly 400 homes, including up to 389 secured purpose-built rental homes and eight rowhomes (townhomes). At least 10% of these homes would be below-market rental units.

As well, there would be about 14,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space, and a total of approximately 10,000 sq ft of south- and west-facing public plaza space.

The public transit authority is working with design firms Francl Architecture and PFS Studio to achieve this project.

No detailed design has been established at this time; public consultation will begin on January 30, 2025, with feedback used to refine the proposal for the submission of the rezoning application to the City of North Vancouver.

Existing condition:

2022 condition; site of TransLink’s former North Vancouver Transit Centre bus depot at 502 East 3rd Street in North Vancouver City. (Google Maps)

Potential future condition:

Preliminary concept for the Moodyville Development at 502 East 3rd Street, North Vancouver. (Francl Architecture/TransLink)

TransLink’s Real Estate Development Program focuses on transit-oriented development sites, introducing high-density uses that increase ridership on nearby public transit services. Additionally, the market-driven uses in these TransLink-led developments will generate new revenue for the public transit authority, supporting operational costs and infrastructure upgrades while mitigating some of the pressure to raise property taxes and fares.

The Moodyville Development project site is directly served by bus stops for the R2 Marine Drive RapidBus service, which could be upgraded to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service in the future. The site is just east of the Lower Lonsdale area, and about three-and-a-half blocks east of Lonsdale Avenue.

The bus depot at this site closed in 2016, when TransLink’s bus operations and maintenance services for the North Shore were relocated to the Burnaby Transit Centre bus depot — just west of the Brentwood area. Since 2016, all of TransLink’s buses serving the North Shore have been operated, maintained, and stored from Burnaby Transit Centre, with buses beginning and ending their service each day on the south side of Burrard Inlet via the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge.

At the time of the closure decision more than a decade ago, TransLink was avoiding the high costs of upgrading the existing facility or building a suitable replacement bus depot facility on the North Shore.

2014 condition before closure; TransLink’s North Vancouver Transit Centre bus depot at 502 East 3rd Street in North Vancouver City. (Google Maps)

2022 condition; site of TransLink’s former North Vancouver Transit Centre bus depot at 502 East 3rd Street in North Vancouver City. (Google Maps)

The former North Vancouver Transit Centre should not be confused for the existing West Vancouver Municipal Transit Centre, which is the separately operated bus depot for the Blue Bus fleet, located at 221 Lloyd Avenue in the District of North Vancouver. This 3.3-acre facility is the home base for about 50 buses operated by the District of West Vancouver.

To date, other publicly known development sites under TransLink’s Real Estate Development Program include the Vancouver site of 2096 West Broadway and 2560-2576 Arbutus Street, where the public transit authority — in partnership with PCI Developments — will build a 30-storey mixed-use rental housing tower immediately north of SkyTrain’s future Arbutus Station. This is TransLink’s first development project, and it also incorporates retail, restaurant, and community space, and a future secondary street level entrance into the subway station.

TransLink’s Arbutus Station tower project received Vancouver City Council’s rezoning application approval in July 2024, and a development permit application was submitted in November 2024. Construction on the tower could begin in late 2025 for a completion in 2029.

Additionally, TransLink is pursuing a massive 9.3-acre redevelopment of its park-and-ride facility and bus loop adjacent to SkyTrain’s Coquitlam Central Station. In accordance to the City of Coquitlam’s City Centre Area Plan, very significant heights, densities, and uses are permitted for this site owned by the public transit authority. At this time, no potential concepts have been made released.

2096 West Broadway 2560-2576 Arbutus Street Vancouver PCI TransLink October 2024

October 2024 artistic rendering of 2096 West Broadway and 2560-2576 Arbutus Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/PCI Developments/TransLink)

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