Vancouver City Council approves its first rezonings of 2021, creating 500 new homes

Four rezoning applications, creating a total of 502 new homes, were approved by Vancouver City Council in Tuesday’s public hearing.

This includes two major tower proposals next to Oakridge-41st Avenue Station, accounting for 337 homes. All of the approved projects combined also generate 312 rental homes, including 124 units that will be dedicated as student housing.

• See also:
  •  Two towers proposed for southeast corner of Cambie and 41st Avenue
  • New $102-million student housing tower with 475 beds proposed at Oakridge
  • 103 rental homes proposed for Kingsway in Vancouver

All of the projects were approved relatively quickly with little public opposition. Here is a rundown of the first approved developments in Vancouver of 2021:

5740 Cambie Street

The prominent southeast corner of the intersection of Cambie Street and West 41st Avenue — immediately east of SkyTrain’s Oakridge-41st Avenue Station — will be redeveloped into a mixed-use development with a 278-ft-tall, 27-storey condominium tower and a 148-ft-tall, 14-storey rental housing tower.

There will be 133 condominium homes and 80 secured market rental homes for a total of 213 homes.

The entire development sits over a four-storey podium with about 12,500 sq. ft. of ground-level retail and restaurant space. It also hosts close to 60,000 sq. ft. of office space, including 14,500 sq. ft. for a non-profit organization.

The community amenity contribution (CAC) in-kind value of the non-profit space is $12 million. The developer is also required to provide $7.5 million in development cost levies and $562,000 towards public art.

City council approved this proposal by Polygon Homes and DIALOG, with NPA councillor Colleen Hardwick, COPE councillor Jean Swanson, and Green Party councillor Adriane Carr in opposition.

441-475 West 42nd Avenue

Just a block south of 5740 Cambie Street, the city council unanimously approved CIBT Education Group’s 203-ft-tall, 18-storey tower proposal for 441-475 West 42nd Avenue.

This will be a student housing complex with about 475 beds within 124 rental units, including 29 units set aside at below-market rates. CIBT is operating a growing number of student housing buildings outside post-secondary campuses in Metro Vancouver.

This project will provide about $3.5 million development cost levies and $250,000 in public art.

810 Kingsway

Councillor Swanson was the only vote in opposition for the rezoning of 810 Kingsway, near Fraser Street.

Rize Alliance’s new six-storey building will provide 108 secured market rental homes under the city’s Rental 100 Secured Market Rental Housing Policy, plus 11,200 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space on the ground level, and a 2,700 sq. ft. publicly accessible lobby space integrated with the adjacent retail and restaurant spaces and the residential lobby. The design firm is Yamamoto Architecture.

2246-2268 East Broadway

A new six-storey building with 57 strata-titled homes on East Broadway just west of Nanaimo Street was approved by the city council, with Swanson in opposition.

Lotus Capital and Omicron will generate over $1.9 million in public benefits, including $1.195 million from development cost levies and $731,000 from CACs.

• See also:
  •  Two towers proposed for southeast corner of Cambie and 41st Avenue
  • New $102-million student housing tower with 475 beds proposed at Oakridge
  • 103 rental homes proposed for Kingsway in Vancouver