Vancouver approves 2,500 homes for old RCMP HQ redevelopment

Vancouver approves 2,300 homes for old RCMP headquarters redevelopment

Site plan for Vancouver's Heather Lands. (Canada Lands Company)

Another neighbourhood-sized redevelopment has been proposed for the Cambie Street Corridor in Vancouver.

Yesterday, Vancouver City Council approved the Heather Lands Policy Statement for the 21-acre site of the former RCMP headquarters, which is framed by 37th Avenue to the north, 33rd Avenue to the south, the lane behind Ash Street to the east, and the lane behind Willow Street to the west.

Aerial view of the existing condition of the old RCMP headquarters at the Heather Street Lands. (Google Maps)

Site plan for Vancouver’s Heather Lands. (Canada Lands Company)

The policy statement will provide guidance on land use, density, building types, heights, transportation, and public amenities for the future rezoning of the multi-phased redevelopment.

Building height plan for Vancouver’s Heather Lands. (Canada Lands Company)

Site plan for Vancouver’s Heather Lands. (Canada Lands Company)

The Heather Lands are jointly owned by Canada Lands Company and three local First Nations. With the approval, the redevelopment will consist of:

Over 2,300 new homes, with 20% as social housing and 20% for more affordable, attainable home ownership
A total of 12 buildings will have a height ranging between 12 and 24 storeys, with the tallest towers located near the centre of the site
A new 69-space daycare facility
A minimum of four acres of public park and green space, including a two-acre park
A one-acre site on the southwest corner of the redevelopment for a replacement elementary school for Conseil Scolaire Francophone
Architecture and landscape design that is “informed by indigenous values and design principles”
A cultural centre and modest local-serving retail space on the northern edge of the site at 33rd Avenue

The cultural centre will replace the 1912-built Fairmont Academy, which will be relocated to another location in the city given its heritage value. If a new site cannot be found for the building, the structure will be demolished, which is the desire of the First Nations groups involved in the project.

The old Fairmont Building on the Heather Street Lands in Vancouver. (City of Vancouver)

Similar policy statements processes were also conducted for the redevelopment plans of Oakridge Centre, TransLink’s old Oakridge bus depot, Langara Gardens, and Pearson Dogwood. Much of the 32,000 new homes for 50,000 people planned for the Cambie Corridor over the next two decades will be within these neighbourhood-sized redevelopments.

For more information on the Heather Lands redevelopment, read Daily Hive’s previous extensive coverage.

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