The majority of homes envisioned in a four-storey, mixed-use development proposed for a property between 1102 and 1138 East Georgia Street near Glen Drive are three-bedroom units.
If approved, the complex would replace a single-storey commercial/industrial building on the site, which is located across from Admiral Seymour elementary school.
A four-storey mixed-use development proposed for property between 1102 to 1138 East Georgia Street near Glen Drive.
The firm Ekistics filed the rezoning proposal with the City of Vancouver to change the land’s industrial designation to comprehensive development district. An open house about the project is planned for 5 to 7:30 p.m., Oct. 22.
The 37 units proposed for the building include two studios, four one-bedrooms, one two-bedroom and 30 three-bedrooms. Twenty per cent would be social housing managed by Anhart Foundation, a registered charity that operates in several countries as well as in the Downtown Eastside.
A family-friendly courtyard is included in the project, as is office, retail and restaurant space at street level.
Family-sized rental apartments and condos are increasingly in demand as single-detached homes have become out of reach for most Vancouver residents. City of Vancouver policy requires multi-family developments include a minimum of 35 per cent family housing — defined as two and three-bedroom units — with a target of 10 per cent being three bedrooms.
It’s not uncommon that the percentage of family units is so high for this project because the applicant is proposing a townhouse configuration, according to City of Vancouver staff.
“For instance, this proposal contains a total of 37 units of housing (30 strata-titled townhouses and 7 social housing units). Of the 30 townhouses, 84% are three-bedrooms. Townhouse configurations are generally two and three-bedroom units,” staff wrote in an email to the Courier.
Staff also noted that the City would require that one third of the social housing units be set at or below Housing Income Limits, which means they would have maximum rental rates according to unit sizes. One third of them would be at income assistance rates and another third would be at the low end of the market. As a condition of rezoning, these rental rates would secured through a Housing Agreement for 60 years or the life of the building, whichever is greater.
The strata units would be priced by the developer based on market conditions at the time they’re put up for sale.
