In a city where there are precious few rental buildings being constructed, a six-storey mixed-use building with rental has been proposed for 3532 East Hastings.
The site, which is next to the Esso at the Skeena Street intersection, has for many years been Tiffany鈥檚 Bridal store, is the subject of a rezoning application to change the lot to a mixed-use development.
The proposed building would have ground-floor retail, ensuring the existing retail space is not lost, with 34 secure market rental units above. The application also proposed one lower level of parking with 24 stalls.
The request is for the City to rezone the lot from C-2C1 (commercial) to CD-1 (鈥渃omprehensive development鈥� 鈥� also known as mixed-use development). The application is being considered under the city鈥檚 Rental 100: Secured Market Rental Housing policy.
Rental 100 is a city initiative that promotes the development of projects where 100 per cent of the residential units are rental, and remain rental for the life of the building. The policy is intended to help the City reach its goal of creating 5,000 new units of market rental housing by 2021, according to the City of Vancouver鈥檚 website. It offers developers incentives to build Rental 100 projects, including development cost levy waiver, reduced parking and unit size requirements, additional density and streamlined permit processing.
The ultra-low-density, light industrial and commercial districts of Hastings and surrounding areas have long been a source of frustration to real estate developers who are eager to retain the land鈥檚 original uses but also increase housing supply by building residential units above.
In a Courier column in October 2016, developer and affordability advocate Michael Geller wrote, 鈥淲hat if in light industrial neighbourhoods鈥� we allowed upper-floor apartments, provided they were rental tenure, and built along with the maximum amount of industrial space permitted by the zoning?
"We should not allow housing to replace industry, but there is no reason why in many instances the two could be combined to create much-needed rental housing.鈥�
A community open house on the 3532 Hastings proposal will be held on Tuesday February 13, 5.00-7.00pm, at the Hastings Community Centre, 3096 East Hastings Street.
