New 18 Storey development planned for Vancouver
Vancouver’s Oakridge neighborhood is expanding rapidly and is already home to the 28-acre Oakridge Park, the largest development project in the city. Now, another development is proposed for the area – an 18-story rental development located at 427-449 West 39th Avenue, between Cambie and Alberta Street – two blocks north of Oakridge Park.
The project was confirmed in a recent press release and will be a joint development between Gracorp Properties, based in Vancouver, and Ottawa-based company, Minto group.
The development will comprise 176 rental units, of which 34 will be secured below-market rates. The rental units will be split into townhouses, one, two, and three-bedroom units. 74 units will be one-bedroom units, 62 will be 2-bedroom units, 6 will be three-bedroom units, and 3 will be townhouses.
According to the plans for the unit, there will be ample parking space, with two levels of underground parking and vehicle and bicycle stalls. The development will feature indoor and outdoor amenities and beautifully landscaped gardens, including perimeter hedges, a barbeque area, a lounge, and a fire pit. The developer’s plans state that the project includes a “carefully curated public realm that responds to the existing character of West 39th Avenue”.
The site to be developed is currently occupied by single-family detached homes, just as with other planned developments in the Oakridge area. The developers have confirmed that a rezoning application was submitted to the city of Vancouver back in March 2022 and hope to receive rezoning approval by the middle of 2023. After that, their development application will be submitted for approval.
The lead architects for the proposed development design are Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership (MCMP) Architects. In their plans, the architects state that they are aiming for a design that “has both a functional quality which minimizes unnecessary articulation to maximize energy performance, but also an aesthetic quality that has an understated and clean form in the keeping with the project theme.”
The building will comply with all sustainability requirements set forth by the City of Vancouver’s Green Buildings Policy for Rezonings – and will include a low-carbon energy system for heating and hot water.
Vancouver-based developer, Gracorp said that the development is designed with the heart of Oakridge neighborhood in mind, stating that they are “committed to developing projects with lasting value that will continue to serve end-users for decades to come” and that they are “contributing to the enrichment of Oakridge Municipal Town Centre’s culture and character is at the heart of the intent of this application.”
