Vancouver real estate: 25-storey rental tower with no vehicle parking proposed

One of the first development projects to be considered under Vancouver's recently approved Broadway Plan will be a 25-storey tower proposed for the intersection of Main Street and East 5th Avenue in Mount Pleasant. 

A rezoning application submitted to the city last month and currently open for public comments on the city's website calls for the construction of the 77-metre (253-foot) rental tower at 2015 Main Street. 

The site is currently zoned IC-2, an industrial designation that allows for a variety of uses, but not residences. The application would see it rezoned to CD-1, a comprehensive development district.

LOW CARBON PROMISES

Henriquez Partners Architects, which designed the proposed building and submitted the application on behalf of developer Westbank, describes the project as "a zero-carbon case study and prototype towards future sustainable projects."

The architect refers to the proposed tower as "Prototype," a name intended to reflect the building's potential replicability for future projects. The project is also referred to as M5, a reference to its position as the fifth building to be proposed on Westbank's "Main Alley" campus.

"Our main focus for the M5 development is to find the most effective way to reduce both operational and embodied carbon, and to offset any residuals to ensure our investment dollars are having the greatest impact towards actual carbon reductions," the application documents read.

"The ultimate goal for our net zero carbon lifecycle building is to have the same net impact on the environment as though it was never built."

The architect describes the project as a "hybrid mass timber" structure, with the floors constructed from wood and held together by steel columns and beams around a "low-carbon concrete core."

The application documents indicate that the developer intends to reduce the building's carbon footprint by 50 per cent relative to standard construction, then purchase carbon offsets – a notoriously fraught proposition – to reduce its climate impact to net zero. 

The architect describes the proposed building's facade as "a latticework inspired by the woven pattern of traditional baskets." (Henriquez Partners Architects)

BUILDING STATISTICS

The tower is intended to include 210 secured market rental units, at least 20 per cent of which would be "secured at below market rents," and at least 35 per cent of which would have two or more bedrooms to accommodate families.

If completed, it would feature commercial retail space on the ground floor and a rooftop amenity space for residents. There would be no vehicle parking spaces. Underground floors in the building would be used for 377 bicycle parking spaces and resident storage.

Vehicle parking would be "provided elsewhere on campus as part of the overall campus parking strategy," according to the application documents.

The architect describes the proposed building's facade as "a latticework inspired by the woven pattern of traditional baskets." (Henriquez Partners Architects)

Public comments on the application can be submitted through the Shape Your City website, and a virtual open house is scheduled for Nov. 7 through 27. 

After staff review, the application and public feedback will be provided to Vancouver City Council for a vote.