Vancouver City Council

SIGNIFICANT NEW REZONING APPLICATION

Address: 1120 West Georgia Street Present Zone: DD (Area AA@)
Applicant: James K.M. Cheng Architects Inc. Proposed Zone: CD-1

Westbank Properties Ltd. Heritage: N/A

Dave of Previous Inquiry: June 6, 2001 (Architectura); Sept. 25, 2002 (Cheng)

Application Date: April 22, 2003

Staff Contact: P. Mondor; M. Gordon; G. McGeough; S. Harvey; J. Barrett; L. Gayman

Proposal:

_ to increase the allowable height from 450 ft. (137 m) to 600 ft. (182.9 m) and allow some residential and general office live-work uses

_ Rezoning would allow the development of a 55 storey mixed-use project on this 51,916 sq. ft. (4 823 m5) site which includes the following land uses and floor area:

51,403 sq. ft. (4 775 m5) retail and service, incl. grocery store & restaurants,
8,480 sq. ft. (788 m5) spa,
75,293 sq. ft. (6 995 m5) hotel (7 floors),
19,594 sq. ft. (1 820 m5) extended stay (2 floors),
273,157 sq.ft. (25 376 m5) general office live-work (28 floors), and
143,073 sq.ft. (13 291 m5) residential (15 floors).
Total floor area is 571,000 sq. ft. (53 046 m5) and FSR would be 11. The hotel component includes 91 rooms and 26 extended stay suites, and the residential component includes 212 live-work units and 57 dwelling units. 527 underground parking spaces are proposed.

$ In response to City policies regarding rezoning for residential use in the CBD and rezoning for higher building, the applicant proposes heritage restoration and designation of the existing church building (AB@ category) at 1160 West Georgia Street and to provide Vancouver=s first designated outdoor public art site (including operating budget), to be curated by the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Applicable Policy:

$ DD ODP and DD Policies and Guidelines

$ DD Character Area Descriptions (Area G - Georgia Street)

$ Central Business District Policies (residential rezoning)

$ General Policy For Higher Buildings

$ Heritage Policies and Guidelines

$ Transfer of Density Policy and Procedures

$ View Protection Guidelines

Issues:

$ urban design questions:

Agap@ between proposed grocery store and church,
limited amount of semi-private and public open/green space,
configuration of covered plaza,
tower dimensions and floorplate (about 10,000 sq. ft.),
sunlight access/shadow impacts, and
microclimate effects.

$ results of Colliers= CBD commercial (office & hotel) capacity analysis

$ the value of the public benefit package (cultural facility to earn increased height and heritage restoration to earn residential use) relative to land value increase from rezoning.

CAC Implications:

$ As the proposed increase in allowable floor space would be from a transfer of heritage bonus density, CACs would not be sought.

Method of Public Notification:

_ Letter notification of surrounding property owners (May 5 - 1,820 letters).

_ Two Open Houses in mid-June.

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