by Kenneth Chan|. source: dailyhive.com. Apr 1 2025, 3:46 pm
Due to the flexibility introduced by recent changes in various City of Vancouver policies, a proposed redevelopment near the south end of the Cambie Street Bridge has nearly tripled its planned building height and shifted its primary use from office to rental housing.
A newly submitted rezoning application by Nicola Wealth Real Estate calls for the construction of a new 332-ft-tall, 30-storey, mixed-use tower at 2219-2285 Cambie St. — replacing the existing two-storey building that was recently vacated by Robinson Lighting and Bath.
The site is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Cambie Street and West 7th Avenue, immediately west of Canadian Tire and Best Buy.
More importantly, this prime transit-oriented development site is situated between two major SkyTrain stations — Olympic Village Station to the north and Broadway–City Hall Station to the south — both just a five-minute walk away.
Site of 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
Existing condition:
Site of 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)
Cancelled 2023 concept of a 10-storey building with office as the primary use:
Cancelled 2023 concept: Artistic rendering of a 10-storey office building at 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
Revised March 2025 concept for a 30-storey tower with rental housing as the primary use:
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March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
In late 2023, the developer revealed a potential concept to redevelop the property into a 127-ft-tall, 10-storey building with 109,000 sq. ft. of office space and about 5,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant uses.
This previous proposal was limited in height due to the protected mountain view cones, which were later updated in July 2024 to enable greater building height for added housing and job space. These revisions included changes that benefit this specific project — relaxations to View Cone 9, originating from Cambie Street next to Vancouver City Hall, and View Cone 3, originating from Queen Elizabeth Park.
Then in December 2024, Vancouver City Council also made major revisions to the Broadway Plan, including changes to the prescriptions and stipulations that now enable mixed-use residential uses, as long as there is also a significant commercial use. Previously, the original 2022-approved Broadway Plan policies enabled non-residential uses only (office, retail, restaurants, services, and hotels) for the designated Uptown area of Vancouver’s second central business district.
Furthermore, the property is within the inner radius of the provincially legislated Transit-Oriented Area for Olympic Village Station, which enables the minimum approval of the legislation’s prescribed building densities and heights for residential uses.
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
As a result of the combination of various policies, this proposal is now a 30-storey tower, plus a partial rooftop level with indoor and outdoor amenity space for residents.
“The overarching principle is to prioritize taller structures and higher density in immediate proximity to transit hubs, allowing for seamless integration. As one moves farther from the stations, there’s a deliberate decrease in height,” reads the application.
There will be a total of 212 secured purpose-built rental homes, including 170 market rental units and 42 below-market rental units, based on the Broadway Plan’s requirement of setting aside 20 per cent of the rental housing at below-market rates. The unit size mix is 21 studios, 116 one-bedroom units, 54 two-bedroom units, and 21 three-bedroom units.
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
The project still includes a not-insignificant office space component, with approximately 53,000 sq. ft. of office space spanning levels two through five. This still achieves half of the previous proposal’s office space.
About 4,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space will activate the building’s frontage with Cambie Street.
The total building floor area will reach about 227,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 14.37 times larger than the size of the 15,827 sq. ft. lot.
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
Five underground levels will contain 134 vehicle parking stalls, including 89 stalls for residents, 41 stalls for office uses, and four stalls for retail/restaurant uses.
The project will also provide 424 secured bike parking spaces, largely accommodated within a P0 level — between the main and P1 levels — achieved from the site’s slope.
For this project, Nicola Wealth collaborated with the architectural design firm Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership, which also designed the developer’s recently approved City Centre Motel redevelopment proposal.
Existing condition:
Site of 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)
Future condition:
March 2025 rental housing tower concept for 2219-2285 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate)
Source: dailyhive.com
by Kenneth Chan|. source: dailyhive.com. Apr 1 2025, 3:46 pm
Link: https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/2219-2285-cambie-street-vancouver-rental-housing-tower-nicola
