24 E Broadway and 2520 Ontario St rezoning application

Hi there,

Regarding height: The developer must meet a number of criteria, including, but not only, coming in below the Queen E view cone. The applicant must meet the requirement for a number of considerations, including form of development (the podium to minimize shadow on to north sidewalk of Broadway at 10 am and 2 pm of the spring and fall equinoxes, which they do), to ensure Broadway is an active street frontage (with inclusion of retail and active storefronts, which they do), ensure vehicle and bicycle parking bylaw is adhered to, respect public view cones, and other considerations. 

Under the Metro Core Plan and the Broadway Interim Rezoning Policy, there are policy directions that allow consideration of rezonings for commercial office projects in this part of the city. We recognize the shortage in office space and the importance to locate job and employment opportunities next to transit. This is one example of that. We know that the Broadway Corridor is experiencing change and going through a planning program where directions are expected to largely consider new transit. That said, future growth in close proximity to rapid transit is absolutely considered here when thinking about how neighbourhoods are currently and areas for growth. 

We also work with the applicant to ensure efforts to sculpt and design the building to respond to the neighbourhood character currently and what we expect in future.

The applicant is expected to meet the enabling policy at the time. The Metro Core Plan, for which this rezoning has come in under, is what we are considering as the enabling policy. The Interim Rezoning Policy was approved in 2019, before Covid. And it did not anticipate a pandemic. However, we as staff are required to understand how rezonings meet policy at the time. At the time, we had enabling policy that called for more office space close to transit.

While Covid has certainly changed a lot of how organizations and people are, and we absolutely recognize that. Design considerations within the office building can be done to accommodate to a new office environment – which can be largely determined after a rezoning. We understand opportunities such as touchless lights and doors are one example. 

In the spring, we held public consultation for Ontario greenway and collected feedback regarding existing conditions between Broadway and 12^th. Consultation material can be found: https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/ontario-greenway-upgrades-2nd-ave-to-16th-ave-pop-up-session-march-2020.pdf. The consultation summary is still be finalized and we are hoping to publish the results this summer. We heard strong themes regarding traffic volumes and safety, especially on bike routes like Ontario and 10^th, and therefore are currently working on options to further deter motor vehicle volumes. While managing other priorities relating to pandemic response, we hope to come back to the community for another round of engagement this year.

This approval would not necessarily set a precedent for the remaining Broadway Corridor. The Corridor is currently undergoing its own planning process that will set future directions on height and form of development. That would be the policy for which future rezonings would be considered under.

Thanks for your question. How we think about heritage and cultural buildings do remain an importance throughout the city.

The existing house is from 1910 and the applicant’s statement of significance (SOS) was very important to helping the City decide on next steps. The SOS told us that a) the house had significant renovations, including an addition and alternations, altering the building quite substantially and b) lack of archival records make it a challenge to understand the original structure.

Thanks for your question. The current proposal is coming in ahead of the Broadway Plan which is expected for completion in 2021. That Plan will guide future developments with attention to a new Skytrain station close to this site.

This application is for 12 storeys and 125,000 sq. ft. of office. That means additional floors of commercial and office are proposed for the site, beyond what currently is permitted, next to current and future rapid transit. Staff are evaluating this proposal in response to the current policies for which it comes under. With a new Skytrain closeby, the Broadway Plan may reveal a greater need for more job space. If the Broadway Plan reveals additional height and density to accommodate future growth, and should there be a Rezoning Policy that enables height and density beyond what is proposed now, applicants have the option of applying under a new policy. 

Thanks for your question. The proposal is expected to generate 125,000 sq. ft. of new office space, sufficient for some 500 workers. We also know that prior to COVID, the office vacancy rate was 1-2% and forecasting shows that the office vacancy in the short term is expected to rise to only 7%. A healthy vacancy rate is about 10%. So we still have a gap in office space throughout the city.

Regarding construction jobs, a project of this size could generate some 100 construction jobs. These numbers are estimates.

The City does not intend to keep cars off bicycle routes. 10^th Avenue and Ontario Street allow vehicular access. The introduction of this building does not result in the switching of a shared street to bicycles only. The two existing bike routes are shared between cars and bicycles and pedestrians. The City does however have intentions to upgrade Ontario Street bikeway to ensure it is all ages and abilities.

• To improve the safety of all road users the applicant will be asked to contribute to street improvements along Ontario Street adjacent to the site as a condition of development. These improvements may include protected bicycle lanes, traffic calming devices, and modifications to existing signals. There are no plans to remove the traffic calming device at Quebec and Broadway as part of this development.
• For a rezoning on this site, higher building heights up to view cones are permitted under the enabling policy, the Metro Core Jobs and Economy Plan. This project is coming in under the Queen Elizabeth View Cone. Rezonings do consider higher building beyond what is permitted under the base density.
• Intensification of uses and greater supply of office is anticipated in areas close to transit. This site is two blocks away from a future rapid transit line, the Broadway Subway.
• There are no changes being discussed under this application to the Queen E view cone.
• Future consideration of taller buildings in this area would be subject to policies that exist at the time of rezoning submission. 
• The Metro Core Plan and Broadway Plan consider the exploration of building heights up to the underside of public view cones. The Queen Elizabeth view cone (view number 3.2.4a) crosses this site; the proposed height of 148 ft., including mechanical and elevator overrun, comes in under the view cone to ensure that public views of the north shore mountains are preserved from Queen Elizabeth Park.
• With a new development, shadows from buildings will be cast onto other spaces. For this area, importance was placed on ensuring adequate solar access for pedestrian and businesses on the north side of Broadway. As such, the eight-storey podium on the eastern portion of the site is limited to 80 ft. in height. The applicant’s shadow studies confirm that the podium height maintains sunlight on the north sidewalk between 10 am and 2 pm at the spring and fall equinoxes. 
• The public art process is determined after a rezoning. This process involves on-site public art with a developer or cash in lieu, to the City, for public art on or off the site. Both go through a City process however at the rezoning stage, the City does not require an Indigenous or Person of Colour artist. However, this suggestion can definitely be made to myself to communicate with our public art staff.

Thanks for your message. The alley is not currently on a bike lane; the alley and Ontario St bike lane do intersect, as is common with other bike lanes and alleys.

The underground parking access is currently off of Ontario and the access to above-grade parking is from the lane. The proposal will see underground parking and loading all accessed from the lane. That means two vehicular access will go down to one. We also know that Ontario and 10^th are busy bike lanes and as such, the applicant has proposed a public bike share station along the western edge of the site. This doesn’t necessarily protect bikes however it does provide improved transit connectivity for sustainable forms of transportation.