2950 Prince Edward St rezoning application

Prince Edward Street is an existing bikeway south of 14th Ave, and St. George Street is identified as a future greenway north of Kingsway in the Broadway Plan. On page 377 the plan identifies that future work is required to determine greenway alignment in this area. Therefore additional transportation planning work is required, to determine greenway alignment, plus the location and design for any Kingsway crossings. This planning work will occur through a separate review process, and is not part of the reviews for this rezoning application.

• For this specific development at 2950 Prince Edward St, there are no tenants living on the site. However, for tenants in the surrounding area, all residential tenants are protected under the provincial Residential Tenancy Act. For more information on renter supports and protections, see information here. 
• For all projects under the Broadway Plan where eligible tenants will be displaced, there are enhanced tenant protections and this is especially for low-income tenants. You can see information here. 
• For this project, at least 20% of the residential floor space will be permanently secured as below-market rental units. These units will be rented out at least 20% below the overall average city-wider rents. The site will be secured with a housing agreement, registered against the title, to ensure the site remains rental housing and below-market rental for at least 60 years.
• The proposal provides outdoor amenity spaces on the rooftops which include landscape features, such as agricultural plots and green spaces. At ground level, there are privately owned public spaces and childcare outdoor space which also provide space for new planting. 
• For sustainable practices, the Broadway Plan has a section on sustainability and resilience, and the building is required to be designed based on the Green Buildings Policy for Rezoning. 
• As well as the private childcare, the proposal provides retail along Kingsway, two privately owned public spaces on the site and a Mobi bikeshare station. The rear of the site provides a public walkway to enhance pedestrian movement in the area.
• To help integrate, the proposal is providing the following:
  • 4-storey podium adjacent to public sidewalks for a better human-scaled street wall.
  • Different orientations for towers to provide interesting views without overwhelming the street views.  
  •  Multiple open spaces on the site to encourage walkability on and around the site. 
• A Transportation Assessment and Management Study (TAMS) was submitted with the rezoning application. As part of the rezoning process, Engineering staff will review the application with respect to transportation impacts and, if identified, may include development conditions for off-site requirements to improve transportation operations and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists adjacent to the site.
• The proposed development is required to comply with the Parking By-law with respect to off-street vehicle parking and loading spaces. The site is located well to encourage reduced vehicle trip and parking demand, as it is in close proximity to the future Mount Pleasant SkyTrain station, frequent transit network, and cycling infrastructure. Also a Transportation Demand Management Plan has been provided, which helps encourage the use of active transportation to and from the site.

The Vancouver School Board (VSB) indicates that Florence Nightingale Elementary School does not have a waitlist for kindergarten enrollment for September 2024. See https://www.vsb.bc.ca/page/5195/priority-kindergarten-registration. Also according to the VSB’s Long Range Facilities Plan, Florence Nightingale is predicted to be operating under capacity by 2031. The City of Vancouver keeps the VSB informed of all new and approved rezonings, and the VSB continues to monitor development and work with the City to plan for future growth. However, school capacity is generally beyond the scope of rezoning, as it occurs earlier during the community planning process. During the development of the Broadway Plan, the City worked closely with the VSB and shared key information about housing and job estimates to help inform VSB’s planning and funding requests. Ultimately the funding and prioritization for new or expanded schools is decided by the Province, based on requests by the VSB. You can also reach out to School Board Trustees, Council, and elected Councillors, to let them know about school capacity concerns.

The building heights are 81.9 m (269 ft.) for the 25 storey building, and 101.9 m (334 ft.) for the 32 storey building. Both with additional height for rooftop amenity space. These heights have now been clarified in the project details on this webpage. The applicant has decided to apply for 32 storeys. Staff will review the application against the Broadway Plan and urban design performance. Ultimately, City Council at Public Hearing will decide if the proposal is supportable.