Plans are beginning to fall into place for central Vancouver’s Heights District. A developer submitted designs for the primary new constructing shortly earlier than the Vancouver Metropolis Council permitted a brand new funding mechanism which can ultimately place a payment on property house owners within the district to pay for ongoing upkeep.
The council on Monday voted to approve a Heights Enterprise Enchancment Space, inside which property house owners will chip in to cowl prices for providers above what a metropolis is ordinarily chargeable for, in line with a metropolis employees report.
The enterprise enchancment space is primarily bounded by MacArthur Boulevard on the west, Mill Plain Boulevard on the north and North Devine Street on the east, but additionally consists of the previous Vanco Golf Vary property, the Vancouver Fireplace Division Station on the nook of Mill Plain and Devine and Northwest Neighborhood Church.
Town owns many of the property within the enchancment space, which incorporates the outdated Tower Mall, in line with the town employees report. Town purchased the Tower Mall property in 2017.
Property house owners within the space choose avoiding new extra prices related to the advance space, the employees report stated. However “stakeholders understand the need for additional funding to maintain the enhanced improvements and amenities that benefit all property owners.”
Patrick Quinton, financial improvement director for the town, stated Monday the enterprise enchancment space will elevate cash to assist cowl a roughly $400,000 annual funding hole in upkeep and operations prices within the Heights District annually.
“This is the challenge we’re trying to solve,” Quinton stated.
Quinton additionally stated the town nonetheless wants to search out about $71 million to cowl infrastructure design and capital prices for the realm.
“We think the Heights vision has substantial public benefit for the broader community,” he added. “It does require us to bring to bear new tools that we haven’t used yet.”
Metropolis councilors expressed considerations {that a} new payment could be handed onto customers and renters, even on the inexpensive housing tasks proposed, whereas others thought the proposal wanted amendments earlier than it was permitted.
Finally, all however Councilor Sarah Fox voted in favor of building the advance space.
In the meantime, one of many Heights’ builders, Palindrome, submitted its preliminary improvement concepts for the district’s Website C, a 1.29-acre parcel that sits instantly to the west of Devine Street.
Palindrome proposed a four-story, 350-apartment constructing named Artifact, in line with pre-planning paperwork.
The planning paperwork additionally embrace a 3,700-square-foot constructing known as Cohesion Market with room for small retailers and eating places. Subsequent door could be three live-work items, which embrace a deck that overlooks the block’s central plaza in addition to Cohesion Market’s inexperienced roof.
Metropolis officers final yr selected Palindrome, in addition to three different builders, to work on three of the city-owned websites within the Heights District.
Palindrome expects to interrupt floor on the mission close to the top of 2026, whether it is permitted, stated Heather Boyd, vice chairman on the Portland-based Palindrome. Leasing might start in early 2028.
