Home - PC Urban - Willow and 13th

Introduction

Founded in 2010, PC Urban is a Vancouver-based real estate development company specializing in re-imagining residential and commercial/industrial properties throughout British Columbia.

PC Urban is exploring opportunities to build new secured rental housing and childcare at 2915-2925 Willow Street & 816-860 West 13th Avenue.

OUR PROPOSAL: 2915-2925 WILLOW STREET & 816-860 WEST 13TH AVENUE

*View of the lobby and entry along Willow and West 13th Avenue*

*View of buildings and* outdoor childcare are from South

PC Urban, together with Francl Architecture, has applied to the City of Vancouver to rezone the properties at 2915 Willow Street, 2925 Willow Street, as well as 816-860 West 13th Avenue under the City of Vancouver’s Broadway Plan (adopted in 2022) to deliver two residential rental towers comprising of 354 secured rental homes, inclusive of 71 below market rental homes. The eastern tower will feature a 2-storey, 24-hour, 10,500 sq ft childcare facility for approximately 100 children, with spaces for children aged 0-3 (24 space program) and 3-5 (25 space program), as well as overnight care.  

The proposal aims to contribute to the Broadway Plan objectives of creating much needed rental housing stock in an emerging neighborhood hub, while adhering to the allowable building form. 

The following is an overview of the building statistics:

Project Statistics*
Site Area:	37,528 sf.
Height:	21 storeys + rooftop amenity
Density:	7.40 FSR
Daycare Space:	10,487 sf.

Residential Break Down
Total homes: Studio: 1-bedroom: 2-bedroom: 3-bedroom:	354 homes 61 homes 157 homes 97 homes 39 homes
Below Market Rental:	71 homes (20% of the total residential floor space will be offered at 20% below average rents)
Family Oriented Rental:	136 homes (38% of the homes are sized for families, at 2+ bedrooms)
Vehicle Parking:	199 spaces
Bicycle Parking:	667 spaces

*The above noted project statistics may be refined through the rezoning process, taking into consideration feedback from community stakeholders and direction from City Staff.

Public Input Opportunity

Should you wish to participate in the City of Vancouver’s Shape Your City Open House consultation, please visit their website (see below). Public comments are being accepted from April 17 – 30, 2024. During this period, members of the public are invited to view information about the proposal, ask questions, and submit comments to the City of Vancouver and the applicant.

Public Input Period:

When: April 17 – 30, 2024
Where: www.shapeyourcity.ca/816-860-w-13-ave-and-2915-2925-willow-st

Location:

The proposed project is located at the corner of West 13th Avenue and Willow Street, between Willow and Laurel Street, steps from Vancouver General Hospital, green spaces, community amenities and transportation.

Location image 2 — The site is located in the neighbourhoood of Fairview along the southern edge of West 13th Avenue and the west side of Willow. The site is well served by amenities and public transit, including the future Laurel and Broadway rapid transit Station (600 meters) and the existing Broadway – City Hall Station (950 meters).

COMMUNITY BENEFITS

Community image 2 — *Artistic Rendering: Outdoor Childcare & Play Area*

Enhanced public realm

The project will enhance the public realm and pedestrian experience along West 13th Avenue with new landscaping, public art, improved sidewalks and additional street trees.

Sustainability

The project will meet or exceed the City’s sustainability targets under the Green Building Policy for Rezonings and will seek to achieve LEED Gold certification.

Increased rental housing stock

The proposal offers more housing choices, with 354 new secured purpose-built rental homes of varying affordability levels (market and moderate-income homes).

Below Market Housing

20% of the residential floor area (71 homes) will be made available at below market rents (20% below CMHC guidelines), suitable for moderate income households, which could serve as a benefit to some of Vancouver General Hospital’s approximate 12,000 employees.

Family oriented housing

The proposal will include more housing options for families with approximately 38% of the homes being 2 and 3-bedroom homes.

Flexible childcare

The eastern tower will feature a 2-storey, 10,500 SF, 24-hour childcare facility for approximately 100 children with spaces for children aged 0-3 and 3-5, as well as overnight care.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The proposed development site is located at 2915 Willow Street, 2925 Willow Street, as well as 816, 818, 826, 828, 834, 836, 844, 846, 856, 860 West 13th Avenue. The proposed sites consist of six lots, which currently feature duplex dwellings.

PC Urban, together with Francl Architecture, has applied to the City of Vancouver to rezone the properties under the City of Vancouver’s Broadway Plan (adopted in 2022) to deliver two residential rental towers comprising of 354 secured rental homes, inclusive of 71 below market rental homes. The eastern tower will feature a 2-storey, 10,500 SF, 24-hour childcare facility which will accommodate approximately 100 children, with spaces for children aged 0-3 (24 space program) and 3-5 (25 space program), as well as overnight care. 

The proposal aims to contribute to the Broadway Plan objectives of creating much needed rental housing stock, while adhering to the allowable building form. 

A formal rezoning application was submitted to the City of Vancouver in January 2024. The project has not yet been approved and will be subject to the City-led public process, which includes further public consultation and review by the City’s Planning, Engineering and other relevant Departments and committees. The timeline for the City’s rezoning application process can range from 12 to 18 months, followed by the development and building permit process, which can take 12+ months. Subject to Council approval, construction could commence in the fall of 2026.

20% of the residential floor area will be secured at 20% below CMHC city-wide average rents.

Consistent with the Broadway Plan, starting rents of the below-market housing will be secured at rents 20% below the CMHC city-wide average of that year. After initial occupancy, rent escalation during a tenancy will be limited to the annual increases authorized by the Residential Tenancy Act. Between tenancies, the rent may be re-indexed to the current CMHC average rent.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), a federal crown corporation, collects information on average rents every year in October and releases a report early in the following year.

The project is currently in the pre-approval stages. A below-market rental application process will be established following project approval. To receive more information and updates, please email us at (info@pcurbanwillowstreet.ca)

The proposed height (21 storeys + rooftop) generally adheres to the prescribed height in the Broadway Plan. In 2019, the City of Vancouver launched a planning process for a Broadway Plan, a 30-year plan to concentrate new housing, jobs and amenities around the future Broadway Subway extension. The Broadway Plan was adopted in 2022, following a 3+ year community consultation. The location is within walking distance from the future Laurel and Broadway Subway Station, which is expected to be complete in 2026 before this project breaks ground.

The key community benefit provided through this application will be 100% purpose built, secured rental housing including a 20% below-market housing component and a large 10,500sf childcare facility with spaces for approximately 100 children. In addition to below market housing and childcare facility on-site, this application will be subject to permitting fees, valued at approximately $13 million, which will be further allocated to city’s civic infrastructure and $600k for the provision of onsite public art.

The proposal includes rooftop outdoor spaces with gathering areas, dining areas, workout spaces, guest suites for visitors, and children’s play areas. There will also be a gym, flexible indoor space, and an activated laneway with a small outdoor amenity terrace and a dog run area.

The ground ﬂoor of the west tower will house a spacious gym and a ﬂexible indoor amenity space with an accessible washroom and kitchenette connected to an open outdoor space that will allow residents to engage in diﬀerent social and physical activities. Both buildings will feature bike workshop and wash stations.

Yes, pets will be welcome.

PC Urban has retained a traffic consultant to complete a comprehensive traffic analysis and will comply with all transportation requirements of the City rezoning process. Upon completion of their assessment, a report will be submitted to the City as part of the rezoning application and will be subject to rigorous internal review by the City’s Planning and Transportation Departments.

The development encourages environmentally friendly transportation such as the use of public transit, cycling and car share. The project includes over 650 bike parking spaces as well as storage and is 950m from the Broadway City Hall station and 600m from the future rapid transit station on Broadway and Laurel Street.

The proposed project is on the doorstep of the VGH Campus (approx. 3 min walk), making it a great location to build secured rental housing and childcare for the some of the approximately 12,000 people who work at the hospital, including nurses and first responders. It is anticipated that the homes in this development will be an attractive option for VGH staff. Adding more housing close to major employment centres like VGH will also help to reduce traffic and public transit congestion.

The proposed development includes 199 residential and visitor vehicle parking spaces and 667 bicycle stalls, including 5 loading and 8 car share spaces. Given the project’s rental tenure and the site’s transit-oriented location, it is anticipated that future residents will utilize the future Broadway Subway and other muti-modal transportation options, including the Laurel and Broadway Subway Station, which is anticipated to be operational by 2026.

Construction (subject to approval from city staff and Council) would take place over a period of approximately 30 months.

The rezoning application process will also include multiple opportunities for input from the community, including a public Open House on the City of Vancouver’s online “Shape Your City” platform. If you would like more information about the project, please email (info@pcurbanwillowstreet.ca)

Although we are currently in the pre-approval stages of this project, we are happy to discuss opportunities for rent. Please email us at (info@pcurbanwillowstreet.ca)

The childcare facility which will accommodate approximately 100 children, with spaces for children aged 0-3 and 3-5 (, as well as overnight care. The daycare capacity is currently being explored by the applicant team and the City of Vancouver.

We are currently in the pre-approval stages of this project. Subject to Council approval, the childcare will be operated by a third-party childcare provider. If you would like to receive information and updates about the project, please email us at (info@pcurbanwillowstreet.ca)

policy context

The Broadway Plan (2022)

In March 2019, the City of Vancouver launched a planning process to create a comprehensive community plan for the area within Vine Street to Clark Drive and 1st Avenue to 16th Avenue. The Broadway Plan was approved by Vancouver City Council on June 22, 2022 following an extensive, three year-long community engagement process. The 30-year plan seeks to accommodate future growth by identifying opportunities to integrate new housing, jobs, and amenities around the new Broadway Subway.

The proposal aligns with the Broadway Plan’s vision and policy direction for Uptown South Area B. For further information on the Broadway Plan, please visit shapeyourcity.ca/broadway-plan

About Us

This project is being led by PC Urban Properties. The planning team includes design and transportation experts from Francl Architecture Inc and Bunt & Associates Engineering.

PC Urban

Founded in 2010, PC Urban Properties is a Vancouver-based real estate development company. The PC Urban team is a multi-disciplinary group of dedicated individuals focused on maximizing unrealized potential for our clients, for our communities, and for the properties we re-imagine.

We have successfully developed and launched real estate projects across all asset classes – retail, oﬃce, industrial, and multi-family. Our passion is to build spaces for people to live and spaces for people to work.

PC Urban is active throughout Metro Vancouver, the Central Okanagan, and Southern Vancouver Island. PC Urban has developed over $3.5 billion of projects across all asset classes, and currently has 5.2 million square feet of space under development. Under its Urban Flats apartment rental brand, Urban Flats represents the next step in PC Urban’s journey to provide high quality, well-located urban rental apartment homes in British Columbia. At present time, PC Urban has some 900 homes under construction throughout British Columbia and approximately 1,000 rental homes identiﬁed to be delivered in the City of Vancouver over the next 5-6 years.

Francl Architecture

Over the past 30 years, Francl Architecture Inc. has established a strong track record of efficient and elegant projects that are attuned to the unique social and physical textures of their environments. With a focus on projects within the Lower Mainland, our firm has developed an intimate knowledge of the evolution of the civic fabric and an awareness of its potentials.

Francl Architecture Inc. employs a staff of 50, including registered architects, intern architects, technologists and urban planners. in tackling complex, urban, design intensive projects. Led by principals Walter Francl, Stefan Aepli, and Brendan Avery, the firm operates as a collaborative studio, drawing on the skills of all firm members in directing a design methodology that involves the client and users in the design process. We thrive on the challenge to realize a genuinely livable and sustainable built environment. Our diverse portfolio of work reflects a commitment to an interactive design process that builds on a clear understanding of the clients’ and users’ needs.

Bunt & Associates

With an emphasis on sustainability, Bunt provides multi-modal solutions to urban transportation challenges. Bunt is represented by a team of planners, engineers, technologists and professional staff in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary and Edmonton.

contact us

If you have questions, or would like more information about the project, please contact us at info@pcurbanwillowstreet.ca

Willow St and 13th Ave

Information about PC Urban's proposal for new development at Willow Street and 13th Avenue