Proposed West End tower headed to public hearing

Dan Fumano
The Province

On the agenda this week at Vancouver city hall is a major development proposal which sees a church and a local developer partnering to build what would be one of the city’s tallest buildings.

A proposed 57-storey skyscraper, at Burrard and Nelson on the edge of the West End, would tower over the 48-storey Wall Centre across the street, which is currently the city’s third tallest building.

The project, a partnership of The First Baptist Church of Vancouver and Westbank Project Corp, is set for a public hearing Tuesday evening at Vancouver city hall.

The development proposal, as outlined in a city report this week, consists of a pair of buildings on the lot beside the First Baptist Church of Vancouver, a 107-year-old Gothic-style church at the intersection of Burrard and Nelson. The smaller seven-storey residential building includes 61 units of social housing, while the 57-storey tower would contain 331 market strata units. The city’s general manager of planning, urban design and sustainability has recommended the approval of the re-zoning subject to a number of conditions.

The development would also provide for expanded church program space and seismic upgrade, conversation and restoration of the First Baptist Church building, the report states.

In an emailed statement Monday, Westbank development manager Farouk Babul said: “The redevelopment of First Baptist Church, if approved, will bring greatly expanded services to the broader community — including below-market rental housing, new child care facilities, and expansion of programs for seniors, youth, new immigrants and the homeless shelter that the church has run for almost two decades. … The proposal for its redevelopment comes with a responsibility to respect that heritage, and to create something important on many levels — for the church, the neighbourhood and the city.”

The City of Vancouver website shows the project received 15 letters of support, and 14 of opposition.

Some area residents expressed concern about the size of the building and its impacts on traffic and views. Mike Jensen, who moved two years ago into a newly built condo tower nearby, plans to attend Tuesday evening’s hearing. Jensen, who is opposed to the proposed development, said he’s surprised it hasn’t received more attention in the media so far. 

“We know the city needs more supply in terms of real estate for the average Vancouverite,” Jensen said. “But what we’re seeing is all these luxury towers which are so expensive.”

First Baptist and Westbank entered into a partnership back in 2013 for the project and engaged local firm Bing Thom Architects. Bing Thom, an internationally recognized local architect, told The Vancouver Sun’s Jeff Lee in 2015 that he designed the tower to represent a set of organ pipes, saying: “The (new) building itself is an expression of the spirit of the church. The shape of the object is like organ tubes, rising up.” Thom, who died in Oct. 2016, said the tower would also incorporate “sky gardens” every three floors, meant to encourage community building among residents.

The public hearing is set to start Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Vancouver city hall.

© 2017 Postmedia Network Inc.

REP

National home sales fell 6.7% in June, the largest month-over-month drop since June 2010.

That decline was influenced by cooled demand in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area following Ontario’s unveiling of its Fair Housing Plan, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.

“Changes to Ontario housing policy made in late April have clearly prompted many homebuyers in the Greater Golden Horseshoe region to take a step back and assess how the housing market absorbs the changes,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “The recent increase in interest rates could reinforce a lack of urgency to purchase or, alternatively, move some buyers off the sidelines before their pre-approved mortgage rate expires. In the meantime, some move-up buyers who previously purchased a home before first selling may become more motivated to reduce their asking price rather than carry two mortgages.”

The average home price increased 0.4% year-over-year last month to $504,458.

New listings, meanwhile, were down 1.5% in June – due in large part to pullbacks in the Greater Toronto Area.

Nationally, the market is considered balanced, with a sales-to-new listings ratio of 52.8%.

CREA suggests new housing demand will be negatively impacted by last week’s rate decision, when the Bank of Canada increased its benchmark rate to 0.75%.

“Canadian economic and job growth have been improving, which is good news for housing demand,” CREA President Andrew Peck said. “However, it also means that interest rates have begun to rise, which may impact homebuyer confidence – particularly in pricier markets like Toronto and Vancouver where recent housing policies had already moved potential buyers to the sidelines.

“In lower priced markets, the effect of higher interest rates on housing affordability will be relatively muted.”

Copyright © 2017 Key Media Pty Ltd

Ephraim Vecina
Canadian Real Estate Wealth

The latest report from Royal LePage revealed a continuation of the trend of home price growth in Victoria, which is showing clearer signs of becoming one of the most desirable markets in British Columbia.

The Royal LePage House Price Survey and Market Survey Forecast found that the aggregate price of homes in Victoria has broken record levels in the second quarter of this year, dramatically increasing by 20.4 per cent year-over-year (up to $628,249).

Intensified demand played a major role in this growth, with bungalow and condo prices spiking upwards by (respectively) 26.7 per cent and 22.9 per cent year-over-year, up to $677,276 and $443,212. Meanwhile, the median price of two-storey homes grew by 14.1 per cent annually, up to $852,859.

“[Low interest rates and the region’s strong economy drive many prospective homeowners into the market,” Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty managing broker Bill Ethier said.

“While Victoria has seen a slight slowdown in the number of purchasers looking to move into the region from the Lower Mainland, critically low inventory levels have continued to bolster pricing within the area, creating a highly competitive market where properties often receive multiple offers,” Ethier explained, adding that the city has already lost approximately a quarter of its inventory over the last year alone.

“Currently, we’re witnessing significantly more offers being written than there are units being sold, as there is very little to choose from within the region. As a result, many will continue to aggressively pursue the few available listings that remain on the market, causing pricing to reach new heights.”

Copyright © 2017 Key Media Pty Ltd

Eaglehurst Homes in North Saanich offers energy-efficient and spacious residences

Laura Goldstein
The Vancouver Sun

Eaglehurst Homes

Project Location: north Saanich

Project Size/Scope: 99 three- and four-bedroom homes built over 14 acres in five phases. Phase 2 is already under construction.

Prices: $769,900 to $1,199,900; from 2,046 to 3,423 square feet

Developer: Eaglehurst Developments Ltd.

Builder: Citta Group

Interior Design: Sandy Nygaard, Nygaard Interior Design

Sales Centre: 9317 Canora Road, North Saanich

Centre Hours: noon — 5 p.m., Wed — Sun

Sales Phone: 250-655-3049

Website: eaglehursthomes.com

Occupancy: from July onward

An eagle is soaring over the large single-family community of detached homes on the Saanich Peninsula on southern Vancouver Island. “She’s just had eaglets and we think of her as our mascot,” enthuses Brooke Alexander, a realtor with Dexter Associates Realty.

The energy-efficient homes, designed to a Built Green gold status, make up the new neighbourhood that borders Sidney in north Saanich. With an emphasis on living within nature, it took 16 years to bring this community to fruition.

The 99 residences in Eaglehurst Homes’ phase one are almost entirely sold and 20 in phase two are currently under construction. The first move-in took place last week.

“Although Mainlanders are probably more familiar with Sidney and North Saanich as a popular Vancouver Island retirement community, it’s exciting to see people in their thirties coming back to the area, as well as families, empty nesters and what we like to call ‘the baby sitters’ or grandparents,” Alexander says.

It was all of the above and more that attracted Keith and Lorraine Dowty to the community. Perhaps surprisingly, the retired couple is upsizing to a 2,187-square-foot three-bedroom home when they move from West Vancouver this September.

“You know, we bought a condo in Ladner two years ago and it just wasn’t for us,” Keith says. “We like living in a house and we’ve always wanted a walkout to the garden from the main floor, which we don’t have now living temporarily in West Van.

“We chose The Burrard model at Eaglehurst and I love that the landscaping is beautiful with built-in irrigation and fencing around the home. I’ve had 27 years of mowing lawns while moving sprinklers, but not anymore!”

“We also like the option of the master on the main floor,” Lorraine adds, “because now our daughter and her family or other guests, have the entire upstairs. It’s like a private suite when they come to visit.”

The project is being built by the Citta Group, which was instrumental in shaping and preserving Victoria’s historical character in Old Town. “We’ve really gone all out to offer high-quality amenities that in other developments would be considered extras,” says Mike Dalton, Citta Group V-P and general manager. 

They include premium fixtures and finishings in interiors designed by Sandy Nygaard of Nygaard Interior Design, based in Victoria. With choices in three categories of interiors — Classic, Transitional and Contemporary — buyers can choose, for example, from a traditional Shaker heritage feel in kitchen cabinetry and crown mouldings, edgier tiles for back splashes in the Transitional interiors kitchens, and steel and glass floating cabinets and deep soaker tubs in Contemporary bathrooms.

All bedrooms have walk-in closets with custom organizers. Most homes have a fully insulated attached garage, a plus for year-round workshops.

Kitchens are fitted with five-piece KitchenAid or Samsung stainless steel appliances with an natural gas range (optional electric), Caesarstone countertops and islands with built-in microwaves. (The Dowtys added a wine fridge in their kitchen.)

 “The elegant ensuite in each home has in-floor radiant heating, Caesarstone slab countertops and an oversize shower with glass frameless doors. I’ve really kept the colour palettes throughout each home neutral — white and soft grey,” Nygaard says. “When you’re designing for a client, style must be timeless and allow for them to instil their own personality into their home.”

Show home staging by Home Style Solutions envisions what all eight model homes and floor plans have in common (a ninth has just been added to Phase 2.): expansive living areas with nine-foot ceilings and huge picture windows with window screens that allow light to stream into living spaces, light or dark engineered wide-plank hardwood floors and in the great room and a gas fireplace with choice of decorative surround.

Dalton emphasizes that plans cater to all groups with modifications that can be made for homeowners with disabilities.

If you’re an artist and wanting a own private studio, The Amsden is the only model that offers a self-contained 1,269-square-foot suite above the detached double-car garage in a carriage house across from the main home. “With one bedroom and one bath, it’s also perfect as a mortgage helper or in-law suite too,” says Alexander. “There is a cute little bridge over the rain garden swales to get to it from the main house so you have a real feeling of privacy, but it’s still close by.”

The community also has landscaped walkways and a community garden with 20 cedar plots and a shared tool shed. The neighbourhood, with three schools close by and sidewalks on both sides, was created by landscape architects, Murdoch de Greeff Inc. with a goal of sustainability as well as beauty. Biking or walking oceanside is just a few minutes away for outdoor enthusiasts.

“We love that this community has the feel of a small town with all the amenities of a big city like Victoria and Vancouver,” says Lorraine Dowty.

“Fifteen minutes to the Uptown Shopping Centre and four minutes to Victoria International Airport. In fact, the ferry at Swartz Bay from Vancouver practically docks at your door,” Keith says. “What more could we ask for?”

 © 2017 Postmedia Network Inc.

McKinnon?s apartments provide access to private roof decks with options for hot tubs, kitchens

Rebecca Keillor
The Vancouver Sun

With summer now truly upon us, there is no better place to be than at home relaxing on your patio, terrace or deck.

The Sun caught up with a local developer, interior designer and decking expert to see what’s new and improved in the materials and design being applied to these spaces.

In Vancouver, there is a growing demand for multi-family dwellings that have impressive outdoor spaces, says Jason Turcotte, vice-president of development for Cressey Development Group.

“People are looking for that change of lifestyle,” he says. “They’re moving out of homes, they’re drawn to lock and leave, but they still want that outdoor space, whether it be to entertain, or get their hands dirty with some gardening. It seems to be something that really resonates highly with them, not having the maintenance of the yard, but still having access to significant outdoor space.”

Turcotte says this was top of mind in the design of McKinnon, Cressey’s new four-storey apartment building in Kerrisdale (at West Boulevard and West 47th Avenue).

“We treated the entire fourth floor basically as a penthouse level product, and brought each unit access up to their own private roof decks, and we’ve done that a few times now, with direct access off a lower terrace, with an outdoor stair that goes to the roof, and just really made it quite an amenity to those units,” Turcotte says.

Up on the roof, says Turcotte, the design includes options for hot tubs, small outdoor kitchens and areas for private planting, as well as communal areas that are pre-planted for privacy.

“People like sitting in their backyards, and being able to entertain on a nice summer’s day,” he says. “It’s one of the things I think people look at when they do look at that transition into a multi-family world. It’s one of the things they feel like they have to give up, which I think is a barrier for people, so as much as we can, wherever the projects permit, we maximize those spaces and build in some of those amenities.”

A material that is growing in popularity for outdoors spaces in Vancouver is turf grass, says interior designer Kendall Ansell.

“With all the water regulations, and dead grass everywhere…people are putting in turf everywhere, and it’s a really good solution, and makes your backyard look perfect all the time,” Ansell says.

There is some maintenance required with turf, says Ansell, in that it doesn’t filter dirt and air pollutants the same way grass does, and things don’t move through it (into the ground) as quickly as with grass, so it requires a good hose down, every now and then, particularly if you have animals “using it as a washroom”.

The best thing about turf, says Ansell, is that it gives a “nice, tailored look” to small areas.

If you have the space, there is perhaps nothing more impressive than a generously sized, well designed deck. Frank Ens, of Frank’s Total Deck Ltd., in Abbotsford, has specialized in deck building for 25 years, and his current material of choice, vinyl decking by DekSmart, has really taken off in the past few years he says.

 “In the Lower Mainland, we get a lot of rain, which doesn’t allow wood to be a long-term solution for an area that is exposed to the elements,” he says. “Also, some home designs have deck area above habitable spaces, which requires a roof finish.  This is where vinyl decking really shines because you can create an outdoor living space above a finished interior.”

Vinyl decking has improved so much since it was first developed, Ens says. The product most decking companies use is around 16 millimetres thick, with improved backing, so there is less shrinkage, and feels good underfoot. 

For design lovers, and those after something  special in their backyards this summer, Italian design company Fantini recently released the outdoor version of its MilanoSlim shower, which may have you taking all your showers outdoors from now until October.

 “MilanoSlim Outdoor is the first outdoor shower from Fantini,” says Riccardo Conti, managing director of Fantini USA. “It has always been our passion to design and innovate products inspired by the form, qualities and applications of water. Introducing an outdoor version of the MilanoSlim shower extends this passion to other areas of the home, as the blending of indoor and outdoor becomes more prevalent in residential design. In addition to developing and introducing an outdoor shower to provide other options for the home, it also explores combining materials, like teak wood and stainless steel.”

© 2017 Postmedia Network Inc.

Edgewood Gate proving to resonate with ‘move-up buyers’

Simon Brault
The Vancouver Sun

Edgewood Gate

Project location: 2113 166 Street

Project size: 96 four- and five-bedroom single family homes. Homes start at 2,360 square feet and prices start at $1.1 million.

Developer: Foxridge Homes

Interior designer: First Impression Design

Hours: noon — 5 p.m., daily

Telephone: 778-294-9077

Website: http://www.foxridgehomesbc.com

In October this year, Lisa McJunkin and Bill Reny will be moving into a new home at Edgewood Gate, Foxridge Homes’ new development of four- and five-bedroom single-family houses in South Surrey.

The couple are local to the area and are moving in together for the first time. They were looking for a place that works for both of their sons and found it in a four-bedroom home with a finished basement suite.

“My son is 21 so that will work really well for him,” McJunkin said. “What we really liked about it was that in five or 10 years when the kids are gone and on their way, it will still work really well for us. It’s not too big. We didn’t want something that has a huge yard and needs lots of maintenance so that you can’t travel.”

“We just fell in love with the house really and we love the location,” McJunkin added. “It’s not far from Bill’s son’s high school. We live really close so we’ve been driving by it and it’s exciting to see the progress they’re making on it.”

Foxridge is well into the construction process at Edgewood Gate and the first row of houses out of a total of 96 is almost complete. Buyers will begin moving in this month and Diane Zarola, the company’s director of sales and marketing, said there’s been no shortage of interest, particularly from locals.

“Most of our buyers are coming from Surrey, generally South Surrey,” Zarola said. “It’s amazing how people seem to like to stay in their own communities. At Edgewood Gate, they are move-up buyers for the most part – people coming out of townhouses or apartments.”

“This development has very similar floor plans to another community that we’ve just finished,” Zarola added. “A lot of people didn’t get to buy there because we sold out so they’ve been coming here instead. We actually have some views of water from the site. The big appeal here is that it’s a country setting with everything right at hand. There’s absolutely nothing missing in South Surrey in terms of shops, restaurants and amenities. It’s also super easy to get to the border from here.”

Homes start at 2,360 square feet and all of them have detached, double-car garages in the back ,plus a parking pad in case the owners decide to have the suite finished.

“Interestingly enough, we have sold very few homes without suites,” Zarola said. “Almost everyone is taking a suite, either for visiting family or as a mortgage helper. The cost of having a suite completed by us is about $28,000. We include a finished basement in the price of these homes so it’s really an upgrade to a legal suite. A great deal of that basement has already been paid for so it’s a much smaller figure than if you were to do it from scratch.”

Edgewood Gate homes start at $1.1 million including GST. For that you get 10-foot-high ceilings and oversized windows throughout the main floor, designer-selected light fixture packages and laminate flooring throughout the main level, including the powder room.

The kitchens feature open-concept layouts with centre islands, abundant storage and large pantries. There are Shaker-style maple cabinets with soft-close doors and drawers, quartz countertops and full-height backsplashes, double bowl sinks and Samsung stainless steel appliance packages.

In the ensuite bathrooms, there are five-inch frameless glass showers and double vanities, while main bathrooms have deep soaker tubs. All bathrooms have quartz countertops, ceramic tile flooring, and shaker style maple stained soft-close cabinets.

In keeping with the company’s previous developments, Foxridge includes a multitude of customization options with a dedicated colour and design room, where buyers can pick everything from the colour of the carpets to the type of stone on the outside of their house to the design of the railing on the stairs.

It’s really nice that there are so many options for the interior,” McJunkin said. “There’s a whole bunch of decisions to be made, but it was a really fun process to be able to go through and look at all the different samples. That way, when we move in it really will be ours because we tailored and personalized it. It was also amazing to find out we had such similar tastes. We’re really happy with how it has all worked out.”

Zarola said that the company tries to do something a little bit different in every show home – there are three to walk through at Edgewood Gate – so that buyers can see different finishes and colours.

“We take a lot of care with our homes and we refine them every time we build more of them,” she added. “In 2017, we won Single Family Production Home Builder of the Year at the Georgie Awards, which was a great honour for us.”

© 2017 Postmedia Network Inc.

Disputed Chinatown development plan resubmitted to council

Stephanie Ip/Scott Brown
The Vancouver Sun

A controversial development in Chinatown that had divided the community will be put forward to the city of Vancouver once again in what’s believed to be the fifth attempt to get the project underway.

In a statement released Friday, Beedie Living announced it had made changes to its plans and had submitted an amended application for its Chinatown project at 105 Keefer St.

“This revised version responds to what we heard from city council and the public over more than four years of community consultation and most recently the public hearing at City Hall,” it read.

Some of the feedback received by the developer noted the proposed building was too tall and that the building wasn’t in line with the history and-or heritage of Chinatown.

Beedie’s statement explained the plans had been revised to lower the building’s height from 115 feet to 90 feet, while the section along Columbia Street would be lowered to 70 feet, to maintain views of Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden.

The statement also addressed concerns about whether the building could maintain the culture of Chinatown; developers are now promising to “provide important subsidized cultural ground-floor space and increased pedestrianization of the Chinatown Memorial Plaza.”

“We see the Keefer project as an important addition to Chinatown,” Houtan Rafii, Beedie’s vice-president of residential development, said in a news release.

“We have been listening to the concerns people have expressed and sincerely appreciate every stakeholder who has collaborated with us toward the evolution of the proposal. We truly hope that this new proposal will reflect, as much as possible, the diverse perspectives we have heard.”

“We see the Keefer project as an important addition to Chinatown,” Houtan Rafii, Beedie’s vice-president of residential development, said in a news release.

“We have been listening to the concerns people have expressed and sincerely appreciate every stakeholder who has collaborated with us toward the evolution of the proposal. We truly hope that this new proposal will reflect, as much as possible, the diverse perspectives we have heard.”

City staff had initially recommended council approve the rezoning because it was in tune with the city’s Chinatown neighbourhood plan.

Mayor Gregor Robertson voted against the proposal, saying: “It cuts far too deep a divide in the community to advance and see this built.”

“The message has been sent that you need to include the community before you even start to think about what you are going to build,” Ma said. “The community and the neighbourhood will have to live with whatever is built there for a very long time, so we need to have community input before we have something prescribed for us.”

Andy Yan, who was critical of Beedie’s previous proposal for 105 Keefer, hasn’t seen the new plans but is interested to see what the developer learned from its failed application.

“Developers in this city are moving into places that have established neighbours who have been there for a very long time. It is going to be incumbent on those developers to show an increased level of engagement and flexibility to those neighbours,” said Yan. “We will see what they pitch and how it fits into the long-established guidelines for the community.”

© 2017 Postmedia Network Inc.

Steve Randall
Canadian Real Estate Wealth

Prices for Canada’s new housing were up 0.7% in May, driven by a 1.1% increase for Toronto.

Statistics Canada says that the increase in Toronto was due to market conditions, a shortage of developed land and higher construction costs.

Market conditions in other cities were also favourable and Vancouver saw a 2.2% gain in new housing prices; Guelph was 1.7%; London 1.5%; and St. Catharines-Niagara 0.9%.

Five metros saw prices decline with no change in nine.

Over the 12 months to May, the national rise in new housing prices was 3.8% with Toronto jumping 9%. Calgary saw the largest drop (0.9%).

Copyright © 2017 Key Media Pty Ltd

Project renderings detail an ambitious multi-level public space in the vein of High Line Park in New York City

Tanya Commisso
Vancouver Courier

Concept drawings for the Safeway site at East Broadway and Commercial Drive were revealed at an open house recently, unveiling plans for 649 condo units and more than 100,000 square feet of commercial space.

The site’s developer Westbank and designer Bing Thom Architects released renderings illustrating a grand staircase connecting the project’s public spaces to the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain station at East 10th Avenue. Plans for the site include a mix of affordable rental and market condos, co-op housing and micro suites.

An off-site public plaza over the Grandview cut is also proposed, as required by the Grandview-Woodland community plan. The three-tiered public space will include terraced seating, a concourse and a children’s playground. The multi-level public area is modelled after the High Line in New York City. 

The new Safeway store will measure 56,000 square feet, with an additional 11,200 square feet of retail space and 55,000 square feet of leasable office units. 

Condo designs will mimic single-family homes in the neighbourhood, including bright exteriors and porches.

© 2017 Vancouver Courier

Steve Randall
Canadian Real Estate Wealth

Canada’s banks have moved quickly to increase their base lending rates following the BoC’s decision Wednesday.

RBC was the first of the Big Five to pass on the central bank’s 25 basis point rise to customers, increasing its rate from 2.70 per cent to 2.95 per cent. It was soon followed by TD, Scotia, CIBC and BMO. The increases all take effect July 13th. National Bank and Laurentian have also announced hiked rates.

The BoC’s decision to increase interest rates to 0.75 per cent was welcomed by the Conference Board of Canada which said:

“Rising interest rates may cause some consternation about the impact on household finances. However, the level of rates remains very low and regulatory actions by governments are likely to have limited sustained effects in tempering household borrowing.”

Craig Alexander, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist added that higher rates will reduce vulnerability from household indebtedness and real estate price imbalances and called the hike a “positive development.”

Copyright © 2017 Key Media Pty Ltd