City Amends Commercial Zoning Bylaw in Favor of Market Rental over Condo Construction

City Amends Commercial Zoning Bylaw in Favor of Market Rental over Condo Construction

  • Policy
  • Real Estate
  • Redevelopment
June 25, 2020

This week, the City of Vancouver took another step to encourage rental housing development over condo with amendments to commercial district zoning bylaw. The Greater Vancouver Area has suffered from the lack of housing supply and since developed many incentives for developer to construct rental housing since 2016. Expecting the economy to recover from COVID and when the day comes, the population inflow will lead to housing shortage again.

Edna Cho, a senior housing planner with the city said, “the move is to shift what the city calls the right supply”. The city is working around the equilibrium between condo and rental supply. Despite the price of purchasing a home declined in the past year, home ownership is still out of reach many Vancouver residents. To accommodate them would-be purpose-built market rentals with guidelines on rent and tenancy requirements.

C-2 zoning was designated for four-storeys, mixed commercial and residential developments on arterial streets. These zones are destined for a higher price given their location and convenience. Developer will maximize condo allowance and meet bare minimum rental unit counts. The ratio is 9 for mixed-use, 7 for strata, and merely 2 for rental in development application count.

The big change today in C-2 zoning is allowing developer to built “two additional storeys for mixed-use building developments where the entire residential portion of the building is secured as residential rental tenure. Improve local shopping areas by requiring a minimum amount of commercial retail use and by allowing an additional 2.2m. in overall building height for greater floor-to-floor ceiling heights in commercial retail units”. A strong package that might break the existing ratio.

The goal to create more rental housing, not affordable housing is the purpose of this amendment as rental housing construction is behind city’s target by 50% with only 1,031 purpose-built rental homes being approved. More than 50% of the household are renters and this trend will continue. Market rental on arterial road and core locations within the city is important for foreign worker helping the city grow. Our team of Vancouver commercial real estate advisors believe the city will continue to expand incentive for rental development into other zoning in the future.

To see the detailed document Please clicked the link below:

Ameded changes document.PDF

Yoyoe Lu

Founder and managing principal
yoyoe@claridgeadvisors.com

Yoyoe is the founder and managing principal of Claridge. She was ranked one of Vancouver’s top real estate agents. Currently, Yoyoe is our strategic mind leading the team to success. Her affiliation with industry professionals put her ahead of our competitors. Yoyoe is also part of the Rotary Club of West Vancouver, Canadian Homebuilders Association, Urban Land Institute and Urban Development Institute.

Ashley Osborn

Development Site and Investment Specialist
ashley@claridgeadvisors.com

Ashely is our lead land and investment advisor. He has been consistently featured in the annual top 100 real estate deals of British Columbia ranking. With over $15 billion worth of domestic and international real estate investments under his belt, Ashley is one of the top agents in the province. His 20 years of real estate and financial experience make him a master in negotiation and acquisition.

Patricia Wong Chong

Investment and Leasing Specialist
patricia@claridgeadvisors.com

Patricia is our investment and retail leasing advisor. Her experience in brokerage and market research analysis has helped her comprise over $550 million in commercial real estate transactions. Patricia is responsible, detail-oriented, and professional. Her strong work ethic and positive attitude have led her to surpass all her competitors.

Schumann Li

Land Assembly & Residential Specialist
schumann@claridgeadvisors.com

Schumann is a top-producing realtor in the Lower Mainland with more than 30 years’ experience. Over the years, Schumann hasn’t just garnered awards, but the trust of countless customers. Her clients continually refer to her outstanding professionalism, work ethic and poise.

Wendy Kaip

Sales Associate
wendy@claridgeadvisors.com

Whether it’s decoding city policies, strategizing relocation plans, home sellers looking for a trustworthy advisor to unlock their property’s maximum potential- Wendy is here to help every step along the way.

Prior to real estate, Wendy spent over a decade in the mining industry with her attention to detail, keen negotiation skills, extensive network and strong reputation for getting the deal done, bringing endless value to her current real estate clients.

Whether you are thinking about selling to a developer, or have more questions about commercial real estate, Wendy invites you to connect, to see how she can utilize her expertise and team to help create value and maximize your real estate goals.

Simon Chan

Managing Broker
simon@claridgeadvisors.com

Simon is the managing broker of Claridge Real Estate Advisors Inc. His expertise has helped our agents resolve many difficulties. Not only is Simon knowledgeable with real estate legislation, but he is also very detail orientated. With Simon on our team, our agents are confident to conduct businesses and will always get the support they need to ensure they’re not walking on dirty water.

Frank Zhou

Analyst
frank@claridgeadvisors.com

As the analyst of the company, my key job is to help brokers to find marketable clients and locate feasible development sites by collecting and analyzing up-to-date market transaction data and conducting target market and property-level research. Meanwhile, I am also in charge of maintaining the company’s property database to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness and continuously upgrading the level of knowledge by staying up to date with hot topics, and market trends, and incorporating findings into everyday work. Before joining the company, I worked for CR Group as a real estate investment manager, focusing on capital raising, equity and debt financing, acquisition and renovation. I hold 2 master’s degrees, one in Housing Management and the other in Economics.

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