Developer Plans Rental High Rise in Vancouver

A major Vancouver developer has revealed its intention to redevelop the parkade at the southeast corner of Dunsmuir and Thurlow streets in downtown Vancouver into a 100% rental housing tower, Vancouver Ubanized reported in April. The proposed site, just west of the SkyTrain Burrard Station, is at the rear of a 26-story office building at 1075 West Georgia Street acquired in 2019 by a joint partnership between Reliance Properties, Crestpoint Real Estate Investments and KingSett Capital. Reliance wants to develop this parcel into a 46-story, 478- unit rental tower including more than 100 affordable units dedicated to workforce housing for essential workers — people earning between CAD39,200 and CAD78,500 (US$32,435 and US$65,000). The tower is currently in the pre-application stage with city staff; so far, they have been unable to proceed with a formal rezoning application. The developer is “hopeful that the city’s planning department with its new director will advance this project.”