Real Estate Update in False Creek Flats

Continuing from Coming Soon, Part 1 in which we looked at commercial developments bringing office space to the False Creek Flats area, this part will look at mixed-use buildings in the northwestern corner of the False Creek Flats.

456 – 496 Prior Street

While the construction of the new St. Paul’s Hospital continues to progress, a nearby property at 456-496 Prior Street may soon see the appearance of 470,000 sq. ft. of offices and rental housing. The Prior, by Strand Development and designed by Francl Architecture and ETA Landscape Architecture, aims to provide a pair of 14-storey towers sprouting from a 5-storey podium. Once completed, Prior will bring a significant amount of office space to the False Creek Flats area – and in close proximity to the hospital – along with an injection of rental housing in the area.

Prior by the numbers:

• 288 secured market rental homes
• 11 live/work artist studios
• 244,000 sq. ft. of office space
• 16,000 sq. ft. of ground-level retail space (high possibility of grocery store)
• 10,000 sq. ft. of ground-level cultural amenity space
• 465 vehicle parking spaces
• 748 bicycle parking spaces

In addition to proposed green roofs on both the towers and podium, Prior will have a courtyard going through the middle of the podium. This courtyard will offer pedestrian access to and from the St. Paul’s Hospital, along with better configuration and access for ground-level users, such as office, retail and cultural spaces.

Keep up to date on the progress of this development at the City of Vancouver’s Shape Your City website.

Status: Application approved.

220 Prior Street

Keltic Development is set to build a new office building on the corner of the future St. Paul’s Hospital site. It’s already been announced that US medical company Masimo will be the main tenant, occupying all 100,000 sq. ft. of office space for clinical research and product development. Masimo’s new office in Vancouver will bring 170 jobs to the area. Additionally, ground-floor retail spaces will allow opportunities for foodservice and consumer goods sales.

The building is being designed by Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership (MCMP) and is set to incorporate a variety of building materials and colours to be a visually-striking addition to the neighbourhood. Per renderings of the building with Masimo’s logo above the entrance, exterior panels will be added on the windows to provide shading from the sun. Various floors of the building are offset, creating a striking profile which also complies with industrial setbacks for the zoning.

Status: Expected to be completed in 2025

728 – 798 Main Street

For a change, this proposed building project isn’t part of or adjacent to the new St. Paul’s Hospital campus.

Located a block away from Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand recipient Phnom Penh, the mixed-use redevelopment of The Brickhouse is being pursued by local developer Bonnis Properties, which is also working on the proposed redevelopment of 800 Granville Street in downtown. This redevelopment will create residential and commercial spaces at the intersection of Vancouver’s Chinatown and False Creek Flats neighbourhoods. Bonnis Properties is working with Studio One Architecture on this project.

In summary, the redevelopment at Main & Union will include:

• 75 condos
  • 23 studios
  • 25 one-bedroom condos
  • 19 two-bedroom condos
  • 8 three-bedroom condos
• 19 social housing units
• 6 small, double-height commercial units with mezzanines
• Underground parking with 64 vehicle stalls
• 195 bike parking spaces

Of particular note with this redevelopment is the incorporation and restoration of heritage buildings which already exist on the site. The Brickhouse Late Night Bistro and Dive Bar is housed in a two-storey brick building built in 1910. There’s also a single-storey building built in 1925 which formerly was used to house a shrine in memory of musician Jimi Hendrix. The bricks of these buildings are going to be used in ground-level facades.

This project has been revised from its original form. The revision centres on the reduction of the total height, losing four storeys and 24 condominium units. This revision was prompted by opposition from local activists.

Keep up to date on the progression of this project at the City of Vancouver’s Shape Your City website.

Status: Application approved.

Continue reading with Coming Soon, Part 3 featuring the stunning wood-clad Prototype/M5