701 Kingsway
Qualex-Landmark™ is proposing to add new rental housing, public amenity space and neighbourhood serving retail opportunities at 701 Kingsway.
Qualex-Landmark™ is applying to the City of Vancouver to rezone the property at 701 Kingsway from C-2 to CD-1 to permit the development of a 24-storey tower with 201 secured rental units and over 6,100 sf of active street-level retail uses along Kingsway and Fraser St. This rezoning application follows a detailed Letter of Enquiry process and considers the feedback of City of Vancouver staff, current and potential tenants, and community stakeholders. The proposal is aligned with the vision and principles of the Broadway Plan and designed to be responsive to the unique characteristics of the site, location, and neighbourhood.
Should you wish to participate in the City of Vancouver’s Shape Your City Open House consultation, please visit their website. Public comments are being accepted from February 7–20, 2024. During this period, members of the public will be invited to view information about the proposal, ask questions, and submit comments to the City of Vancouver and the applicant.
Online Open House
* Note: the project statistics are preliminary and will be refined through the rezoning process, taking into consideration feedback from community stakeholders and direction from City Staff.
The proposed development will create 201 much-needed new rental homes. 20% of the total residential floor space will be offered at 20% below average rents and at least 35% will be family units including 10% three-bedroom homes.
Currently a retail strip with at-grade parking, the property is uniquely positioned to offer new rental housing without any residential displacement.
The proposed rental tower is 24-storeys and 8.5 FSR, with active ground floor commercial uses along Kingsway and Fraser St. The building design follows the Broadway Plan’s guiding principles to support a broader vision for Vancouver.
The site plan allows for a generous Privately Owned Public Space (POPS), enhancing the public realm with a new neighbourhood gathering place to service residents, local businesses and the community.
The project seeks to revitalize an aging site with the addition of over 6,100 sf of new commercial space while respecting the existing neighbourhood character. A key design principle has been to flexibly design the commercial spaces to accommodate small-scale retailers.
The urban context has significantly influenced the form of development. A 2-storey pavilion reflects the small-scale retail shops and restaurants along East 15th Ave. The tower is located to minimize shadowing on this popular local high street and McAuley Park. The POPS extends a local network of green spaces and serves as the gateway to the future Fraser St. retail corridor.
In line with good planning principles, the proposed development locates density in an area well served by public transit, including the future Mount Pleasant Subway Station. It is envisioned that the Broadway Subway Project will be completed in 2026, prior to completion of this development (subject to Council approval).
The project incorporates innovative measures for energy-efficiency including balcony design that provides solar shading and reduces heat loss, implementation of a green roof, and rainwater management best-practices. The project will meet or exceed the City’s sustainability targets under the Green Building Policy for Rezonings.
The site is located on major bus routes, with direct connections to Downtown/Stanley Park and South Vancouver. 701 Kingsway is situated in close proximity to green space, with McAuley Park across the street and Robson Park located a 3-minute walk from the site.
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.
701 Kingsway is located in the Mount Pleasant Centre Area C (“MCEC”) area of the Broadway Plan. The Plan’s intent for this area is to strengthen Kingsway as a more pedestrian- and bike-friendly mixed-use street with new housing opportunities, particularly secured market and below market rental.
The proposal at 701 Kingsway complies with the Broadway Plan’s vision for the MCEC area.
For further information on the Broadway Plan, please visit shapeyourcity.ca/broadway-plan
The building design responds to the complex site geometry, integrates a significant new public space, provides engaging retail streetscapes, and supports a socially sustainable resident community.
701 Kingsway is proposing a generous Privately Owned Public Space (POPS) courtyard – a new neighbourhood space to serve residents, local businesses and the community. The significant growth of the Broadway Plan area will increase demand on the existing public space network. Scarce vacant land and high property values make it challenging to find space for new parks, resulting in a reliance on POPS to deliver new public open spaces. A POPS is not a requirement for rezoning, rather the proponent is offering it as an amenity to the community.
This proposal extends the 2-storey scale of the retail shops and restaurants along East 15th Ave along Kingsway, into the pavilion and along the base of the tower. This approach respects the existing context of the neighbourhood and creates a retail hub.
17,975 sq.ft.
24 storeys + rooftop amenity
8.5 FSR
6,111 sq.ft.
201*
62
68
51
20
60
386
701 Kingsway is located at the intersection of Fraser Street and Kingsway. The site currently features a single-storey commercial strip with 7 retail tenants and a surface parking lot. There is no residential tenant displacement associated with this proposal.
The proposal includes the development of a 24-storey tower with 201 secured rental units and over 6,100 sf of active street-level retail uses. 20% of the total residential floor space will be offered at 20% below average rents and at least 35% will be family units including 10% three-bedroom homes. The site plan allows for a generous Privately Owned Public Space (POPS), enhancing the public realm with a new neighbourhood gathering place to service residents, local businesses, and the community.
A formal rezoning application was submitted to the City of Vancouver in December 2023. This project has not yet been approved and will be subject to the City-led public process, which includes further public consultation, review by the City’s Planning and Engineering Departments and committees, and an eventual Public Hearing. The timeline for the City’s planning review can range from 12 to 18 months.
The welfare of current tenants is a priority in any redevelopment process that we undertake. We recognize the importance of their businesses to the fabric of the neighbourhood and daily life of community members. Although we are still early in the planning process, we foresee a full revitalization of the site, meaning the eventual relocation of commercial tenants.
We will follow the City’s policies on commercial tenant relocation, and are exploring additional measures to minimize disruption of operations. We have notified all tenants of redevelopment plans and will continue to keep them fully informed as we advance through entitlement.
The project seeks to revitalize an aging building and parking lot, while respecting the character of Fraserhood retail. The pavilion and tower base reflects the urban context and 2-storey height of the neighbouring retail shops and restaurants along East 15th Ave.
While it is too early to say what kind of retail we can expect to see here, the commercial spaces have been flexibly designed to be able to accommodate smaller-scale retailers.
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 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 community@qualex.ca.
The property is located within the Broadway Plan area, which seeks to accommodate future growth by integrating new housing, jobs and amenities near the new Broadway Subway. 701 Kingsway is identified within the Broadway Plan as ‘Mount Pleasant Centre – Area C’, which provides a policy framework for heights up to 25 storeys for purpose built rental housing. The Broadway Plan’s policies, including those relating to building height, will guide the review of rezoning applications and inform potential updates to the Zoning and Development Bylaw.
The key community benefit provided through this application will be 100% purpose built, secured rental housing including a 20% below-market housing component. As such no Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) will be generated, consistent with Broadway Plan direction.
Yes, pets will be welcome (with some restrictions).
At Qualex-Landmark™, we believe that each community we build should push us toward creating better designed, healthier, more inclusive and sustainable cities and are committed to leveraging our skills, our partnerships and resources to address issues of wellness, affordability and climate change meaningfully in our lifetime. The project incorporates innovative measures for energy-efficiency including balcony design that provides solar shading and reduces heat loss, implementation of a green roof, and rainwater management best-practices. The project will meet or exceed the City’s sustainability targets under the Green Building Policy for Rezonings.
For further information, please see Qualex-Landmark™ commitment page.
Qualex-Landmark™ 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.
In November 2023, the Vancouver City Council approved revisions to the Parking Bylaw to remove parking minimums for developments in the Broadway Plan area, except for accessible parking and passenger loading spaces. While the projects is eligible for a zero-minimum parking supply, the proposed development includes 60 vehicle parking spaces. Given the project’s rental tenure and site’s transit-oriented location, it is anticipated that future residents will utilize the future Broadway Subway and other muti-modal transportation options (note * the site is located approximately 1 kilometer from the Mount Pleasant Subway Station at the southwest corner of East Broadway and Main Street).
Construction (subject to approval from city staff and Council) would take place over a period of approximately 30 to 36 months.
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The rezoning application process will also include multiple opportunities for input from the community, including a public Open House, which will be hosted virtually on the City of Vancouver’s Shape Your City website from February 7–20, 2024. To participate in the City’s Open House, please visit: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/701-kingsway
Although we are currently in the pre-approval stages of this project, we are happy to discuss opportunities for rent. Please contact community@qualex.ca.
This project is being led by Qualex-Landmark™.
Qualex-Landmark™ is a Vancouver based development group that has been building residences for over 30 years. Our portfolio is defined by quietly iconic residential communities, born out of our highly detailed approach to development. From the fine details of the homes to the quality of homeowner care, we ensure each homeowner is exceptionally well taken care of every step of the way. We have built a philosophy of doing the right thing with a humanistic approach.
If you would like more information about the project, please contact 778.227.2021 or email community@qualex.ca