A handful of three- and four-bedroom units is among what’s being proposed for a development eyed for a land assembly on Fraser Street between East 22nd and 23rd Avenue.
The site includes 686 East 22nd Ave., 3811 to 3833 Fraser St. and 679 East 23rd Ave.
Strand Development, which is working with the firm Integra Architecture Inc., has filed a rezoning application with the City of Vancouver for a six-storey mixed-use building with retail space at grade level.
The proposal, which is for 121 market rental units, envisions 14 three- and two four-bedrooms in the mix, although the balance would feature fewer bedrooms — 10 studios, 60 one-bedrooms and 35 two-bedrooms.
City of Vancouver policy requires there be 35 per cent family housing at a minimum in multi-family redevelopments, with a target of 10 per cent at three bedrooms. Family housing is defined as two and three-bedrooms and up.
One of the main points staff have heard through consultation with families is that having a third bedroom is important for use as either a child’s room, as a guest room or as office space.
The rezoning application is being pitched under the Affordable Housing Choices Interim Rezoning Policy. It was adopted in 2012 and allows for the consideration of rezoning proposals that are evaluated based on affordability, location and form of development. Initially, a maximum of 20 applications were to be accepted under the interim policy, but the policy was updated at a June meeting city council. The cap was removed and submissions for rental housing projects under the policy will be accepted until March 31, 2019. This is meant to help the city meet its Housing Vancouver target for 20,000 units of purpose-built rental housing to be built over the next 10 years.
An open house about the rezoning proposal is planned for 5 to 7 p.m., Sept. 6, at the Polish Community Centre at 4015 Fraser St.
