Summary#
Council approved in principle a rezoning for 304–316 East 1st Avenue, at East 1st Avenue and Scotia Street. It would change the site from IC-3 industrial zoning to a site-specific CD-1 zone and allow a 26-storey mixed-use building. City staff say the proposal aims to add rental housing near rapid transit.
- The proposed building would have 217 rental homes, commercial space and office space. The 217 homes include 171 market-rental and 46 below-market rental units; at least 20% of the residential floor area must be below-market.
- The approval would allow a maximum floor space ratio (FSR, building floor area compared with lot area) of 11.8, up from 3.0, and a maximum height of 83 m, up from 18.3 m.
- A housing agreement would secure all 217 homes for the longer of 60 years or the life of the building. Below-market rents would be set at 20% below city-wide average market rents at initial occupancy and when a unit turns over.
- Council also approved sign and Noise Control bylaw changes for the site, but only if the CD-1 bylaw is approved.
- This is approval in principle, not an enacted zoning change. The decision creates no legal rights or obligation for the City to enact the rezoning; required costs remain at the property owner’s risk.
What it means for you#
- Future renters: If built, the project would provide 217 rental homes, including 46 below-market units. The report says rents for those units would be tied to city-wide average market rents, not to a stated household income level.
- Nearby residents and businesses: The proposed 26-storey building exceeds the Broadway Plan’s expectations for this site of up to 20 storeys and 7.0 FSR. City staff support the greater height and density, but note that the lack of a setback from the lane affects the livability of some homes in a nearby building. Conditions call for design changes to improve privacy and the ground-floor public space.
- The property owner and applicant: They must meet the rezoning conditions, including entering into a housing agreement and meeting minimum family-unit mix requirements. A development permit would still be needed; parking and loading details are to be finalized at that stage.
- People concerned about construction: City staff say the applicant must coordinate construction and street-use impacts with City Engineering and obtain required permits. Construction noise is covered by the City’s Noise Control Bylaw.
- Indigenous Nations: A condition calls for early engagement with Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations to help integrate visible cultural elements. The decision does not specify how that engagement will work.
Money#
The report gives project contribution estimates but no estimate of the City’s administrative or other costs.
- The project is expected to pay $2,392,225 in development cost levies, based on December 2025 rates. The applicant requested a waiver for residential floor area, estimated to be worth $3,145,344.
- No community amenity contribution is anticipated, according to City staff, because of the cost of securing the rental housing.
- The public art contribution is estimated at $343,771, using the current (2016) rate. The materials do not say whether the stated amounts include taxes.
What is unclear#
- The CD-1 bylaw has not been enacted, and the decision says the City is not obliged to enact it.
- The final building design, parking and loading arrangements, and number of trees would be settled through later approvals.
- The supplied materials do not give the full terms of the sign and noise bylaw changes.
- The materials do not set out the details of the required Indigenous engagement or how cultural elements will be selected.
- The below-market rents are linked to city-wide average market rents, but the materials do not state an income test or maximum household income.
Case for#
- City staff say the site is constrained by its limited depth and slope, is about 200 m from a future rapid-transit station, and has no existing homes or tenancies to displace.
- Staff say the building fits the Official Development Plan’s allowance for up to 26 storeys and that its height would not add shadowing concerns.
- The project would add 217 rental homes, with at least 20% of residential floor area secured at below-market rents for the longer of 60 years or the building’s life.
- Some public comments supported the design, retail space and office space, and saw the project as fitting a transit-oriented neighbourhood.
Case against#
- The proposal is substantially larger than the Broadway Plan’s expectation for this site: 26 rather than 20 storeys, and 11.8 rather than 7.0 FSR.
- Some public comments raised concerns about height, massing, shadowing, blocked views and the effect on nearby residents. City staff acknowledge that the lane-side design affects the livability of some homes in a nearby building.
- Some residents questioned whether the below-market homes would remain affordable as rents rise. The set rent is based on average market rents, rather than a stated income limit.
- Residents also raised concerns about construction noise, traffic and congestion. The report describes permit and coordination requirements, but does not estimate construction impacts.