BC Builds: Province Now Accepting Proposals For First 8 Development Sites

On Monday, the Province announced the first eight development sites that are being made available through its new BC Builds program and that it's now accepting development proposals for these sites.

All eight developments sites have been pre-zoned and the Province is now seeking proposals to connect residential developers and housing operators with the owners of the land. Submission deadlines for the properties vary, with the earliest set for late-May and others set for late-July.

The eight sites and their details are as follows:

20230-72B Avenue, Langley (Township)

20230-72B Avenue, Langley (Township).(Province of British Columbia)

Submission Deadline: May 27, 2024
Lot Size: 0.899 acre
Lot Frontage: 66.986 m / 53.415 m
Current Use: Vacant
Registered Owner: Township of Langley

27200 Block of Fraser Highway, Langley (Township)

27200 Block of Fraser Highway, Langley (Township).(Province of British Columbia)

Submission Deadline: May 27, 2024
Lot Size: 1.2 acres
Lot Frontage: 48.8 m / 297.3m / 70.6 m
Current Use: Vacant
Registered Owner: Township of Langley

7883-199 Street, Langley (Township)

7883-199 Street, Langley (Township).(Province of British Columbia)

Submission Deadline: May 27, 2024
Lot Size: 2.37 acres
Lot Frontage: 50.354 m
Current Use: Residential
Registered Owner: Township of Langley

377 Tranquille Road, Kamloops

377 Tranquille Road, Kamloops.(Province of British Columbia)

Submission Deadline: June 28, 2024
Lot Size: 29,972 sq. ft
Lot Frontage: 197.94 ft
Current Use: Vacant
Registered Owner: City of Kamloops

421 Boivin Road, Elkford

421 Boivin Road, Elkford.(Province of British Columbia)

Submission Deadline: June 28, 2024
Lot Size: 1.18 acres
Lot Frontage: 86 m / 57 m
Current Use: Vacant
Registered Owner: District of Elkford

1428 St. Paul Street, Kelowna

1428 St. Paul Street, Kelowna.(Province of British Columbia)

Submission Deadline: July 25, 2024
Lot Size: 0.31 acre
Lot Frontage: 28.82 m
Current Use: Surface parking
Registered Owner: City of Kelowna

6671 Wadams Way, Sooke

6671 Wadams Way, Sooke.(Province of British Columbia)

9800 Willow Street (Chemainus), North Cowichan.(Province of British Columbia)

Submission Deadline: July 25, 2024
Lot Size: 10.291 sq. ft
Lot Frontage: 60 ft
Current Use: Office use
Registered Owner: Municipality of North Cowichan

Application Requirements and Evaluation

According to the property opportunity notices the Province has published for each of the eight sites, submitted proposals will be graded based on a scoring matrix with the following criteria and weights:

• Financial Viability & Sustainability (20%);
• Amount of per-unit subsidy required (15%);
• Percentage of units at 20% below market (15%);
• Target Household Incomes (15%);
• Speed to Market (15%);
• Financial Equity Contribution (5%);
• Unit Mix (5%);
• Additional Accessibility Benefits (5%); and
• Additional Sustainability Benefits (5%).

Additionally, to be considered an eligible proposal, the project must target "households in BC Builds income ranges with rents that don’t require households in this range to spend more than 30% of their income on rent: $84,780 and $131,950 per year for couples with no children for a studio or one-bedroom apartment and $134,410 to $191,910 per year for couples with children, needing a two or larger bedroom home."

The Province says that "Priority will be given to projects that target household incomes as low as possible in these income ranges while still maintaining project viability without the need for ongoing operating subsidy from BC Builds."

Regarding the rental rates at which those units will be provided, the Province says "All units in the development must be rented at or below market as determined by an appraisal of current market rents in the community, and at rents suitable for eligible households considering the location and average household income for the area, but must not exceed 30% of the Middle-Income Limits in effect at time of occupancy and at unit turnover."

As the Province announced previously, projects involving non-profit partners, public housing corporations, or First Nations that receive capital grants of up to $225K per unit must provide at least 20% of the housing units at 20% below market rates for a minimum of 35 years.

Applicants must also have at least five years of property management experience and developers must have previously completed a similar project on time and on budget. In lieu of those requirements, applicants can also hire a third-party to help meet the requirement.

The Province says it expects proposals to be reviewed within four to six weeks. If selected, the successful applicant "will be required to sign a Conditional Land Contribution agreement between the proponent, BC Builds and the landowner which lays out a 12-to-18-month timeline to securing funding, financing, Development Permit, Building permit and begin construction and a shared and collaborative approach to meeting or exceeding this timeline."

Full details about the eight sites and the application requirements can be viewed on the BC Builds website.