On Monday, Burnaby City Council approved two rezoning applications by Polygon Homes to develop two residential high-rises in Burnaby.
The first building will be located on 5900 Olive Avenue and is currently occupied by a three-storey rental building with 71 units, originally built in 1967. It was previously referred to as Olive Court, but has since been renamed Perla.
The second building will be located on 5868 Olive Avenue and is currently occupied by a four-storey rental building with 47 units, originally built in 1970. It was previously referred to as Olive North, and has not been publicly listed yet, but a representative from Poylgon tells STOREYS it will be named Onyx.
The two high-rises will be separated by James Street as well as a four-storey rental building on 5888 Olive Avenue originally built in 1969. The site of the two buildings is also a block away from Central Park and the Expo Line SkyTrain's Patterson Station, which is itself a short distance away from Metrotown Station and Metropolis at Metrotown.
Although the two Burnaby projects are in close proximity to one another and have similar forms, Polygon opted to file separate rezoning applications in order to facilitate a density transfer between the two sites, the City says. Both proposals were initially introduced to council in 2018, revised then referred to public hearings in October 2021, and were given final adoption Monday evening.
Overview of the two sites, facing Central Park. (Polygon Homes / Dys Architecture)
Overview of the two sites, facing Metrotown. (Polygon Homes / Dys Architecture)
Perla (Olive Court) will be 38 storeys, with 339 market strata units, which includes one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units. The proposal, however, also includes an additional six-storey building with 118 -- studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom -- rental units that will be separated from the strata building by an internal courtyard.
Building amenities for Perla include a "WeWork-style" lounge, a fitness centre, a spin studio, and an outdoor jacuzzi. The top of the building will also be home to the Perla Lounge, which Polygon says includes a private dining hall, catering kitchen, billiards room, social lounge, and outdoor BBQ area.
The building will also include 476 vehicle parking stalls and 1,006 bicycle stalls, all of which will be underground.
Renderings of Perla on 5900 Olive Avenue. (Polygon Homes / Dys Architecture)
Onyx (Olive North) will be 34 storeys, with 261 market strata units, 47 non-market units, and one market rental unit, according to a 2021 council report. The total 309 units will include studio units, one-bedroom units, two-bedroom units, and three-bedroom units.
Amenities for the building have not been confirmed, but the proposal in 2021 included a fitness studio, a pet-grooming room, a yoga patio, and a variety of outdoor spaces. The building will include 317 vehicle parking stalls and 683 bicycle stalls, which will also be underground.
Renderings of Onyx on 5868 Olive Avenue. (Polygon Homes / Dys Architecture)
As a result of the City of Burnaby's Rental Use Zoning Policy, the rental units that are the subject of redevelopment will be replaced 1:1 with the new development, and Polygon will also be providing an additional 47 units, hence the 118 (71 + 47) units and 47 units on the respective sites.
The City also notes that the Perla site is permitted additional density as a result of a transfer from another Polygon project, located on 6438 Byrnepark Drive, but Polygon proposed the density be used for Onyx. Additional density will also be transferred from the Perla site to be used for Onyx, in order to balance out the heights of the buildings.
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Although now approved, the proposals for both buildings received pushback during the public hearing stage, with multiple residents of the old rental building between the two sites telling the City of Burnaby they would be surrounded by construction on all sides, as a result of other ongoing projects, such as Bosa Development's Central Park House, Anthem Properties' NUVO, and another Polygon project, Aldyne on the Park.
A representative from Polygon tells STOREYS that although there may be some timeline overlap between their two projects, Onyx will begin construction after Perla, with the old building on the Perla site already demolished.
