A rezoning application has been submitted for a high-rise mixed-use tower in Vancouver that's residential space would consist entirely of social housing.
The subject site of the proposal is 259-293 East 11th Avenue and 216 Kingsway, located on the western side of Sophia Street in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, and is part of the Broadway Plan area.
The site is unique, as it consists of 259 E 11th Avenue (251 E 11th Avenue, legally), 283 E 11th Avenue, an unaddressed parcel, and 293 E 11th Avenue on the northern side of E 11th Avenue — but also 216 Kingsway, which is separated from the other parcels by a rear lane that would be closed and acquired, along with a corner site east of 293 E 11th Avenue.
The Kingsway parcel is currently a surface parking lot, while the E 11th Avenue parcels are occupied by some low-rise office buildings, including the offices of Coast Mental Health, which owns all of the parcels under Coast Foundation Society (1974).
BC Assessment values the E 11th Avenue parcels at $5,440,000, $2,128,000, $1,236,400, and $5,892,000, and the Kingsway parcel at $2,115,700, for a total assessed value of $16,812,100 dated to July 1, 2025.
The 259-293 East 11th Avenue and 216 Kingsway site. (Diamond Schmitt Architects, Coast Mental Health)
Coast Mental Health is seeking to rezone the trapezoid-shaped site from C-3A (Commercial) District to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) and has proposed a 29-storey mixed-use tower that would reach a maximum height of 334 feet and a density of 10.09 FSR. The tower would have a building podium rising seven storeys along E 11th Avenue, and a podium rising 11 storeys along Kingsway.
The 29-storey tower would include 364 social housing units with a suite mix of 109 studio units, 157 one-bedroom units, 67 two-bedroom units, 27 three-bedroom units, and four four-bedroom units. Average unit sizes are 420 sq. ft, 520 sq. ft., 737 sq. ft., 924 sq. ft, and 1,278 sq. ft, respectively.
The residential component will also include 17 assisted living units, with an average unit size of 351 sq. ft.
There will also be two levels of non-residential space, including 13,035 sq. ft of retail space, a 8,581 sq. ft community health centre, a 8,518 sq. ft community hub, 11,133 sq. ft of office space serving as Coast Mental Health’s head office, and 12,032 sq. ft for a recovery and support centre.
Renderings of the proposal for 259-293 E 11th Ave and 216 Kingsway in Vancouver. (Diamond Schmitt Architects, Coast Mental Health)
There are no longer minimum parking requirements in the City of Vancouver, but the proposal includes 123 vehicle parking stalls and 666 bicycle parking stalls that would be provided in a three-level underground parkade.
There are no other details about the proposal in the rezoning application, but Vancouver-based Cornerstore Planning Group was retained as a consultant and their website describes the project as an “integrated mental-wellness campus.”
“The study produced a model and program for a mental wellness campus, including phased operations across recovery, community, clinical, housing, research, commercial, and administrative components,” said Cornerstone.
“Risk assessment identified major capital and operational risks and proposed a mitigation strategy centered on phased development, partnership funding, and right-sized functional programming.”
The City of Vancouver is holding the Q&A period for the rezoning application from Wednesday, June 17 to Thursday, July 2.
Renderings of the proposal for 259-293 E 11th Ave and 216 Kingsway in Vancouver. (Diamond Schmitt Architects, Coast Mental Health)
Coast Mental Health
Founded in 1972, Coast Mental Health describes itself as “a trusted non-profit helping people living with mental illness recover and thrive” by providing housing, supportive services, and employment opportunities with a “client-focused, recovery-oriented approach ensures that individuals lead their own journey.”
Coast Mental Health opened their first affordable rental housing project in 1974, the idea for which was brought to the organization by Jackie Hooper, a former patient of a psychiatric hospital in the early-1970s. Hooper then helped see the project through to completion.
“As a tribute to Jackie Hooper’s dedication and persistence in establishing Coast Mental Health’s first housing development, the building was renovated and renamed Hooper Apartments in 1997,” said Coast Mental Health on its website. “This housing model became a central pillar of services for Coast Mental Health when it was re-incorporated in 1974.”
According to its website, Coast Mental Health now operates over two dozen housing sites across Metro Vancouver, split between community homes, supportive housing, assisted living and seniors supportive housing, recovery and reintegration homes, and more.
