On Thursday, the City of Vancouver published a new rezoning application for a mixed-use high-rise tower in downtown Vancouver from developer Reliance Properties.
Proposed for 904-920 Davie Street, at the intersection with Hornby Street, is a 29-storey mixed-use tower — referred to as 902 Davie in Reliance's application booklet — that will include 179 strata condominiums, 36,708 sq. ft of office space, and 4,716 sq. ft of retail space on the ground floor.
The site, which is adjacent to Reliance Properties' three-building Burrard Place project, currently consists of three low-rise commercial buildings that were all originally constructed before 1975, according to BC Assessment records. The three buildings are occupied by a 7-Eleven, Popeye's Supplements, and a mixed martial arts studio named District Warrior.
The subject site (blue) and its surrounding context.(Neil M. Denari Architects, Bingham + Hill Architects, Reliance Properties)
The 179 condo units will consist of 22 studios, 67 one-bedrooms, 73 two-bedrooms, and 17 three-bedrooms. Residents of those units will get to enjoy amenities like gym spaces, lounges, and outdoor play areas. There is expected to be a total of 2,244 sq. ft of indoor amenity space and 3,665 sq. ft of outdoor amenity space, all of which will be located on Level 7.
Users of the office component of the building will have access to an outdoor amenity space on Level 4 and Level 5.
A total of 219 vehicle parking spaces and 437 bicycle parking spaces is being proposed, which will be housed in a nine-level underground parkade, accessed from the lane by a shared ramp located in the Burrard Place tower next door, with the parking structures of both buildings connected at the P1 Level.
The development site is currently zoned DD (Downtown District) and Reliance is seeking to rezone the site to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) in order to allow for the proposed uses and density.
View of 902 Davie from the Davie-Hornby intersection.(Neil M. Denari Architects, Bingham + Hill Architects, Reliance Properties)
View of 902 Davie from Hornby Street.(Neil M. Denari Architects, Bingham + Hill Architects, Reliance Properties)
The shape of the tower is unique, consisting of multiple slopes and angles. According to Reliance's rezoning booklet, these design changes were made in order to comply with the City of Vancouver's policies regarding sunlight, shadowing, and view cones.
The significant slope at the top of the tower was made to allow daylight to pass through and mitigate the shadowing onto Davie Village. The slope near the middle of the tower was then made — with the tower being "trimmed on an oblique angle," in the words of the architects — in order to not obstruct the Charleson Seawall view cone.
"The project complies with the guidelines for light and ventilation as the design intentionally works to minimize shadow impact on various prioritized spaces as per the policy," the architects — California-based Neil M. Denari Architects and Vancouver-based Bingham + Hill Architects — note in the application booklet. "902 Davie, as proposed, does not generate any shadow on park spaces aligning with the policy of preserving light and ventilation for public open spaces. By doing so, it enhances the livability and attractiveness of these areas, making them more inviting for residents and visitors."
"The project aims to deftly negotiate the existing (and future) context through compliance with the view cone corridor and shadow mitigation techniques, both of which produce an environmentally compatible yet formally provocative building form," the architects add.
According to the rezoning application, Reliance Properties has been working on this project since as early as 2015, with a pre-application open house held in 2018. The residential component was originally planned as rental.
The City of Vancouver is holding a Q&A period for 902 Davie from Wednesday, February 21 to Tuesday, March 5.
Aerial views of 902 Davie.(Neil M. Denari Architects, Bingham + Hill Architects, Reliance Properties)
