A vacant Kitsilano church from the 1970s will soon be replaced by an affordable rental apartment building.
A new, five-storey building at 1805 Larch Street (at West 2nd) will contain 63 secured rental units, as part of the city’s Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Rezoning Program (MIRHPP).
The policy states that at least 20 per cent of the residential floor area (of total FSR) is to be made available to households earning between $30,000 – $80,000 annually.
As a result, 13 of the suites will be rented at rates substantially lower than anything comparable in the neighbourhood.
Unit mix will be as follows:
- 19 studio
- 16 one-bedroom
- 18 two-bedroom
- eight three-bedroom
There will be 56 underground parking spaces over three levels, as well as 113 bicycle parking spaces.
Interestingly, the rezoning application mentions the fact that the Safeway at West 4th and Vine Street is located atop the remnants of a 30 million year old volcano.
“The plateau of Safeway (remnants of a 30 million old Volcano) has a commanding place in the neighbourhood,” reads the design rationale.
The developer is Jameson Developments, with design by Metric Architecture.
The site sold in May 2018 for an undisclosed sum. St. Mark’s Church ceased operating in 2013.