An eight unit multi-family development is planned for the southwest corner of Laurel Street and West 32nd Avenue, targeted at families and the ‘missing middle’.
All of the units in the upcoming development are two or three bedrooms, something the developer says is needed in an area where single-family housing is the norm.
The site is part of the Cambie Corridor Phase 3 area, a neighbourhood that’s seeing rapid change and redevelopment. This development will replace one single-family home.
Each unit will have its own townhouse-style front door, as well as private outdoor space, storage and bicycle parking.
The architects, b squared architecture inc., say the “project will provide townhouse strata units, sized to allow for a reasonable purchase price point, but that can accommodate families, in a building of high quality construction.”
What is the missing middle?
The missing middle is multi-family housing that is considered compatible with the density of single-family neighbourhoods. It was a popular housing form pre-World War II, such as row homes, duplexes and apartment buildings with courtyards. They act as a transition between higher density housing and single-family housing.
They are usually smaller than single-family homes, and because they share the structure and land with adjacent units, housing costs are lower and units are more affordable to purchase or rent. Over time, the units tend to become more affordable as they age, and also helps support shops, transit and restaurants that are some of our favourite things about walkable neighbourhoods.
About Here summarizes ‘Vancouver’s Missing Middle Mystery’ in this video:
