An under-utilized office business park in the Marpole area of Vancouver could potentially be fully converted into a private childcare and pre-school campus.
This relates to the 1990-built property at 1700-1750 West 75th Avenue, which is located in an industrial area on the Fraser River waterfront — just west of TransLink’s Vancouver Transit Centre bus depot.
The east three-storey Building A has 66,000 sq ft of office floor area, and it was previously used as the headquarters office of Canfor. Currently, the only tenant is site owner Angus Mason Properties, which has been unable to attract a traditional office tenant due to the current weak market office conditions. The property has been largely vacant for over two years.
A previous concept called for converting 44,000 sq ft of Building A’s office space into childcare or school use, but there was no interest in leasing the remaining 22,000 sq ft for traditional office uses. As a result, Angus Mason Properties is now looking to convert the entire 66,000 sq ft office floor area of Building A into such alternate uses.
Site of 1700-1750 West 75th Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps)
Site of 1700-1750 West 75th Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps)
An application notes that Rothewood Academy, which provides childcare and early learning for infants and children up to the age of five, is interested in becoming Building A’s tenant. Secure outdoor play areas would be created by converting dozens of surface vehicle parking stalls that surround the building in the business park.
Rothewood Academy also has three locations in Richmond and two locations in South Surrey, typically within buildings originally built for commercial uses.
The application adds that the property’s other building — the west two-storey, horseshoe-shaped Building B with 77,000 sq ft of office and warehouse space — could also be converted into childcare and school uses in the future.
If fully converted, both Building A and Building B would have a capacity for up to 196 kids and 44 staff.
Artistic rendering of 1700-1750 West 75th Avenue, Vancouver. (Longpre Architecture/Angus Mason Properties)
Artistic rendering of 1700-1750 West 75th Avenue, Vancouver. (Longpre Architecture/Angus Mason Properties)
“This project represents a proactive and strategic approach to meeting the evolving needs of the community. It not only addresses the urgent demand for childcare and educational facilities but also revitalizes an underutilized property in a way that supports the broader goals of urban sustainability, community well-being, and economic development,” reads the application designed by Longpre Architecture.
“By converting this vacant building into vibrant, service-oriented facilities, this proposal contributes to Vancouver’s vision of a more inclusive and supportive urban environment for all its residents.”
Currently, according to the municipal government, there is a shortfall of about 15,000 childcare spaces in Vancouver.