Local developer Cape Group has turned its mid-rise mixed-use rental housing building project near SkyTrain’s future Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station into a high-rise mixed-use condominium and social housing tower project.
Construction on the original five-storey mass-timber project named The Raphael at 320 East 2nd Avenue (previously addressed as 338 East 2nd Avenue) — replacing the Ralph’s Recycled Auto Parts building — first began in mid-2021 for a scheduled completion in 2023.
But soon after, construction work stopped once the excavation needs for two underground parking levels of the previous project were completed. The developer at this juncture had decided to pursue a more ambitious redevelopment. Since then, the excavated site has remained vacant, protected from the weather, and continuously monitored for safety.
A new rezoning application submitted by the Cape Group and RR Planning proposes a 20-storey mixed-use residential tower for the site.
The base podium of the 238-ft-tall, 20-storey concept alone is equivalent to the entirety of the previous five-storey concept.
Site of 320 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/Cape Group)
Site of 320 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/Cape Group)
The new 20-storey proposal calls for a total of 165 homes, including 26 social housing units and 139 strata market condominium homes, based on the City’s Broadway Plan requirements of setting aside at least 20% of the residential space in a condominium project for social housing. In contrast, the previous five-storey concept contained 95 secured rental homes, with half of the units designed as live/work spaces for artists.
The new concept’s unit size mix is 23 studio units, 78 one-bedroom units, 44 two-bedroom units, and 20 three-bedroom units. Residents would have various shared indoor and outdoor amenity spaces — social housing amenities on the ground and third levels for the social housing residents, and strata housing amenities in the sixth and tower rooftop levels.
Existing excavated condition:
Cape Group’s excavated site of 320 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps)
Cape Group’s excavated site of 320 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver. (Google Maps)
Previous design concept as The Raphael:
2021 artistic rendering of The Raphael, a mass timber building, located at 320 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver. (Human Studio Architecture & Urban Design/Cape Group)
Future condition:
2024 concept for 320 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/Cape Group)
2024 concept for 320 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/Cape Group)
The new concept also incorporates 6,300 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses on the ground level, activating its East 2nd Avenue frontage, and over 14,000 sq ft of office space in the second level. The previous concept dedicated its ground level for 10,000 sq ft of commercial space, specifically for wholesale uses, as well as an artist gallery and multi-purpose workshop space for the building’s artist residents.
Five underground levels would provide 172 vehicle parking stalls and 372 secure bike parking spaces. In contrast, the previous concept of The Raphael with two underground levels accommodated 95 vehicle parking stalls and 149 secure bike parking spaces.
2024 concept for 320 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/Cape Group)
2024 concept for 320 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/Cape Group)
The new concept has a proposed total floor area of about 142,000 sq ft, establishing a floor area ratio (FAR) density of a floor area that is seven times larger than the size of the 20,200 sq ft lot. This is over twice the density of the original concept’s 66,000 sq ft and 3.25 FAR.
The project’s new height, density, and uses are well aligned with the Broadway Plan. Furthermore, this development site is just half a city block west of the future Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station, which is one of the provincial government’s designated Transit-Oriented Areas (TOA). The property is well within the inner 200-metre radius of the TOA, where a minimum height of 20 storeys for residential uses is permitted under provincial transit-oriented development legislation.
As an in-kind on-site community amenity contribution (CAC), the social housing component will be gifted to the municipal government upon completion.
Chris Dikeakos Architects and Connect Landscape Architecture are the tower’s design firms, replacing the previous lead design firm of Human Studio Architecture & Urban Design.
Immediately adjacent to the future subway station, there are multi-tower mixed-use proposals of up to 35 storeys, including one application by PCI Developments and Low Tide Properties, and another separate application by Onni Group, which is also an expanded concept for an already-excavated site.
The provincially legislated 800-metre Transit-Oriented Area at SkyTrain Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station. (City of Vancouver)