Wall Financial Corporation has submitted a revised rezoning and development permit application to the District of West Vancouver for an infill development at 1552 Esquimalt Avenue. The updated proposal consists of two 7-storey, purpose-built concrete rental apartment buildings. The existing 20-storey (with a basement amenity room), 185-unit apartment building constructed by Wall Financial in 1973 will be retained.
Please review the information on this website and complete a comment form to share your thoughts with us. A downloadable package with more information about the project is available here.
View looking southwest along Esquimalt
Please join us for a proposed Development Information Meeting on December 7 or December 9, 2021
We will be accepting public feedback on the proposal between December 6 and December 19, 2021. A comment form will be made available on this website during that time.
We will be hosting two Proposed Development Information Meeting webinars on one of the following dates and times:
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December 7 from 6-7pm
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December 9 from 12-1pm
The same information will be presented at both meetings. The project team will provide a short overview of the proposal, followed by a live Q+A session. Register below:
View looking northwest along Duchess Ave
Neighbourhood context
Located in the heart of Ambleside, this proposal represents an opportunity to provide rental housing for the local workforce and for residents to live near shops, amenities and services to meet their everyday needs. The area has a number of mid-rise and high-rise concrete rental apartment and condominium buildings, many constructed in the 1960s and 1970s.
The site is located close to City Hall, the police department, a Firehall, BC ambulance service station, and Hollyburn Elementary, all of which provide employment for residents of West Vancouver and serve the local community. The site is a 2 minute walk to Marine Drive which is served by 7 different bus routes with connections to Horseshoe Bay, Phibbs Exchange, and downtown Vancouver.
Site Context
The site is currently improved with rental tower, constructed in 1973. The tower is 20 storeys with a basement amenity room. New rental is being proposed and the existing rental is being retained in order to maintain and increase the rental housing stock in West Vancouver.
The site slopes approximately 27 ft. from northwest to southeast, providing opportunities for good southern exposure to apartment units, landscaped areas and rooftop solar collection.
Policy Context
The site is currently zoned RM2 – Multiple Family Dwelling Zone 2, which permits apartment buildings. The proposal requires a rezoning to a CD-1 – Comprehensive Development zone to enable the development of two infill rental buildings. The height of the proposed buildings will fall within the permitted height of the existing zoning of the property.
View from Ambleside Beach
Project Highlights
The proposal includes two 7-storey, purpose-built rental apartment buildings and the retention of existing on-site rental housing.
New rental housing options for individuals, families, and seniors:
The proposal includes 139 new secured rental homes to help address the housing demand in West Vancouver. These homes will provide a variety of unit sizes in ground-oriented and apartment formats. Residents will have access to a number of amenities, including a secured children’s play area, community garden, outdoor kitchen, and seating areas.
Thoughtfully designed public realm:
The proposal includes significant publicly accessible outdoor park space, including a parklet on the corner of Esquimalt and 15th Street and a courtyard in the centre of the site. The street frontages include trees, landscaping, public seating, and ground-oriented units.
Within walking distance of parks, shops, services, and amenities:
The proposal supports sustainable transportation and the creation of complete communities by locating housing close to schools, parks, shops, transit, and other amenities. A publicly-accessible pedestrian pathway through the site supports walkability and new connections in the neighbourhood.
Achieving a High Level of Sustainability:
The proposal will exceed level 2 of the new BC Energy Step Code. Level 2 requires the building to comply with stringent energy and sustainability requirements. The proposal also includes rooftop solar panels and will utilize locally sourced and energy efficient materials wherever possible to minimize overall energy consumption whenever possible.
What’s changed?
Wall Financial submitted a revised application in July 2021. This updated proposal includes revisions to the on-site park space, increased number of parking stalls, and improvements to traffic circulation.
The proposal revisions include:
Reduced Height for Consistent Neighbourhood Context:
Revised design from 17-storey tower to two 7-storey buildings to be more consistent with neighbourhood context. Outdoor breezeways and green roofs on upper levels further soften the visual impact.
Increased Number of Parking Stalls:
Total number of parking stalls has been increased from 231 to 324. This is enough parking for one stall for each unit and will reduce the need for neighbourhood street parking in the area.
Single Access off lane:
To reduce impacts to adjacent Westshore building, a single access point off the lane is provided to underground parking, in addition to an access point off Esquimalt. The existing site has three access points off the lane and an additional access point off Duchess.
Improved Design of Outdoor Space:
The amenity spaces have been redesigned and are now more easily accessible. They incorporate more programming such as a secured children’s play area, outdoor kitchen, and more natural green areas.
Increased Sustainability:
The proposal is exploring ways to incorporate solar panels, utilize locally sourced and energy efficient materials, and minimize its overall energy consumption.
Increased Accessibility:
The site will be fully wheelchair accessible and 25% of the homes will be Adaptable Units. Adaptable units will be placed throughout the new buildings, providing more options for accessibility on each floor of the new development.
Timeline & Next Steps
We anticipate the following timeline:
About Wall Financial
Wall Financial Corp constructed the existing rental building and has owned and managed it for over 50 years. Wall recognizes the need to provide new rental housing opportunities in West Vancouver while also maintaining existing rental stock to provide stable and dependable rental housing options.
Existing view looking South
Comment Form
The comment for will be available from December 6 to December 19, 2021. You can also email openhouse@poonigroup.com.