Developer proposes 2,627 units for Oakridge Transit Centre site
Grosvenor's revised plan dramatically increases rental housing from 170 to 1,404 units to make the project economically viable.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Grosvenor Property Canada has submitted a revised rezoning application to redevelop the former Oakridge Transit Centre lands into a new neighbourhood called Mayfair West, proposing 2,627 residential units — more than 1,000 above the original plan.
The proposal calls for 16 buildings ranging from six to 33 storeys, more than 52,000 square feet of commercial space, a two-acre public park, and a 69-space childcare facility on the 14-acre site at West 41st Avenue and Oak Street.
City council approved the initial proposal for the site in December 2020. At that time, a different company owned the property. Grosvenor acquired the site in 2022 and says the original rezoning plan is no longer economically viable.
The most significant change is a dramatic increase in purpose-built rental housing: 1,404 market and below-market rental homes compared to 170 in the previous plan. The revised proposal also includes transferring a dirt site to the city with potential for 361 social housing units.
"The low density of the previous rezoning along with the positive build covenants associated with amenity delivery exacerbates the financial challenges, rendering the original rezoning plan undeliverable," Grosvenor stated. "These updates are essential to ensure that the project remains economically viable over what will be a multi-phase, multi-year buildout."
While taller buildings along 41st Avenue remain, the revised plan features a varied distribution of building heights to balance minimizing shadowing on the park with providing additional density where appropriate.
The site's history traces back to 1948 when B.C. Electric acquired it from the Canadian Pacific Railway for use as an electric trolley bus depot and administration offices. In 2006, most bus depot activities transferred to the Vancouver Transit Centre on Hudson Street in Marpole. A rectifier substation providing service to TransLink's electrified trolleybus wires remains; Grosvenor's plan will relocate it during the first redevelopment phase.
The city has opened a question-answer period for public feedback until July 1 via the city's "Shape Your City" website. A public information session is set for Wednesday, June 24, at the Jewish Community Centre.