Neighbourhood Transition
For residents of the station area, uncertainty around future land entitlements and neighbourhood transition process can be concerning. Owners have expressed anxiety about reinvesting in their home or selling their property, and renters have expressed worry about how long their rental tenancies may last. It is challenging to estimate when neighbourhood change will occur, and at what pace. The information below is intended to provide as much clarity as possible about the how neighbourhood transition could look.
- City sets the land use framework, through a public process with the community: The City does not control when development will start or how much uptake there will be. That said, the planning framework needs to be in place before the City can support rezoning applications. It is anticipated that the visioning and implementation steps to integrate that vision into the Official Community Plan will take one to three years.
- Public sector projects and partnerships: Depending on the final vision, some of the neighbourhood change in the 22nd Street station area may rely on partnerships and/or public sector-led changes. For example, some changes may require partnerships with TransLink, BC Hydro, Metro Vancouver, or other organizations. The timelines for these projects would have to be explored once the vision is set.
- Development industry determines market readiness and financial viability: Developers conduct analysis to ensure each project is viable before proceeding. This viability is influenced by the market demand for the housing or commercial retail unit type that is being created, the amount paid for land, financing, construction and permitting costs, infrastructure costs, amenity payments or provision of amenities in kind, and anticipated selling prices.
- Land is assembled: For many housing and mixed-use forms, development would need to be preceded by lot assembly, for a large enough site to be created (e.g. for buildings with underground parking or large footprints). Some landowners may not be interested in selling, which would influence which areas are developed first and which later, if at all.
- Development approval process: Developers or landowners then need to apply for permissions from the City and to be able to proceed with projects. Depending on the types of approvals required in this area, City review could include ensuring compliance with regulations, policies, guidelines and codes. Some applications are also subject to community consultation and/or a decision of Council. Rezoning and Development Permit timelines vary and depend on a number of factors including the scale of the project, complexity and the need for revisions to the proposal. For clarity, the City is not able to support rezoning applications in advance of the Bold Vision being determined.
A note to renters: landlords may choose to continue to rent properties until demolition permits are sought, or they may look to have properties vacated earlier. More information on tenant resources and rights can be found here. - Construction begins: Once approvals and permits (including Building Permits) are in place, construction can begin. Construction timelines depend on the scale of the project.
The steps outlined above may not proceed in a linear fashion. For example, some land assembly may occur quickly but properties may then not proceed to development for quite some time. Some projects may be built well before others. Since there is an existing community in the area around 22nd Street Station and there are a number of landowners, change is likely to occur in a gradual way.