1,600-home housing project in Vancouver facing delays
Current developer says timelines agreed to by council and previous developer 'were never feasible'
The developer spearheading an over 1,600-home housing project in Vancouver's Oakridge neighbourhood — including 175 units of social housing — says it can't meet the timelines set by city council.
Grosvenor, the developer of the 5.5-hectare former Oakridge Transit Centre site on West 41st Avenue, is requesting a five-year extension on its deadline to build project amenities, including social housing, a public park and a 69-space daycare.
The amenities were to be finished by 2028, according to the terms of the project's approval by city council in 2020 when developer Modern Green was backing the project.
In 2022, Grosvenor purchased the site and announced it would build it out, following the approved 2020 master plan.
However, Grosvenor now says the entire project is facing delays "compared with what was assumed before our involvement," a spokesperson wrote in an email. "Unfortunately, those timelines were never feasible."
Grosvenor's spokesperson says this is "due to the usual issues affecting our industry: market conditions, approval timelines, evolving government housing policies, and significant cost escalations across the board."
The spokesperson says the company is not specifically seeking to delay the social housing, daycare and park. They said that since the entire project, set to be built in phases, is behind schedule, the amenities will also come later than planned.
"We have been working collaboratively with the City towards a mutual goal: to advance the overall project, including these important amenities, as soon as practically possible," the spokesperson wrote.
A housing advocate says while the delay in social housing is disappointing, it's something other projects are grappling with.'
'We need a steady stream'
In addition to the park, daycare and 175 units of social housing, Grosvenor plans to build 1,120 market strata homes, 180 market rental units, 45 rent-controlled units and 24,000 square feet of commercial space.
The developer says it will also give the city a chunk of the land to develop 155 more social housing units.
Jill Atkey, the CEO of the B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association, says the Oakridge Transit Centre site is set to be home to one of the largest influxes of social housing in B.C. over the last 10 years.
"Which we know is very desperately needed in the City of Vancouver," Atkey said.
"What it reinforces for us is the need for that continued investment from virtually every level of government because … these projects take some time to be delivered after approval. That's why we need a steady stream of them coming online."
Atkey points out other social housing projects in the province are facing delays for the same reasons Grosvenor listed. She also believes the transfer of ownership was likely to be an issue.
City staff are recommending the extension request be granted.
A report to council notes the change in ownership, hard market conditions and "the lack of progress made by the original developer."
A visit to the project grounds on Friday revealed only a vast slab of pavement with shrubs emerging from the old blacktop. Grosvenor says it is in the process of submitting permits to the city for the first phase of construction.
Green Coun. Pete Fry, however, says it's "disappointing" to see the affordable housing aspect of the project facing a longer timeline.
"We're seeing a shift away from the kind of delivery of social housing more towards how we can just deliver on more supply," Fry said. "Sacrificing a lot of those amenities that are really important to completing full communities."
The extension request will go before council on Tuesday.
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