A formal rezoning application has been submitted for the transit-oriented redevelopment of the Ashley Mar Housing Co-operative site next to SkyTrain’s Marine Drive Station in South Vancouver.

This follows city council’s special consideration approval last month of accepting a rezoning application with tower heights that are taller than what is permitted under the Marpole Community Plan, as the site is right on the edge of the Cambie Corridor Plan and adjacent to a transit hub.

The proposal for the 1.5-acre co-op site at 8460 Ash Street and 8495 Cambie Street calls for three towers — 15, 24, and 27 storeys — up to 267 ft in height. The podium structures between the towers are up to six storeys in height.

This project provides space for 582 new homes, including replacement units for each of the existing 54 non-market co-op units, 71 additional non-market housing units as an expansion of the co-op, and 457 secured market rental units.

The unit mix for the non-market co-op is four studio units, 57 one-bedroom units, 39 two-bedroom units, 23 three-bedroom units, one four-bedroom unit, and one five-bedroom unit.

The market rental unit mix is 51 studio units, 192 one-bedroom units, and 214 two-bedroom units.

Townhomes with patios and individual entries line the redevelopment’s perimeter along Ash Street and the mid-block connection frontages.

Residents will have access to ample amenity spaces in various settings, including outdoor spaces on the rooftops. There is a desire to “integrate new market and co-op development in a harmonious and cohesive manner, providing opportunities for residents to interact with one another.”

Although the site is adjacent to a transit hub and Marine Gateway, the entire redevelopment will have just one retail unit with 2,300 sq. ft. of commercial space.

Altogether, the proposal provides a total floor area of 489,000 sq. ft., creating a floor space ratio density of 7.54 times the size of the lot. Four underground levels contain 309 vehicle parking stalls and 1,162 bike parking spaces.

The redevelopment is a partnership between the co-op and local developer Intracorp. The design architectural firm is Perkins & Will, which is also behind Marine Gateway.

According to city staff, the applicants have maintained that the scope of the project is “not economically viable without additional height increases, and/or significant government funding.”

In a July 2019 interview with Daily Hive, Evan Allegretto, senior vice-president of development at Intracorp, said the co-op selected his company as its partner after determining that a redevelopment would be the best route to renew the homes.

The renewal of the units of the co-op, originally built in 1983 within two-storey wood frame structures, is the primary driver of the project.

“[The co-op] reached out to the development community and picked Intracorp because of its prior experience with non-profits,” he said. “We will deliver them a new building in exchange for some land to redevelop two towers, which are the rental buildings. And essentially the rental buildings fund the capital to pay for the co-op redevelopment at no cost to the co-op.”

The proposal’s rezoning rationale illustrates the potential transit-oriented redevelopment heights and forms of adjacent sites.