A proposal for the long-delayed Little Mountain redevelopment in Vancouver is slated for public comment later this month.

Developer Holborn Properties Ltd. filed a rezoning application for the 6.2-hectare site east of Queen Elizabeth Park last month, seeking increased density and height.

The Malaysian-owned company’s mixed-use development proposal calls for about 1,400 residential units, 234 units of replacement social housing and a district energy plant to be built over the next decade. The tallest buildings would be 12 storeys high, while the lowest would be three floors.

Phillip Scott, a director of development at Holborn, said the plan was aligned to the city’s policies “across the board,” and includes increased density at a desirable scale and lots of public space.

“I’d like to think it’s a model of contemporary urban design,” Scott said. “We’re really excited about it. I think it will go over really well within the community. It certainly has among some of our stakeholders who have helped work on it.”

The Little Mountain area had provided affordable housing for families and seniors for half a century. But in 2007, B.C. Housing sold to for $300 million to Holborn Properties on the condition that it replace the non-market housing and provide an additional 10 units for the Musqueam.

Tenants began moving out eight years ago and most of the buildings were demolished in 2009.

But just 53 units of seniors’ housing have been replaced since.

City council called in 2012 for all the replacement social housing units to be built in the first phase of development. But Holborn is proposing building the 224 B.C. Housing replacement units in the first and fourth phases. However, it is also proposing an additional 48 non-market units, in a building to be owned by the city, in the first phase.

City staff plan to take the rezoning application to council in the spring, said Susan Haid, an assistant director of planning at the city. The redevelopment “is a key opportunity to advance city-wide goals including those related to affordable housing, community amenities, sustainability features, active transportation facilities and high quality public realm,” she said in a written statement late Thursday.

Staff at B.C. Housing were not available for comment.

Among the other proposed public benefits touted by Holborn is a new Little Mountain Neighbourhood House with 69-spaces of child care.

Allan Buium, the head of the Riley Park South Cambie Community Visions Group steering community, said he was pleased that Holborn included the new Neighbourhood House in the first phase of its proposal.

“They have waited a very long time,” he said, adding that they offer excellent service to the community at large.

Buium said he needed more time to review the proposal, but a key concern of the group was “the lack of true affordable homes” in the area.

A new community plaza and public park is also proposed in the plan, and while 35th Avenue would be extended, a new city street — referred to as the “Central Spine” and a key public space in the proposal — would be built. The new street would be lined with water features and a trail.

Architect Michael Geller said he would have liked to have seen more illustrative material to help imagine what the community will really look like.

“We’ve all been waiting a very long time for this and I know that the neighbours are particularly interested in seeing what the development will offer,” Geller said.

Open houses on the projects are planned for Nov. 28 and Dec. 3. Holborn has built a scale model of the community that should be on display during the open houses, Scott said. More information on the project can be found here.

mrobinson@vancouversun.com