The provincial and federal governments each own large adjacent tracts of land in Vancouver that are called the Jericho lands. Both levels of government retained us to conduct a detailed evaluation of the development potential of the land, to estimate the costs of a major rezoning and redevelopment plan, and to estimate the net yield from disposition of the land.
West Vancouver needed a new police headquarters to replace an old existing facility that was inadequate. We analyzed the development potential of the existing site (which will be surplus when the new facility is complete) for residential, retail, office, and hotel use. We provided conclusions regarding the optimum development potential and we estimated the proceeds from sale of the site.
For Translink, we evaluated the development potential of a surplus vacant site located adjacent to a new transit station in Vancouver. The land was acquired for station construction and www, but on completion of the station a portion of the site is surplus to future transit requirements. We evaluated the potential for residential, retail, and office use. We provided conclusions regarding the optimum development potential of the site and the likely proceeds from disposition.
For the City of Calgary, we have conducted several major market studies regarding the future amount and distribution of high density multifamily residential development in the City. These projects have included:
For a forestry company with large land holdings, we analyzed the market potential for different forms of residential development for large tracts of vacant land that are no longer required for harvesting and that are in or near existing urban areas. Our analysis included potential for recreation homes, estate lots, and urban residential depending on the location and characteristics of the sites.
We completed detailed market and financial analysis of Vancouver’s purpose-built rental housing stock, as inputs to a major rental housing strategy. Our work included analysis of the inventory in terms of risk of redevelopment based on market demand and financial performance of retaining existing units versus demolition for market condominium. Our work also included an analysis of policy and regulatory mechanisms to improve the financial performance of new rental housing relative to new condominium development, to help the City identify actions that would lead to new rental construction.
We have been retained by the City of Surrey and by developers in Surrey on three separate occasions to evaluate the impacts of proposed new shopping centers on existing commercial districts. We have also been retained by the City of Surrey to evaluate a developer-provided impact study and advise the City as to reliability.
We were retained by the Township of Langley to evaluate the impacts on the Town Centre and on existing and proposed neighbourhood centers of a proposed major retail development at Highway 1 and 200th Street.
We were retained by the owner of Kennedy Heights Shopping Centre in Delta to evaluate the impacts of major changes to access and exposure resulting from the extension of Nordel Way and the reconfiguration of the intersection of 88th Avenue and 120th Street. We also assisted in the negotiation of compensation for lost land and revised access.
We were retained by the City of Vancouver to estimate the impacts of the Woodward’s site redevelopment on retail rents and occupancy in Gastown, Chinatown, and the Downtown Eastside.