Two towers with over 650 rental homes eyed for Marine Drive in South Vancouver | Daily Hive

Two towers with over 650 rental homes eyed for Marine Drive and Fraser Street corner in South Vancouver

Concept of 605-695 Southeast Marine Dr., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Peterson Group)

A high-density residential node around the prominent South Vancouver intersection of Southeast Marine Drive and Fraser Street was first established in 2021, when the Fraser Commons mixed-use residential redevelopment of the former Super 8 hotel site reached completion.

And now, that node could grow even further, with local developer Peterson Group’s plan to redevelop 605-695 Southeast Marine Dr. — the northwest corner of the same intersection, immediately west of Fraser Commons — into a substantial secured purpose-built rental housing complex.

Currently, the L-shaped, 1.2-acre property is occupied by the 1966-built, three-storey structure of the Sharp Villa Apartments, where there are 120 apartment units and various small businesses.

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605-695 Southeast Marine Drive Vancouver

Site of 605-695 Southeast Marine Dr., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Existing condition:

Site of 605-695 Southeast Marine Dr., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Peterson Group)

Future condition:

Concept of 605-695 Southeast Marine Dr., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Peterson Group)

The new rezoning application, designed by local architectural firm Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership, calls for a 391-ft-tall, 34-storey east tower and a 339-ft-tall, 29-storey west tower.

There will be 652 secured purpose-built rental homes, with 23 per cent of the units set aside at below-market rents. This represents a net gain of 532 units compared to the existing building, with current tenants protected by the municipal government’s tenant relocation and protection policy.

The overall unit size mix is 45 micro studio units, 206 studio units, 162 one-bedroom units, 171 two-bedroom units, and 66 three-bedroom units. Residents will have access to various indoor and outdoor amenity spaces across the rooftops of the base podiums and towers.

Existing condition:

Site of 605-695 Southeast Marine Dr., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Peterson Group)

Future condition:

Concept of 605-695 Southeast Marine Dr., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Peterson Group)

About 15,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space will activate the new complex’s street frontage along Southeast Marine Drive and the prominent corner, representing a net gain of roughly 9,000 sq. ft. of active commercial space.

A 3,100 sq. ft. private childcare facility for up to 37 kids will be situated on the rooftop of the base podium, where there will also be a dedicated outdoor play space.

The project also establishes a mid-block, north-south pedestrian connection between Southeast Marine Drive and the laneway, with a plaza fronted by retail/restaurant units situated between the east and west buildings.

Concept of 605-695 Southeast Marine Dr., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Peterson Group)

Four underground levels will provide 409 vehicle parking stalls. There will also be over 1,200 secured bike parking spaces.

The total building floor area will reach about 484,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 9.26 times larger than the size of the lot.

The site is well served by various TransLink bus routes running along Fraser Street and Marine Drive, with these services potentially seeing upgrades over the longer term.

Concept of 605-695 Southeast Marine Dr., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Peterson Group)

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