Development, Market Research

City of Vancouver Preparing Plan for False Creek South Land Leases

The City of Vancouver Council will receive a staff report this week providing an update and high-level strategy to deal with the long-term land leases covering much of the False Creek South neighbourhood. What will likely follow is a multi-year planning process that will pave the way for redevelopment of some portions of the land.

False Creek South covers 136 acres extending along the waterfront from the Burrard Street Bridge to the Cambie Street bridge (excluding Granville Island), and it includes 23 acres of parks. About 80% of the land is owned by the City and was developed primarily in the 1970’s as either market strata, rental apartments, or co-ops.

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Most of the housing on City-owned land are on ground leases, the majority of which are set to expire between 2036 and 2046 (with one co-op expiring as early as 2022. This includes 669 residential strata units and 48 commercial strata units.

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The City is now proposing to work over the balance of 2016 to establish a foundation before a new community plan is developed in the coming years. Overall work includes:

1. Lease-end Payment Methodology
City staff continue to work with the provincial government and to consult with False Creek South strata leaseholders to clarify the methodology for determining the fair market value of each strata leaseholder’s interest in the strata lot upon expiry of the strata lot lease.
2. Co-op and Non-profit Residential Leases
The GM, Community Services report back to Council in Fall 2016 with a timeline for negotiating False Creek South co-op lease renewals in context of a broader non -market housing end- of-lease strategy framework.
3. Landowner Due Diligence
In its role as the major landowner in False Creek South, the City will evaluate the costs, benefits and implications of various renewal, extension and redevelopment options while recognizing the importance of providing certainty for leaseholders.
4. Affordable Options to Remain in Neighbourhood
City staff work with the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association, to explore affordable housing options for False Creek South residents to remain in the neighbourhood, in line with the City’s affordable housing policies and programs.
July 11, 2016by david.taylor@colliers.com