District of West Vancouver staff is recommending that council sign a lease with Kiwanis North Shore Housing Society for District-owned property at 2195 Gordon Avenue, also known as 990 22nd Street.
In conjunction with Kiwanis Housing Society and Darwin Properties, the plan is to redevelop the site with three apartment buildings for 214 units. Kiwanis will build 156 units of below market rental housing in two, six-storey buildings in Area A along with an Adult Day Centre that will be operated by Vancouver Coastal Health.
The target market for the below market rental housing is moderate income people, including workers, families and seniors in West Vancouver. Darwin Properties Ltd. will develop the rest of the area with 58 market condos, with the majority being 2 or 3 bedrooms and pay the district $22.195 million in pre-paid lease.
There will be 146 parking stalls with an underground parkade accessed from 22nd Street on the west side of the site for the Kiwanis buildings and 119 parking stalls in three-levels of underground parking for the Darwin’s portion of the building.
Patrick McLaughlin, the president of the Kiwanis North Shore Housing Society, said West Vancouver is challenged when it comes to diversity of housing supply and projects such as Gordon Avenue are a solution to this challenge.
“There isn’t a sufficient diversity of housing supply and many in the 20-40 age bracket can’t just can afford to live in the community. This project will address the affordable housing needs of those who are unable to live here,” he said.
McLaughlin said the project would also help keep those seniors in the community who want to downsize but don’t have that option available to them. “So far, they have no choice but to leave the community,” he said.
Kiwanis will sign a housing agreement with the District that will provide criteria for tenant selection. For example, at least one member of the house should be employed or have resided in West Vancouver for at least one year or is enrolled in a local school.
Kiwanis cannot charge more than 75% of the market rent for each dwelling unit established by an independent third-party appraiser, Patrick said, adding that -Kiwanis must verify annually that each tenant is in compliance with the District’s eligibility criteria.
The District acquired the Property at 2195 Gordon Avenue in 2014 for $16 million. The site is located directly north of the West Vancouver Community Centre, south of Pauline Johnson Elementary School, and is 1.76 acres in area.
