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Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘Vibrant, vertical village’ planned for Safeway site at Commercial-Broadway

Westbank, Crombie REIT and architects Perkins + Will have unveiled the redevelopment of the Safeway site at East Broadway and Commercial Drive, adjacent to the SkyTrain station.

The application is detailed, but the basics include:

  • three residential towers ranging in height from 24 to 30 storeys — unprecedented in the neighbourhood
  • a 50,000 sq ft. grocery store, replacing the current Safeway store
  • additional small scale retail, including a brewery and retail units within a public plaza
  • 50,000 sq ft. of office space

In total, 520 strata condominiums and 160 rental units are proposed. Fifty per cent of the strata housing will be suitable for families (two bedrooms or larger), as well as 35 per cent of the rental housing.

The development will also include a childcare facility, and 20,000 sq ft. public plaza, parallel to the SkyTrain station.

Perspective view of public plaza
Perspective view of public plaza. Credit: Perkins+Will
Illustration of grocery store entrance on East Broadway
Illustration of grocery store entrance on East Broadway. Credit: Perkins+Will

The three towers will be organized around a landscaped courtyard, accessible to all residents. Interestingly, the tower lobbies will be located within the garden courtyard, rather than at street level. The architects hope this arrangement will encourage more social interaction.

“This is architecture with heroic scale and presence, a confident landmark for a dynamic, culturally rich, part of the city.”

– Perkins + Will Architects

The façades of the towers will include copper and bronze finishes, as well as structural elements like beams clad in zinc or metallic finish aluminum.

Perspective of residential courtyard
Perspective of residential courtyard. Credit: Perkins+Will
Tower façades facing courtyard
Tower façades facing courtyard. Credit: Perkins+Will
Perspective of residential courtyard
Perspective of residential courtyard. Credit: Perkins+Will
Perspective view of street edge along East 10th Avenue
Perspective view of street edge along East 10th Avenue. Credit: Perkins+Will
Perspective view illustrating courtyard vertical gardens
Perspective view illustrating courtyard vertical gardens. Credit: Perkins+Will

Residential amenities will include a communal kitchen and dining space (indoor and outdoor), study rooms, workshop and a centralized recycling facility.

As part of the project, a new traffic signal will be installed at the East 10th Ave. and Victoria Dr. intersection. Vehicle and bicycle traffic will be fully separated on East 10th by converting the block to a one-way westbound street for motor vehicles with a bi-directional (two-way) bike lane.

The rezoning application by Westbank and Crombie REIT appears to be in line with the city’s Grandview-Woodland Community Plan, which calls for towers ranging from 12 to 24 storeys on the site, as well as new office space.

Redevelopment of the site has been in the works since 2013, when Perkins+Will designed a concept for the site. 

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Peter Meiszner
Peter Meiszner
Peter Meiszner is an experienced journalist and media relations professional, based in Vancouver. As founder of urbanYVR.com, he has been reporting on urban development across the Lower Mainland since 2016, and has also served as vice-chair of the Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee. In October 2022, he was elected to Vancouver city council and is no longer actively reporting for urbanYVR.

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