Harbourside progress update: Oct 19 – Nov 28

A summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

First Reading

Concert has been working collaboratively with the City of North Vancouver to finalize details related to the Harbourside Waterfront development. That means revising the rezoning application based on feedback received at the Town Hall meeting, updating the development permit area guidelines, drafting the rezoning bylaw and deciding upon Concert’s community amenity contributions. Once finalized, we anticipate that our application will be put before Council for a “first reading” prior to the holidays.

Public Hearing

Once Concert’s application has had a first reading, it can proceed to a Public Hearing. Anticipated for early 2014, this will be Council’s opportunity to hear presentations from City staff, Concert and other stakeholders who have an opinion on the rezoning proposal. Following the Public Hearing, Council will make a decision on Concert’s application.

Harbourside progress update: Sept 8 – Oct 18

A summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Town Hall Meeting

On the night of September 30, Concert held a Town Hall Meeting as a way of providing further public engagement. For a complete recap of the event, click here.

Finalization of DPA guidelines
The revised Development Permit Area (DPA) guidelines for Harbourside have now been finalized and resubmitted to the City on October 9. DPA guidelines control the form and character of a development in addition to regulating the look and feel of the surrounding public realm. This document will be submitted to Council for review and consideration at Harbourside’s Public Hearing. 

  

Rezoning Application submission

While Concert’s application to the City to amend their Official Community Plan (OCP) was approved in July of 2012, an application for rezoning is required prior to submitting individual development permit applications. Following the recent Town Hall Meeting, the Harbourside team refined the rezoning application and resubmitted it to the City on October 10. The rezoning application aligns with the amended OCP and proposes significant public amenities. To learn more about the proposed amenities, click here.

  

Additional parking under construction
Having secured City approval for a “temporary use permit” to allow for the development of 50 on-site parking stalls at the northwest portion of 925 Harbourside Drive, construction is now underway with completion targeted for early 2014. While the ultimate plan for Harbourside includes the permanent addition of approximately 50 on-site street parking stalls on a new internal street network, these temporary stalls will alleviate demand through pre-development and construction.

Stakeholder meetings

In an effort to continuously engage the organizations within and adjacent to Harbourside, the team met with representatives from Bodwell High School as well as the North Shore Automall in September. These meetings served as a forum for answering questions, gathering feedback and communicating where we are in the process.

Harbourside’s Town Hall Meeting recap

A Town Hall Meeting for Harbourside was held on the evening of September 30 in order to present Concert’s revised rezoning application which integrates a number of changes since it was first submitted in December 2012. The event also served as a means of providing further public engagement prior to a formal Public Hearing.

More than fifty attendees represented various stakeholder groups and members of the public. Other attendees included the Mayor of the City of North Vancouver, five City Councillors, various other members of City staff, representatives from Concert and the consultants that have been engaged on the project.

The meeting was facilitated by CitySpaces Consulting. Retained by Concert with City approval, CitySpaces provided third-party meeting facilitation to help ensure a fair and open meeting process. Colette Parson of CitySpaces acted as the evening’s facilitator, while Sebastian Lippa (also from CitySpaces) recorded the questions and comments from the Q&A portion of the evening.

The first hour of the Town Hall Meeting served as an Open House where attendees could review comprehensive display boards which spoke to important aspects of the proposed development. In addition, they could informally speak with members of the project team about various aspects of the proposed development. The project team on hand included Concert’s President & Chief Operating Officer, Brian McCauley, key members of Concert’s development team and various consultants retained by Concert. Following the Open House, there was a formal presentation and an open forum for audience questions.

Based on CitySpace’s analysis of comment cards collected at the event, response to Concert’s proposal was overwhelmingly positive. In a direct question that asked respondents if they support Concert’s rezoning of Harbourside, approximately three quarters indicated they were in support. Feedback also showed a high level of support for the community benefits being proposed across all four areas of focus including enhanced access and parking, creating communities, environmental benefits and adding economic value. To learn more about proposed community benefits see “Community Amenity Contributions at Harbourside”.

Of the concerns raised, the majority were focused on transportation. The issues of parking, access and transit service were recurring hot topics. Fortunately, these are all aspects which have been key areas of focus for the Harbourside team. In conjunction with transportation consultants, Bunt & Associates, many strategies to address parking demands as well as traffic flow have been devised for Harbourside. To learn more please see “Addressing parking at Harbourside” and “Traffic concerns at Harbourside”. Regarding transit, Concert has fully recognized that good public transit service is integral to the success of this community. Concert has been working with TransLink and the City to explore options to improve service. While a firm plan has yet to be finalized, Concert is committed to finding solutions and funding transportation options.

With the feedback received from the Town Hall Meeting, the Harbourside team has since refined the rezoning application and submitted it to the City. For more information on the upcoming project milestones, please see “Harbourside Waterfront’s Next Steps”.

Sharing community feedback – part three

This week we bring you more samples of feedback we received via comment cards at Harbourside community engagement events. 

“I worry about the market for office this far away from transit.”

Actually transit does currently serve the Harbourside community. That being said, we recognize that enhanced transit service would be a necessity going forward. Our team has been in talks with TransLink to enhance service by instituting a new route that would serve not only Harbourside, but surrounding communities as well. To facilitate this, Concert would directly subsidize the service through payments to TransLink, a first among the Lower Mainland’s development community. 

“I think it is good...the opportunity to live and work in the same neighbourhood is the right direction. The addition of residential area is mandatory to the development.”

We totally agree, your thoughts align perfectly with our vision for Harbourside. After all, this strategy of mixing uses within a community is not a new concept. Rather, this time-honoured tradition has produced the most renowned cities in Europe by imparting upon them a certain “something special” which is extremely difficult to reproduce in single-purpose communities.  

“I really like the concept of a “whole community”. I just hope that it will be sustainable for the retailers.”

It is our belief that Harbourside will not only be sustainable for our retailers, but that the community will ultimately become a premiere space for entrepreneurs to select. A primary method of increasing traffic to our retailers will be the transformation into a true mixed-use community by adding 800 residential and rental homes, 200,000 sf of high-quality office space and a full-service hotel with banquet capacity. Also, by carefully casting our retail tenants we will be able to expand upon the boutique/artisan tone already set by current Harbourside tenants, thereby drawing visitors from across the North Shore and beyond. To learn more about our vision for the retail space, see “Building on Harbourside as a Destination”.

“Area is clearly underutilized with current zoning as proven by peak-time only congestion. Addition of residential could add work/live opportunities and tier on to Lonsdale Quay could alleviate traffic. Proposal would largely produce counterflow traffic.”

That is exactly the conclusion that our traffic consultants, Bunt & Associates have drawn.

While one might imagine that adding density to an area would automatically equate to traffic congestion, when the use is varied, this is not necessarily the case. To learn more about how we plan to address traffic concerns see “Traffic Concerns at Harbourside”. 

For your opportunity to learn more about Concert’s plans for Harbourside in person, and to pose your own questions, be sure to attend our Town Hall Meeting in September.

Town Hall Meeting

September 30, 2013

Unit 300 – 889 Harbourside, North Vancouver

6:30 – 7:30pm (open house)

7:30 – 9:00pm (presentation and Q&A)

Harbourside progress update: July 10 – Aug 16

A summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Meeting with engineering
The Harbourside team recently met with the City’s engineering department to discuss details related to traffic and transportation planning. Their comments will be integrated into the final traffic and transportation strategy document that is being prepared by our transportation consultants, Bunt & Associates. 

Mediator’s report on CACs
Sandra Cawley of Burgess, Cawley, Sullivan & Associates – the mediator the City hired to help to assess the calculation methodology and amount of community amenity contributions – has now completed her recommendations report. Both Concert and the City are currently reviewing the document and are working together to finalize a CAC proposal in advance of Harbourside’s Town Hall Meeting. For more information on the CACs being contemplated, click here. 

Sponsoring North Vancouver’s “Concerts in the Square”
Have you been to “Concerts in the Square” in North Vancouver? Now in its third year, this unique outdoor event features free outdoor concerts each Saturday night in August. The event is hosted in Shipbuilders’ Square, an outdoor plaza along the waterfront which is adjacent to the Lonsdale Quay, transit and ample parking. Concert is proud to be the presenting sponsor on Saturday, August 17 which will feature a wide variety of musical performances from Five Alarm Funk (funk), Redeye Empire (rock-reggae), Good for Grapes (folk/alternative) and Stef Lang (pop). In addition to the music, there will also be an “Art on the Pier” exhibit showcasing local artisans and vendors. Gates open at 5:00pm, with live music starting at 6:00pm.

Community Amenity Contributions at Harbourside

Known colloquially as CACs, community amenity contributions are in-kind or cash contributions provided by real estate developers when the City grants development rights through rezoning. 

Due to the fact that demands on City facilities and infrastructure increase with a rezoning as result of new residents and employees in the area, CACs offset this impact while also serving as a method of profit sharing between the developer and the broader community. 

Throughout the CAC process, the multimillion dollar question inevitably becomes, how exactly does one determine the scope and magnitude? Because each rezoning situation is unique, assessments are typically made on a case-by-case basis and negotiated between the developer and the City. In Harbourside’s case, the City has engaged an independent, third-party mediator to ensure maximum transparency in this process. 

From the outset of planning for a mixed-use Harbourside, significant community amenity contributions (CACs) have been part of Concert’s vision. Initiatives Concert has proposed include:

Public realm enhancements
Concert is proposing the creation of a variety of public real enhancements which would help to foster a coherent and distinct “sense of place” at Harbourside. A universally accessible viewing deck along the waterfront would provide direct public access to the water; something which cannot be found elsewhere in North Vancouver. Large public waterfront gathering spaces would also be integrated within the new street design, the perfect venue for farmers markets or cultural festivals. Finally, significant funding for public art would serve to further enhance the character of the public realm.

Traffic & transportation improvements
Harbourside’s development would bring with it a host of offsite traffic and transportation upgrades. A primary area of focus would be upgrading offsite roads and intersections that feed into Harbourside to improve vehicular access. The addition of 50 parking stalls would help alleviate parking shortages, as would the addition of four car share vehicles. Furthermore, pedestrian rail safety and landscape improvements along Bewicke Ave would make walking or cycling into Harbourside more viable. Concert would also be the first developer to work with Translink to subsidize a new bus route; this would increase service to and from Harbourside and neighbouring communities. Furthermore, construction of an integrated transit "hub" would include thoughtful amenities such as free WiFi access to make transit ridership more pleasant. Finally, Concert is looking at funding a “travel coordinator” for 12-15 years who would work with businesses and residents to promote sustainable transportation options.  

Park & Spirit Trail upgrades
Parks and open spaces would be a key element of the Harbourside community and serve to maintain a connection to nature. In addition to the 2.5 acres of public open space which would be created within the new development at Harbourside, Concert would dedicate 1.2 acres of additional park area to the City. Concert would also provide funding for a City-led public parks process which would determine the highest and best use for existing and newly-dedicated park lands, and subsequently fund these improvements. Concert has suggested that a sandy beach, complete with volleyball courts, might be a welcome addition to North Vancouver. Connections to the Spirit Trail would be expanded and enhanced with the addition of separated pedestrian and cycling paths and landscaping. A concession kiosk, complete with food service and public washrooms, would serve as the perfect public gathering point along the Spirit Trail. Finally, there would be both habitat restoration and enhancement of the shoreline as well as adjacent creeks.  

Other contributions
Concert would employ a forward-thinking design to address flood control management concerns at present, while also building in the capacity for further adaptation to address sea level rise in the future. Providing space for a LEC District Energy “mini-plant” would not only help to power Harbourside, but it would also benefit the surrounding community’s expansion in the future. Harbourside’s construction would also create significant economic value to the local economy by creating 4,500 construction jobs, employment space for 1,500 full-time jobs and $2.3M in annual property takes for the City. In addition, there would be 50,000 square feet of retail amenities to serve the community as well as 100 rental homes to help alleviate the City’s shortage. Finally, Concert would make a significant cash contribution to the City above and beyond the initiatives and amenities described above.  

The City has engaged Sandra Cawley of Burgess, Cawley, Sullivan & Associates to act as the mediator in the process of assessing the methodology for calculating the CACs at Harbourside. With her help, Concert and the City are close to finalizing a CAC proposal. Once complete, this proposal will be presented at the upcoming Town Hall Meeting, currently anticipated for September.  

Harbourside Waterfront’s next steps

What exactly are the next steps in the Harbourside Waterfront project? Today you will learn about the upcoming milestones on the road to creating a new and special designation on North Vancouver’s waterfront.

While not a requirement of rezoning, Concert will be organizing a Town Hall Meeting as a way of providing further public engagement. At the Town Hall, currently anticipated for September, we will present our revised application for Harbourside which includes a number of changes since it was first submitted in December 2012. The revised application integrates an updated flood management design that can be adapted for sea level rise over time; an updated transportation assessment that improves access and parking to the site and mitigates the effects of this development on surrounding neighbourhoods; and a Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) plan which includes a number of on-site and off-site amenities such as upgrades to the public park space as well as a significant cash contribution to the City.

With the feedback received from the Town Hall Meeting, we will then refine our rezoning application further before going to the City of North Vancouver’s Council. Our application, along with a comprehensive development zoning bylaw and development permit area guidelines, will be submitted to Council for what is known as “first reading”. The development zoning bylaw will regulate density, height, setbacks, site coverage and other qualitative restrictions while the development permit area guidelines document controls the form and character of the development and the public realm. If Council is satisfied with our application, the rezoning application will then be referred to a Public Hearing, anticipated for October or November. Public Hearings provide an opportunity for Council to hear from those who believe their interest in a given property may be affected by proposed changes. Following the Public Hearing, Council will make a decision on our application.

Subsequently a “parks process” will engage the public and define the exact look and feel of the park space at Harbourside. This process will re-evaluate Kings Mill Walk park and determine the programming for the 1.2 acres of additional park space which Concert is dedicating to the City. This process will be funded by Concert through part of the cash contribution and will be led by the City.

With the rezoning complete and the parks process completed, the Harbourside team will then pursue development permits for the individual buildings within the first phase of construction. Throughout the development permit stage; there will be opportunities for public consultation as well as City Advisory Body review to ensure that each and every building is a deserving addition to the community.   

Sharing community feedback – part two

This week we bring you a continuation of last week’s post. Below you will find additional samples of feedback we received via comment cards at various community engagement events on Harbourside.  

“Proposal is too uniform and boring - provide more height variation….” 
The artistic renderings which have been released to date are intended to give an overall sense of building scale and placement. Considerably more time will be spent refining the look of individual buildings to ensure there is enough variation to be visually interesting and avoid monotony. With the help of several architectural firms, each building will undergo separate Design Panel reviews by the City before development permits are issued. Building heights have been prescribed in the Official Community Plan (OCP), and will range from a maximum of eight or nine stories, to a low of just two stories. 

“I like the idea. As presented, this would be an attractive, usable addition to the City waterfront.”
Our sentiments exactly! The whole Concert team is excited for the opportunity to create something truly special and unique for North Vancouver.  

“A good mix of all is fine, providing everyone has access to the waterfront.”
We can assure you that the waterfront will remain fully accessible to everyone. Through a separate, City-led “parks process”, the exact look and feel of the waterfront and adjacent park space will be defined. 

“Would need better pedestrian and vehicle access. The traffic has increased greatly on the North Shore over the years with no increase in public transportation and our main street, i.e. Marine Drive, cannot handle the increasing numbers. The existing bridges are unsafe for pedestrians.”
In conjunction with transportation consultants Bunt & Associates, the issue of traffic flow has been considered holistically within a broader examination of transportation planning. For more information on plans to address the issue from all angles, see the post entitled “Traffic concerns at Harbourside”. To read about plans to expand the Spirit Trail, an important element for pedestrian connectivity at Harbourside, see “The Spirit Trail - Connecting the North Shore Communities”. Regarding bridge safety, there have actually been recent upgrades to the Bewicke Bridge. The bridge now includes a separated pedestrian walkway, and in future safety upgrades are planned for Bewicke Avenue to make this route a viable and safe option for pedestrians and cyclists. 

Watch for future blog posts where we will share and address further feedback we have received from the community.

Harbourside progress update: June 8 – July 9

A summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Transportation planning 
Our transportation consultants, Bunt & Associates, have recently conducted further on-site analysis of existing traffic flow at Harbourside. Specifically, they were observing and documenting traffic flow with an eye towards how the City of North Vancouver can best optimize the evening traffic outflow from Harbourside.

In addition to the work Bunt is doing, a dedicated transportation planner from the City will review their recommendations and ultimately oversee the holistic transportation plan at Harbourside which will include traffic, parking and transit service.

Reporting to Council
Concert is preparing to go to City Council on July 22 as a “delegation”. For those not familiar, the term delegation is used to define the formal process whereby an organization or individual appears before the Council; in our case it will be to check in and provide an update on our rezoning efforts.  

Development Permit Area Guidelines
The Development Permit Area (DPA) guidelines document has now been finalized and is with the City for their review before the Public Hearing, which is anticipated for Fall 2013. This document, which contains high-level guiding principles and goals for the development, has been created in collaboration with City staff, advisory bodies and Concert. 

Temporary use permit for additional parking
Concert’s application for a “temporary use permit” to allow for the development of 50 on-site parking stalls at the northwest portion of 925 Harbourside Drive has been approved. 

Harbourside on-site parking assessment - open house 
The City will be holding an open house on Thursday, July 18 to gather input that will help them in their investigation into options for improving on-street parking within the Harbourside area. The event is being held at Bodwell High School from 4:00pm to 7:00pm, for more information click here.

Sharing community feedback – part one

For the past three years now Concert has been engaging nearby residents and businesses in order to gather important feedback which has helped shape our vision for what Harbourside could become. This week we wanted to share a sample of the feedback we received via comment cards at various community engagement events that Concert either hosted or participated in.  

“What will be at this site that will make it a destination one day? What will make this a gem for the City?” 
Great question! There has been considerable thought put into all the ways in which Harbourside would become a truly unique place that attracts people from across the North Shore and beyond. To learn more you should check out several of our past blog posts; “Building upon Harbourside as a destination”, “Enhancing parks & open spaces”, “Creating a sense of place” and “How public art will foster a sense of place”. 

“I believe this mixed-use community complex is exactly what the North Shore needs. I am very excited about the whole concept and would like to see it developed ASAP. Can’t wait to see it evolve.” 
Thank you for your support, we share your excitement about what Harbourside could become! To learn more about how Concert will contribute to the evolution of this community, check out our post on “Community phasing”.

“We need more free permanent (whole day) parking”
Parking management has been a key consideration our team has worked on in conjunction with Bunt & Associates, the transportation consultants we have retained. To learn more about the strategies which would be employed you can read “Addressing parking at Harbourside”. In addition, temporary measures are currently in place to make more parking available, see “Harbourside progress update: April 23 – May 7” for more details. 

“A very valuable waterfront site should be reflected in uses that take advantage of waterfront and others should not be included (e.g. warehouses, car dealers, many offices).” 
An excellent point, a world-class waterfront setting such as Harbourside is a scarce resource which should be reserved for the “highest and best use” so it can provide maximum benefit to the community. To learn more about what is being envisioned at a high level, check out our post on “Guiding principles at Harbourside”. 

Watch for future blog posts where we will pick up where we have left off here and share further feedback we have received from the community. 

The Concert team

In March we wrote about the “all star” team of consultants that Concert has assembled in order to transform Harbourside into a destination mixed-use community. Today we focus on two talented members of the Concert development team who have been championing this vision for Harbourside over the past four years. 

Lisa Lock – Vice President, Development
In Lisa’s 12 years with Concert she has managed the development of several award-winning large and mid-scale residential projects in Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and Victoria. She has extensive experience working with City officials and community groups to reach successful, mutually beneficial agreements. Within Concert, Lisa is the senior development team member on Harbourside and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the process. Lisa has lived on the North Shore for 15 years, previously in the City of North Vancouver for 11 years in a heritage home she and her husband restored. 

Farouk Babul – Development Manager
Farouk has seven years of broad-based experience with Concert where he has worked in sales and marketing, acquisitions and ultimately development. Having worked on over a dozen projects, he now handles all of the day-to-day operations in the rezoning process for Harbourside under Lisa’s oversight. Farouk also serves as Concert’s representative on the North Shore Chamber of Commerce.    

Both Lisa and Farouk have been involved with the revitalization plans for Harbourside from the very beginning in early 2009. In speaking to either of them, it’s difficult not to share their excitement about the project. They are both intensely passionate about how Harbourside could be transformed into a unique mixed-use community with its own very distinct character and sense of place. They see this as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to help create the framework to foster community for generations to come. 

Harbourside progress update: May8 – June 7

A summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Continued dialogue with TransLink
Recognizing that good public transit service is integral to the success of any community, Concert has continued exploring options with TransLink for how to best increase transit service to Harbourside. Several ideas have been put forward including the introduction of a new bus route that would service Harbourside in addition to others who aren’t currently well-connected by transit (such as the Norgate comunity or SPAN). Concert is proud to have the distinction of being the first developer to be working collaboratively with TransLink to ensure the viability of transit usage prior to construction commencing. 

Development Permit Area Guidelines
City staff, advisory bodies and Concert have been working to finalize the Development Permit Area (DPA) guidelines document. These guidelines control the form and character of a development in addition to regulating the look and feel of the surrounding public realm.
For more information, click here to read the article we recently posted which discusses these guiding principles in detail. 

Timeline Update
Earlier this year we had been operating under the assumption that Concert would be able to bring Harbourside to a Town Hall meeting, and subsequently a Public Hearing in the Spring. However, the determination of the appropriate type and magnitude of community amenity contributions (CACs) have taken longer than expected. A plan for proposed CACs – things like parks, public art, rental housing, street upgrades and cash donations for Council’s discretionary use – must be finalized before the plan for Harbourside can go before either a Town Hall meeting or Public Hearing. It is anticipated that we will be able to schedule a Town Hall Meeting this Summer and then a Public Hearing for early Fall.  

Guiding Principals at Harbourside

In order to ensure a large master-planned community comes together as envisioned, it is important to have a series of guiding principles in place to influence all aspects of the development before a shovel goes into the ground. In Harbourside’s case, these guiding principles are contained in the Development Permit Area (DPA) guidelines document which has been a collaborative effort involving City staff, advisory bodies and Concert. Harbourside’s DPA guidelines will control the form and character of the development in addition to regulating the look and feel of the surrounding buildings and public realm. The document can be broken into two board categories:

Environmental guidelines 
Environmental sustainability will be kept top of mind at Habourside. The primary objectives include designing the land use mix, transportation systems, buildings and energy systems to exceed the energy and carbon performance of conventional developments at the time of construction. Other environmental guidelines include effective management of rainwater and the reduction of potable water usage. 

Form and character guidelines
As a mixed-use development, Harbourside aims to revitalize waterfront land by creating a vibrant destination which is seen as a “complete community”. This attractive destination would include a mix of retail, office, residential and public spaces to animate the City’s waterfront. Specific objectives include:

• Ensuring the form and character of residential, multi-family, commercial and mixed-use development are a desirable addition to the City of North Vancouver. 
• Revitalizing an existing commercial node.  
• Delivering desirable public realm, landscaping and building exterior design.

Concert and the City of North Vancouver are currently working to finalize the DPA guidelines. Once finalized, this document will be submitted to City Council for consideration at Public Hearing, as part of our rezoning application. 

Maintaining a commercial capacity

Originally developed in 1996 and consisting of nearly 900,000 square feet, Harbourside is North Vancouver’s premier business park and home to the North Shore Automall. Its strategic location, within 10-minutes of the Lions Gate Bridge and Highway 1, has attracted a variety of commercial and industrial businesses and helped advance the City of North Vancouver’s business development goals. Today, the business park provides over 3,900 jobs to the City.

While Concert’s re-imagined Harbourside entails the addition of a broader range of uses including residential condominiums and rental housing, it has always been our intention to not only maintain the existing commercial capacity, but to build upon it. Concert’s development plans for the remaining waterfront parcels include the provision for a significant amount of high-quality office space. A total of at least 200,000 square feet of “AAA” office space is proposed which would be owned and operated by Concert, and provide for approximately 1,000 additional office jobs.

As it exists today Harbourside lacks the volume of amenities necessary to properly support the workforce such as convenience retail and services, or frequent public transit service. The construction of residential, along with additional commercial and retail space will help create the critical mass needed to make these amenities viable by serving the business community by day and the residential community by night.

Concert is proud to be able to build upon previous success in developing some of the City’s most desirable commercial space, while at the same time being able to add the supporting amenities required to make Harbourside an even more appealing destination for businesses. 

Harbourside progress update: April 23 – May 7

A summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Temporary use permit for additional parking
The Harbourside development team recently applied for a “temporary use permit” which would allow for the development of 50 on-site parking stalls at the northwest portion of 925 Harbourside Drive. While the ultimate plan for Harbourside includes the permanent addition of approximately 50 on-site street parking stalls on a new international street network, these temporary spots will alleviate demand through pre-development and construction. The plan will be to phase out these temporary stalls as the permanent ones are constructed.      

Rainwater management

In February we wrote about the wide variety of sustainably-minded initiatives and elements that are being planned for Harbourside Waterfront. Today we bring you some additional information about one particular element of our sustainability plan, rainwater management. 

In a typical development, the rainwater that naturally falls on a building’s roofs, sidewalks and internal roadways is captured, filtered to remove oil and grit, and then displaced into a body of water - which in the case of Harbourside is the Burrard Inlet. However, in order to achieve Harbourside’s sustainability objectives, Concert is developing a strategy to go well above and beyond the ordinary.  

Our civil engineer, landscape architect and recently-engaged water resource engineer are working on an on-site rainwater management strategy for the mixed-use community. Instead of simply moving the rainwater off-site, the rainwater management strategy will outline a plan for how this rainwater would be harvested, naturally filtered and reused in a sustainable manner. 

Specifically, the rainwater would be collected from the buildings’ green roofs, naturally filtered and captured for use in “rain gardens” which are water features that would be integrated into the neighbourhood. The green roofs and rain gardens would use natural materials and plants to clean and control rain water flows, and in doing so, would provide a natural habitat for pollinators, birds and other small animals to thrive in an urban environment. The rain gardens would further connect the site with its waterfront location and add to the marine-inspired character of the community. Another option the team is exploring is the possibility of capturing some of this excess rainwater as a means of irrigating the community’s landscaping – a particularly innovative strategy which would serve to decrease the community’s water usage. 

By taking a cue from nature and striving for integrated rainwater management design, Harbourside will not only relieve the pressure on municipal sewer systems but it will also begin to return to a more natural cycle that feeds water back into our local ecosystems. 

Harbourside progress update: April 8 - April 22

A summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Sustainable Heating and Cooling
The Harbourside development team had a follow-up meeting with representatives from LEC (Londsdale Energy Corporation) and the City to further discuss the innovative proposal Concert submitted last month for sustainably managing heating and cooling demands. While further study is required, there is a strong commitment to working together to implement the most appropriate sustainably-minded solution for Harbourside. 

Public Transportation Planning
The team had another constructive meeting with Translink which covered important topics such as optimal bus stop placement and routing options to increase transit service to and from Harbourside. This positive meeting reinforced the commitment all parties share towards acting as partners while working towards the shared goal of enhancing accessibility and fostering a “transit-taking” culture at Harbourside.   

Community Amenity Contributions
Right from the outset of planning for a mixed-use Harbourside, significant community amenity contributions (CACs) have been planned – things like parks, public art, rental housing and street upgrades. The City has engaged Sandra Cawley of Burgess, Cawley, Sullivan & Associates to act as an independent, third-party mediator in assessing the methodology for calculating the CACs. Concert and the City will work together to finalize the CAC proposal in advance of Harbourside’s Town Hall Meeting. 

How public art will foster a sense of place

Recent posts have discussed some of the many ways we plan to build upon Harbourside’s distinct “sense of place” such as the creation of dynamic public spaces and the inclusion of boutique-quality, destination retail. Today we explain how our plans to integrate public art will enhance the community and further our placemaking goals. 

Rather than simply include a few pieces of art, we envision integrating public art holistically throughout numerous elements of the development. An artist will be selected to work collaboratively with the interdisciplinary design team to ensure a unique, Harbourside-specific character is injected into elements such as street furniture, lighting and landscaping. 

The plan also includes commissioning two iconic art pieces that would be located at key gathering points. Artists from the Pacific Northwest will be invited to submit proposals for art pieces which incorporate interactive elements influenced by the site’s unique quality of light, the harbour wind and proximity to the water. 

We are excited about the possibilities for creative expression through public art at Harbourside and believe it will help foster a greater sense of community and create lasting memories for visitors. 

Building upon Harbourside as a destination

Regular readers of this blog may already know that Concert’s vision for a truly mixed use Harbourside entails the integration of a wide range of boutique-quality, destination retailers as well as additional high-quality office space and a full-service hotel. This will build upon the existing 900,000-square-foot Harbourside Business Park which provides over 3,900 jobs and is home to numerous unique, local businesses which attract visitors from across the North Shore. 

Harbourside is already a place where you can enjoy gourmet treats from Thomas Haas Chocolates & Pastries, order a delectable meal from Louis Gervais Fine Foods & Catering, get a great workout at Level 10 Fitness & Physiotherapy or relax and indulge yourself at Spa Utopia. Many of these existing businesses are excited about what the future could bring for the area. 

"One of the reasons I think it's important that this development goes through is that I think North Vancouver needs more vibrancy, and this is in an area which is prime for that" says Anthony Findlay, owner of Level 10 Fitness & Physiotherapy. 

“I think the project…will benefit our and other businesses” said Thomas Haas, owner of Thomas Haas Chocolates & Pastries.

To build upon the success Harbourside Business Park has already enjoyed, Concert has engaged Colliers as the development’s retail strategy consultant. With their help, we will seek out the right tenants to build upon the solid foundation of businesses who have already been attracted to Harbourside. Bringing additional destination retail to the area will serve as a valuable community amenity for people across the North Shore including waterfront trail users, visitors to the dog park, new and existing businesses and future residents of Harbourside. Think boutique local retailers that offer something unique such as a one-of-a-kind waterfront brewpub crafting its own beer, a neighbourhood butcher who takes pride in bringing in the freshest cuts of local meat, a specialty bakery making bread the authentic old world way, a café serving up world-class artisanal coffee, a fine wine shop stocking all of the best Okanagan vintages and lifestyle-enhancing neighbourhood services such as a friendly yoga studio. For many, this is an exciting vision which would enable the area to come into its own as a truly special destination in North Vancouver. 

Harbourside progress update: March 19 - April 5

A summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Public art update

Since engaging Leesa Strimbiscki from Urban Art Management (UAM) as the art consultant for Harbourside, as mentioned in the Harbourside progress update: March 2-18, UAE, Concert and PWL Partnership have put together a preliminary Public Art Master Plan which has been submitted to the North Vancouver Public Art Advisory Committee (NVPAAC). The Public Art Master Plan identifies the vision and approach for public art at Harbourside. The concepts that underly the approach is to advance creative design through integrated and discrete pieces that celebrate the site and connect the community. The proposal will be presented on April 10 at the next NVPAAC meeting.

The Spirit Trail - Connecting the North Shore Communities

The North Shore has long been known for its natural beauty - dense forests, mountains, and scenic ocean and city views. This has no doubt attracted outdoor enthusiasts from near and far to enjoy what it has to offer. The Federal Government, Provincial Government, North Shore municipalities and Squamish Nation came together in 2007 to envision the Spirit Trail. The Spirit Trail is a 35 kilometer, multi-use and fully accessible greenway that will provide pedestrians, cyclists, inline skaters and people with mobility aids a safe and accessible path along the waterfront from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove. Once completed, the trail will contribute to the City of North Vancouver’s sustainability objectives and provide a healthy recreation and transportation option for North Shore residents and visitors.

Spirit Map Courtesy of the City of North Vancouver

The Spirit Trail traverses Kings Mill Walk – the City’s longest stretch of accessible waterfront park – designed, developed and donated to the City by Concert as part of the original Harbourside rezoning. Upgrades and enhancements to the park and Spirit Trail are  integral to Concert’s current mixed-use rezoning proposal. The enhancements include expanding and integrating the Spirit Trail along the development’s entire waterfront with separated bicycle and pedestrian paths; landscaping, lighting, furniture and public art that embraces the area’s unique character; areas to play or enjoy the breathtaking views of the water and downtown Vancouver; and outdoor, multi-purpose spaces for community gatherings.

Spirit Trail Improvements for Harbourside

As part of Concert’s transportation upgrades proposed for the area, a commitment has been made to improve pedestrian and bike friendly amenities. Think a bike share program between Harbourside and Lonsdale Quay, and a “bike station” with end-of-trip facilities such as lockers, showers and even a tune-up shop for cyclists and rollerbladers! Combined with the proposed Spirit Trail enhancements, including bicycle paths along Harbourside Drive and Fell Avenue for commuter cyclists, these amenities will provide residents and employees improved options to commute along the North Shore.

Imagine grabbing a coffee and enjoying the city views as you stroll along the waterfront on your way to the Seabus in the morning or avoiding rush hour and taking in the natural beauty as you cycle home. The proposed enhancements to the Spirit Trail will increase public access to outdoor space and help bring neighbouring communities closer to Harbourside. 

Creating a sense of place

With any large-scale, master-planned urban development it becomes important to consider the feeling that the environment will evoke. After all, any truly great community is striving for its own unique “sense of place” that both sets it apart and draws people to it.

When our talented group of consultants began thinking about how Harbourside could  evolve into a mixed-use community with its own special sense of place, they began by first recognizing the site’s characteristics and attributes. Harbourside’s location is uniquely in tune with the natural world – it occupies a prime waterfront location with trail connectivity and magnificent views of the ocean and the North Shore mountains. The property also has a dynamic history as part of a working waterfront which remains in operation to this day. The team spent considerable time envisioning how exactly they could create something which would simultaneously acknowledge the site’s unique position in the City while at the same time paying homage to the working nature of this stretch of North Vancouver’s waterfront – all in an effort to make Harbourside a destination for those across the North Shore and beyond. 

After much careful consideration, the resulting plan strikes a balance between all of these objectives. The creation of animated shopping streets filled with unique, boutique retailers along with dynamic gathering places would help establish Harbourside as a destination. The integration of recreational areas, including a generous amount of park space and an expansion of the Spirit Trail would further this goal – especially since an expanded Spirit Trail would provide opportunities for walking, riding, rollerblading and running for kilometers east and west of Harbourside. These efforts are intended to make Harbourside into a destination while preserving the site’s connections to the natural world. To further maintain this connection, the team is prioritizing the preservation of public and private views of the mountains and ocean. Harbourside’s uniqueness would be further accentuated with the careful selection of materials throughout the buildings and landscaped public spaces. Materials which connect to the natural world and weather authentically would be combined with elements which evoke an “industrial chic” language – think soft colored brick, concrete, wood and steel. To contrast, smooth metal panels and flush glass would be used as a subtle reference to the shine of a boat in the harbour. 

We are confident that these considerations will result in a community which possess its own identity and sense of place, allowing it to become one of the most dynamic and desirable communities in the Lower Mainland. 

Harbourside progress update: March 2 – 18

A summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Public art 
Concert has engaged Leesa Strimbiscki, principle of Urban Art Management, as the public art consultant for Harbourside. In this capacity, Leesa will coordinate the creation of public art by local artists which will be integrated into Harbourisde’s public realm with the help of PWL, the project’s landscape architect. Throughout this process, the North Vancouver Public Art Advisory Committee (NVPAAC) will provide feedback and guidance. With such experienced consultants, this approach is sure to create dynamic public environments through the integration of public art into well-planned landscaping.

Click here to view Urban Art Management’s portfolio
Click here to view PWL’s portfolio 


Connecting to district energy
Concert has been working with the LEC (Lonsdale Energy Corporation) and the City of North Vancouver to develop an innovative heating and cooling system for Harbourside which is consistent with the sustainability targets of both Concert and the City. 

The Harbourside team has submitted a high-level proposal for consideration which will be further discussed in a follow-up meeting later this month. The proposal outlines how Harbourside would utilize geothermal technology and incorporate energy trading between buildings, measures which are expected to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating and cooling. By utilizing an ambient loop system of energy distribution, this approach capitalizes on the fact that Harbourside would be a mixed-use community. Because commercial tenants require the most heating/cooling during the workday and residential tenants require the most heating/cooling in the evenings, it becomes possible to reap the many benefits of an ambient loop system. 

If approved, this system would ultimately be owned by the LEC and provide the residents of Harbourside with among the “greenest” heating/cooling on the North Shore. 

Concert as a community builder

Harbourside could be the third large-scale, master-planned community Concert has built in the Lower Mainland. As a result, it would benefit from the knowledge and experience gained through the development of two very successful communities.

Arbutus Walk
In 1995, Concert began to transform the six-acre Carling O’Keefe Brewery site into a desirable neighbourhood on Vancouver’s West Side known as Arbutus Walk. By 2002, the completed development contained seven, uniquely-designed buildings designed to mesh with the character of the existing community, green spaces and pedestrian-priority internal streets. The community combines condominium homes with seniors’ residences and commercial retail spaces in buildings ranging from four to eight storeys.

An award-winning community, both Ansonia and Tapestry at Arbutus Walk took home prestigious national SAM Awards from Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) for “Best multi-family housing project over four storeys” in 1998 and 2003 respectively. This is in addition to five Georgie Awards from the BC chapter of the CHBA which included “Best Residential Development in BC” in 2002 for Tropez at Arbutus Walk.

“The Arbutus Walk neighbourhood in Kitsilano is a pivotal example of residential intensification within an existing, predominately lower density residential district” – City of Vancouver Planning Department 

Collingwood Village
Located in Vancouver East, Collingwood Village is a 33-acre, award-winning master-planned community developed by Concert over a 16-year period. Adjacent to the Joyce-Collingwood SkyTrain station, Collingwood Village contains almost 2,500 condominium and rental homes. There are numerous amenities within this master-planned community including parks, soccer and softball fields, tennis courts, a basketball court and extensive green space. In addition, there is a 200-student elementary school and Collingwood Neighbourhood House, a 25,000-square-foot state-of-the-art community facility containing a gymnasium and childcare facility.

In 2002, Collingwood Village was awarded the prestigious “Livable Region” award from the Urban Development Institute. In addition, Collingwood Village Neighbourhood House took home the Georgie for “Excellence in Cooperation by Municipal Government” in 1996 as well as Georgies for Emerald Park Place (1997) and Urba at Collingwood Village (2004).

“Collingwood Village is a model of community-based planning in which residents of the surrounding community have benefited from substantial improvements in local amenities and services by participating in a co-operative planning process with the developer and the City” – City of Vancouver Planning Department

Both of these master-planned communities were a success not simply because they delivered quality housing, but because they complimented the existing neighbourhood and brought with them valuable community amenities. If you visit either of them today you will see that what Concert has really done is created an environment which has allowed a true sense of community to grow and flourish over the years. The very same principles would be applied to Harbourside to ensure what Concert creates fits with the existing community, adds needed amenities and is ultimately able to establish its own unique sense of place.

Our consultant team

In order to bring Concert’s vision for a complete mixed-use Harbourside to fruition, we rely heavily on the team of skilled consultants we have assembled. Each of these key individuals were selected for their extensive knowledge on particular aspects of community planning and design. 

Richard Henry of Richard Henry Architect was brought on board to develop Concert’s vision through the OCP amendment and rezoning phases. Richard brings 25 years of experience in major rezonings in addition to five years of recent experience sitting as a member of the Vancouver Urban Design Panel. Throughout his longstanding relationship with Concert he has worked on over 20 of our developments. 

Karen Marler of Hughs Condon and Marler Architects (HCMA) is working in conjunction with Richard on urban design as well as consulting on sustainability. In addition to the work HCMA has done for Concert over the years,  which includes our Arbutus Walk master-planned community in Vancouver, the firm recently completed the UniverCity Childcare Facility at SFU which is one of the world’s greenest buildings due to its target of a net zero footprint. Karen is also working on Vancouver’s East Fraserlands development, a 130-acre industrial site being transformed into a mixed-use community. 

Derek Lee of PWL is serving as the landscape architect for Harbourside. PWL worked with Concert on the original landscape architecture and urban planning of Harbourside Business Park in addition to Concert’s recent developments such as Salt and Tapestry at Wesbrook Village in Vancouver. Derek brings experience working on high-profile projects such as the landscape design of Olympic Village in Vancouver’s Southeast False Creek and New Westminster’s Pier Park. In addition, he served as the former Chair of the City of North Vancouver’s Design Panel advisory body. 

Alex Boston, in conjunction with his team of engineers at Golder and Associates, is working to address sea level rise at Harbourside as well as aiding in sustainability planning in conjunction with HCMA. Golder and Associates bring a host of experience to their work on Harbourside which includes engineering services for the Vancouver Convention Centre West. 

Paul Dorby and Peter Joyce of Bunt & Associates are responsible for the comprehensive transportation analysis and mitigation recommendations which will work to alleviate traffic and transportation related concerns at Harbourside. Bunt & Associates’ extensive experience includes working on the strategic transportation plan for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games in addition to traffic demand strategies for shopping centres such as Metrotown and Guildford Town Centre. Paul and Peter have also been involved on numerous Concert projects through the years. 

Concert is proud to have been able to assemble an “all star” team for this project and looks forward to drawing on their extensive experience as we take the next steps in this exciting process. 

Harbourside progress update: February 18 – March 1

A summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Meetings with ACDI & ADP

With the support of the Integrated Transportation Committee (ITC), Advisory Planning Committee (APC) and Parks and Environment Advisory Committee (PEAC), the team recently met again with the remaining two advisory bodies to review comments previously made and to provide further information. 

The team received the unanimous support of both the Advisory Committee on Disability Issues (ACDI) and the Advisory Design Panel (ADP) as well as constructive feedback. Although not a requirement, Concert has made a commitment to continue meeting with ACDI throughout the various development permit stages to ensure they are able to provide meaningful input. 

We are pleased to now have the support of all five advisory bodies as we move into the rezoning process. 


Finalization of DPA guidelines

The team circulated a second draft of the Development Permit Area (DPA) guidelines document to City staff and the various advisory bodies for their review early in February. Having had a chance to meet individually with each advisory body again, the team is now working to incorporate their feedback. Once completed, City staff will finalize the document for Council’s consideration at the future Public Hearing. 

DPA guidelines control the form and character of a development in addition to regulating the look and feel of the surrounding public realm.

Creating precincts

The old cliché of being able to drive through a standard-issue suburban development and get lost looking for your own driveway reflects the fact that master-planned communities which simply “step and repeat” end up feeling homogeneous. 

To help avoid homogeneity at Harbourside, the development and planning team envision the creation of distinct sub-precincts within the public realm (click here to view a diagram). These sub-precincts will have their own unique character and transition from Marine, to Urban and ultimately Natural as you move from east to west through the site. The neighbourhood’s  overarching “industrial chic” character, inspired by the working industrial waterfront, will unite the precincts and work towards the creation of a  “sense of place”. 

Marine 
Inspired by the working waterfront of the Burrard Yacht Club, the Marine precinct features elements reminiscent of marina wharfs and dry-dock yards. 

Urban 
As the heart of the community, the Urban precinct contains a dynamic mix of retail services, housing and a hotel – uses that define this as the core of the community. 

Natural
The Natural precinct creates strong green linkages to the neighbouring Kings Mill Walk trail and references the idyllic waterfront location.   

In the coming weeks we will delve deeper into these individual precincts and describe how they will work in unison to create a dynamic, and truly unique mixed-use community. 

Sustainability

Sustainability has increasingly become a hot topic within the building community. Today it is widely recognized that to build an innovative, forward-thinking community, it must embody the principles of sustainability throughout the entire planning, design and construction process. 

These considerations have been an integral part of Concert’s vision for Harbourside. In addition to targeting LEED Gold certification on all residential and commercial buildings, we aim to do better than the City of North Vancouver’s current building bylaws. To meet this goal, we are committed to pursuing a broad range of sustainability initiatives: 

Energy use

• Prioritize building envelope efficiency & passive design.
• Utilize efficient lighting and HVAC systems, and Energy Star appliances.
• Connect to the City’s district energy system to share energy resources among other high-density developments.
• Sub-meter the commercial buildings and the residential rental building to motivate energy conservation.

Water conservation

• Utilize low-flow fixtures and dual-flush or high-efficiency toilets.
• Collect and repurpose rainwater. 
• Utilize drought tolerant and indigenous plant species, along with computerized irrigation control systems, to reduce irrigation requirements.

Waste management

• Implement a waste management plan during construction to reduce landfill waste.
• Include advanced recycling stations for all future residents and tenants, in all buildings. 

Materials selected

• Select materials with a high recycled content and with low or no off-gas content.
• Utilize BC-based manufactured & harvested materials/products where possible.

Rainwater management

• Incorporate rainwater gardens into the design of the community.
• Implement an erosion & sediment control plan during construction.

Urban agriculture

• Include urban agricultural plots for residents on intensive green roofs.

Transportation 

• Enhance the frequency of bus service to and from Harbourside. 
• Increase street parking to support existing and future commercial and recreational demands.
• Integrate electric vehicle charge stations within buildings.
• Provide bike and car sharing systems.
• Promote walking and cycling for commuters by improving the existing network of trails and by providing “end of trip” facilities. 

Our team is proud to have truly “pushed the envelope” with respect to the integration of sustainability at Harbourside. When complete, we envision that Harbourside will be the most environmentally sustainable community in the City of North Vancouver. 

This week at Harbourside: week ending February 15

A weekly summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Follow-up meetings with APC & PEAC
This week the team had follow-up meetings with two City advisory bodies to address comments they had previously received. 

In meetings with both the Advisory Planning Commission (APC) as well as the Parks and Environment Committee (PEAC), Concert received support for their rezoning application. APC commended the team on the commercial component of their plan and supported the “splaying” of buildings to optimize views. PEAC encouraged Concert to continue striving for sustainability excellence and maintain efforts to manage parking at Harbourside for the benefit of park users. 

With the support of the Integrated Transportation Committee (ITC), APC and PEAC, the team will meet again with the remaining two advisory bodies next week.