Urbanized
Kenneth Chan
Plans to build a new 464-ft-tall, 44-storey, mixed-tenure residential tower in Burnaby’s Metrotown downtown district are moving forward.
Local developer Anthem Properties is redeveloping 6075 Wilson Avenue — the northwest corner of the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Central Boulevard, immediately east of SkyTrain’s Patterson Station and Central Park.
Currently, the property is occupied by a 1972-built, four-storey building with 86 rental homes.
The redevelopment will create 444 new homes, including 358 condominiums within the tower, with a unit mix of 39 studios, 156 one-bedroom units, 117 two-bedroom units, and 42 three-bedroom units. This includes four townhouse units fronting Wilson Avenue, and 78 units are adaptable for people with mobility challenges.
Within a separate six-storey building, there will also be 86 non-market rental homes, replacing the units of the existing building at the site. The unit mix is five studios, 63 one-bedroom units, and 18 two-bedroom units. Under a partnership with BC Housing, this non-market rental housing building will be operated by New Vista Society.
Residents will have access to separate amenity spaces, including 7,100 sq ft for the market residential tower and 1,730 sq ft for the rental building.
The tower design by GBL Architects carries a simple yet striking appearance, with a varying balcony depth on the west side that creates a “wave-like” expression facing Central Park. This is contrasted with sleek glazing on the south facade, with white metal spandrel panel and white cementitious panel adding to the rich texture.
Four underground levels will contain 457 vehicle parking stalls and 977 bike parking spaces.
The total floor area is 374,000 sq ft, giving the project a floor area ratio (FAR) density of 5.97 times the size of the 62,642-sq-ft lot. This includes 67,653 sq ft of floor area from a 1.08 FAR density bonus. The footprints of the two buildings will only occupy 45% of the large property.
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