940-950 West 41st Avenue ODP and CD-1 Amendment

Statement Watch

Thank you.

I need your name and whether you live in the city of Vancouver.

My name is Diego Matlabom. I live in North Vancouver, but I work in the city of Vancouver. Okay, thank you.

Go right ahead.

Thank you, everybody, for your time. I want to voice my very strong support for this project, both as what I would consider myself a proud Vancouverite, a proud member of the Jewish community. But the reason I support this project beyond all of the social benefit that I think we've heard here today is because there's no better community center than one with community energy. And there's an infrastructure story here that this project can help unlock that people might not be very familiar with. So I'm the chief development officer of a company called Corex. We develop, invest, and own district energy systems, low-carbon ones, regulated by BC Utilities Commission. And when Oak Ridge Park down the road was first being conceptualized back in 2015, 2017, that was a long time ago, there was the new green building policy that was coming out, and it was envisioned that Oak Ridge Park would be the anchor for a new low-carbon district energy system that would provide low-carbon energy for all of the Canby Corridor and the Oak Ridge area. Very proud to say that we've developed that system. We're a 50% owner of that system. So Oak Ridge Park actually has about 500 geothermal boreholes underneath and it heats and cools that entire development. But the intention is to turn that into a true broader community asset that can serve the community around there and to expand that infrastructure so it gets beyond Oak Ridge Park. The Jewish Community Center would be the first potential expansion customer for that infrastructure. And what that unlocks is not just benefits for the Jewish Community Center to be sustainable, reliable, and low carbon, but it actually then unlocks piping in the street that can then serve all of the developments around there. So whether it's Oak Ridge Transit Center or the other things that are coming down the pipeline, no pun intended, we then have the ability to serve them through the district energy system. And if we miss the opportunity with the Jewish Community Center, it's a very real possibility that that beautiful district energy system under Oak Ridge Park remains only to the servitude of Oak Ridge Park, and that would be a real tragedy. And so as you consider this, please consider the infrastructure and sustainability and climate action that can be accomplished by having the Jewish Community Center project go forward. That's why I would like to voice my strong support for the project. Thank you.

Statement Watch

Good evening, Acting Mayor and Council. My name is Simon Jay, and I'm the rezoning planner for this rezoning application for the Jewish Community Center, or JCC, at 490 to 590 West 41st Avenue. Staff would like to note that there is a yellow memo attached to this project that provides additional information about the ODP amendment, as well as information on a change of ownership since the report was referred. The site outlined in red is an irregular shaped 1.35 hectare or 3.3 acre parcel located on the south side of 41st Avenue to the west of Willow Street. It is currently developed with the three-story Jewish Community Center and a surface parking lot. The surrounding area is undergoing significant change. The Oak Ridge Center is currently being built and is a multi-tower development with heights up to 52 stories. TO THE NORTH OF THE OKRID CENTER IS THE APPROVED R51 ZONING ALLOWING MULTIPLE TOWERS UP TO 26 STORIES. THERE ARE ALSO TWO ACTIVE REZONING APPLICATIONS ACROSS THE STREET FROM JCC. THE FORMER OKRID TRANSIT CENTER WHICH IS PROPOSING MULTIPLE TOWERS UP TO 33 STORIES AND 809 WEST 41ST AVENUE WHICH IS NEXT UP ON TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA AND PROPOSES 32 STORY TOWER. Under the Vancouver Official Development Plan, this site is currently split designated as Mixed Use Mid-Rise and Mixed Use High-Rise 1. An amendment to the ODP to change the designation is required to support this proposal. The change is to Mixed Use High-Rise 2 and Mixed Use Low-Rise. This proposal is being considered under the Oak Ridge Transit Center and adjacent sites policy statement. The policy statement provides direction for renewal and expansion of JCC. It includes guidance on mix of use, built form, and public ground improvements. It says building height should be respectful of the existing and future neighborhood context, but no maximum density is provided. IN 2018, COUNCIL APPROVED A RESONING AMENDMENT FOR THE JCC CAMPUS. THIS INCLUDES A LARGER JCC AND RESIDENTIAL TOWERS OF 26 AND 24 STORIES. THE 2018 APPROVAL WAS ENACTED IN 2025 AND IS THEREFORE ALLOWABLE UNDER THE CURRENT CD1 ZONING. THE PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU TODAY AMENDS THIS CD1, CD1 285, FOR A FOUR PHASE DEVELOPMENT. It includes two towers with heights of 39 storeys, which is 136 metres tall, and 37 storeys, which is 131 metres tall. The overall density proposed is 5.77 FSR. The application proposes 630 rental units, of which 20% of the residential floor area will be secured as non-profit operated. IT ALSO PROPOSES A 16,000 SQUARE METER TOURIST COMMUNITY CENTER, A PRIVATE CHILDCARE AND A PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL. UNDER THE VANCOUVER CHARTER, CONSULTATION AND OPPORTUNITIES MUST BE PROVIDED FOR PERSONS, ORGANIZATIONS AND AUTHORITIES AFFECTED BY AN ODP AMENDMENT. Council directed staff to consult with the VSB, CSF, the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation and TTsleil-Waututh Nation. The VSB noted there are capacity shortages anticipated at the catchment scores, Jamieson Elementary and Hamburg Secondary. The VSB employs several strategies to mitigate enrollment pressures, including reducing out-of-catchment enrollment, relocating districts' choice programs, adjusting catchment boundaries, undertaking renovations, and deploying portables. No comments were received from other groups by the end of the consultation period. During the public engagement period for this resounding application, support was expressed for this community-led and financed development, that it provides expanded community amenities, it continues the legacy of the existing JCC, increases rental housing, and it's in a good location served by transit. Concerns were related to construction fatigue, traffic and parking, tower height and neighborhood fit, infrastructure strain, and insufficient affordability. staff have the following responses to these concerns. Staff acknowledge the high level of construction in the area and that construction will continue for the foreseeable future. However, staff note that the most disruptive construction on 41st Avenue has mostly finished and the majority of future construction should be less concentrated. Also, the development must follow city processes and permits, including meeting the noise control bylaw. THE SITE IS WELL SERVED BY TRANSIT AND IT IS NOT ANTICIPATED THAT THIS PROJECT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE TRAFFIC OR STREET PARKING. THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS CURRENTLY CHANGING TOWARDS A HIGH RISE TRANSIT ORIENTED AREA AND THE HEIGHT AND DENSITY OF THIS PROPOSAL FITS WITH THE EMERGING CONTEXT. AS PART OF THE REDEVELOPMENT, JCC WILL PROVIDE EXPANDED COMMUNITY FACILITIES. Staff have worked with the applicant to increase long-term affordability and have secured at least 20% of the residential floor area to be operated by a housing non-profit. The anticipated public benefits from this project is $19 million, which is approximately $17.7 million in DCLs and $1.3 million in public art. OTHER PUBLIC BENEFITS INCLUDE APPROXIMATELY 16,000 SQUARE METER REPLACEMENT JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, 99 PRIVATE CHILDCARE SPACES AND 630 RENTAL HOUSING UNITS OF WHICH 20% OF THE RESIDENTIAL FLOOR AREA WILL BE SECURED AS NON-PROFIT OPERATED. THE PROPOSED LAND USE FORM OF DEVELOPMENT AND THE PUBLIC BENEFITS ARE GENERALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT OF THE OTC POLICY STATEMENT. STAFF SUPPORT THIS APPLICATION SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS CONTAINED IN THE REPORT. STAFF AND THE APPLICANT TEAM ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.

Statement Watch

Oh, yeah, look at that. No, no, it's all good. Great. Okay. My name is Ezra Shank, and I am the chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of British Columbia. And after 10 years of working on this, I think I'm in support of it. I think that, you know, it's a good thing. For generations, The Jewish Community Center campus has been a place where people came together to learn, connect, celebrate, and support one another. It serves not only the Jewish community, but thousands of Vancouver residents from every background who participate in its programs. access its services, and benefit from its cultural and recreational offerings. The proposal before you is about securing that future. I think it's really important to touch on the fact that this is a nonprofit project. The housing component makes it possible to the renewal of critical community infrastructure. Together, the residential and community elements create a sustainable model that helps address housing needs while preserving essential public services and amenities. I also want to acknowledge that this project, like this, do not happen in a vacuum. Many in our community have felt at times they've felt hurt by rhetoric that has questioned our experiences, dismissed our concerns, or made us feel less welcome in civic life and of this city. Yet we are not here tonight to dwell on division. We are here to build. The Jewish community has never measured itself by the volume of its critics. We measure ourselves by what we contribute, what we create, and what we leave behind for future generations. Long after today's debates are forgotten, families will live here, families will learn here, seniors will gather here, and communities will connect here. That will be the legacy of J. West. And in a time when it's often easier to divide than to unite, we have chosen to invest in Vancouver, to strengthen Vancouver, and to help build Vancouver's future. I want to thank... The counselors in this room, so many of you have been along on this journey with us. I have a huge amount of gratitude for all of that. I take none of it for granted. I want to say for the counselors who were here at the beginning who are no longer here, I want to thank them too, who took us every step of the way and for the incredible planning department who has worked side by side with our incredible team here. And with that, I respectfully ask for your support of this transformational project at a transformational time.

Statement Watch

Thank you. Thank you for having me tonight. Thank you, councillors and acting mayor. So I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have the best job in the world. I've worked in community recreation for nearly 30 years. I am currently the assistant executive director at the Jewish Community Centre. And funny enough, before joining the JCC, I actually spent six years managing Trout Lake Community Centre. Because I've worked on both sides of recreation, I can say with confidence that the Jewish Community Center is one of Vancouver's hidden gems. And I'm here today to speak on behalf of strong support for J-West. For nearly 100 years, the JCC has strengthened this city by complementing Vancouver's recreation system. Every day, we provide recreation, childcare, arts, health, and community programs that help meet the growing demand without relying on municipal operating budgets. Walk through our doors on any given day. You'll find 150 kids in camp, 80 families in our daycare, a room full of older adults playing bridge, packed fitness classes, packed pickleball classes, a full theater, and neighbors gathering around the cafe. Every year, we teach more than 3,000 swimming lessons and have trained 1,500 lifeguards, many of whom are keeping Vancouver residents safe in city pools. Our impact reaches well beyond our walls. Our early childhood center helps train the next generation of educators through partnerships with Langara and Vancouver Community College. While our theater provides hands-on experience for emerging theater technicians at a time when opportunities are becoming increasingly rare in Vancouver. But the magic of the JCC is not found in attendance numbers. It's found in the moments that you cannot measure. It's seeing someone arrive alone and leaving with lifelong friends. It's watching children from many cultures celebrating the Jewish Sabbath, together and learning respect, curiosity, belonging. It's seeing a community where approximately 40% of the people who walk through our doors are not Jewish, but feel just as welcome. As we rebuild the campus, we're not simply replacing a building. We're investing in the next 50 to 100 years, hopefully, of community and recreation in Vancouver. I've spent my career, my entire career in recreation. I know what municipal recreation does exceptionally well. I also know there's something truly unique about the JCC. We do not compete with the city's recreation system. We complete it. Thank you.

Statement Watch

I had a longer speech here, but, you know, really it's been covered quite well by Ezra and Allison. Thank you. Look, it has been an incredible journey for us. We've been at this for 12 years. And, you know, this team, we are ready. really, to get going on this project. And we hope you are too. Really, it could not have been made possible without some incredible work. I just want to name a few people out because it's really taken a lot of commitment and dedication and mostly collaborative work. And that's, I think, what's so exciting about this project is that we really, truly have come together as not just the Jewish community, but the larger community, planning department, the housing department, and yourselves, the councillors and mayor of the city. So just a special shout-out, because so much time was spent on this, to Josh and Donnie and Armin and Templer and the entire housing department and, of course, Simon. So we're ready to go, and we really appreciate all the time and the commitment in the process to get us to this point.

Statement Watch

Thank you, Council, for the question. My name is David Port. I'm the co-chair with Joe of the J-West project. So this is a community project, community-led, community-run project. The housing will 100% remain owned by the community in perpetuity. So we will be working... with a housing provider on the affordability. What we see in the long term is quite different than a typical project and other projects might see in front of you. What we see in the long term is that we want to expand the affordability as far as we possibly can. However, on day one, we won't be able to because we'll just be getting started.

So will you be offering anything below market in those nonprofit-operated units to start with?

On day one or on day future?

On day one or let's say the first few years.

I don't know what day one will look like. Day one, we'll be working with a housing provider. And we'll let them govern the housing part of it, the nonprofit housing. And what we see over the fullness of time is we expect to well exceed that 20% as the cash flow allows and as we're able to.

But you have no projected timeline at this point for when you'll have some affordability?

We'll have affordability on day one. We have a requirement from our donor base that there's affordability on day one.

And how is that affordability defined, please?

We don't have a definition of it yet. We'll work with our housing providers. We'll probably be teak for housing to define that.

Okay. Thank you very much. I'm going to follow up on another question to staff. The previous proposal, I didn't find the presentation was explicit in the distinctions between it. It certainly did talk about building heights. We have 630 rental units now. What was the tenure of the units on the previously approved rezonings?

The tenure previously was social housing.

All of it?

I believe so.

299 units? Yes. Okay. And is it fair to say that the social housing can't be delivered without, because of the escalating construction costs and otherwise, without support from senior levels of government? Is that one of the reasons for the pivot?

My colleague Bill in real estate services can answer that question.

Or the applicant, maybe?

Yeah, she may be the applicant. I'm sorry.

If the applicant would like to comment on the pivot, that would be great.

Short answer, yes, economically not feasible to do that deep level of discount. But as well, an important component of this project is we want to see this project as self-sustaining. So we've got a community center, we have a school, and we have the housing. And in the fullness of the project, the project is to be economically self-sustaining. So the housing has to help us generate funding for the community center for the long term, pool replacement, roof replacement.

I understand, and I appreciate that. What changed between the previous approval and this one, that it wasn't sustainable?

Cost, yeah, massive, massive costing.

So escalation in construction costs?

Oh, massive, yeah.

Any other community amenity components that were added, or was it overall cost?

Were any community amenities added?

Were there any other material changes to the application?

The community center has always been a part of the application, so, I mean, that's clearly the community benefits, a $180 million community benefit.

Okay, but no other components changed?