townhouse project proposed along mansion row in south vancouver
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the city of vancouver is proposing to allow development of townhouses on a stretch of southwest marine drive known as the “golden mile” for its single-family mansions on large, manicured lots.
the owner of a site at 1890 southwest marine dr. is seeking a permit to replace a modern, 4,300-sq.-ft., three-bedroom home with four townhouse buildings that will be approximately 32,405 square feet and include 28 rental units. the application also proposes an underground parking garage across the street.
the site sits next to the famed casa mia property, where a grand, old residence has recently been converted into a seniors’care facility.
“we believe that the proposed project will benefit the public by providing the sw marine drive community with a long-term, high-quality and more affordable rental housing option with an emphasis toward family housing,” the application states. “the proposed project is made up of more than 75 per cent family housing, with 57 per cent of the proposed units three-bedroom units.”
the architect who is applying for the permit on behalf of the owner also worked on the casa mia rezoning, as well as another project on southwest marine that added five single-family homes to one lot.
billboard outside 1890 sw marine dr. outlining proposal for townhouse project.
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but stuart howard, founder and principal of stuart howard architects, said he doesn’t see this project being a sign of more intense densifying on the stretch of road that is among the most exclusive in the country.
council approved a rezoning application for the 1890 marine dr. project in 2023 under an interim rezoning policy that does not exist anymore, howard said. and that previous policy only allowed for two such projects within 10 blocks of each other, “so you couldn’t do too many more of these anyway.”
there is now a policy for increasing density on arterial streets that allows for five- and six-storey residential apartment buildings — but it does not include southwest marine drive, said howard. the new policy, introduced in 2025, focuses on encouraging more housing along arterials in areas such as 49th avenue, west boulevard, 41st avenue, dunbar and granville streets.
in keeping with provincial legislation to offer more housing choices, the city also now has a policy that allows buildings of up to six strata units or eight rental units on single lots.
the owner of 1890 sw marine dr. bought the property in 2017, but “decided to move to west vancouver,” according to their real estate agent, matt gul, who described the situation in a listing for the property that has now expired.
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“they purchased a waterfront home from me and asked me to sell 1890 sw marine drive. at the time, i told them that it was not even possible to break even because they had just purchased the home. however, i did some research and came up with a plan — rezone the property under the affordable-housing housing policy, and increase the property’s value.”
the owners put the property on the market for $15.5 million, but it did not sell, and the last listing expired in 2023, according to gul, who added he has not been involved with the project since 2022.
howard’s firm was also part of the rezoning process that eventually transformed the casa mia property at 1920 sw marine dr.
the home was a 1930s-era spanish revival-style, 22,000-sq.-ft. heritage mansion built for george reifel, a prominent liquor magnate who built the commodore and the vogue theatre.
the casa mia mansion was converted into a seniors care home.
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the care group, which also runs other senior care homes in b.c., bought the property in 2011. the new facility now includes a two-storey building, 90 beds for seniors and 24 parking stalls.
the stuart howard firm was also involved in a project in the same area that put five single-family homes on a single two-acre lot.
the redevelopment at 2050 sw marine dr. involved rehabilitating a heritage mansion dating to 1925 that was built for willard kitchen, the director of the pacific great eastern railway.
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howard said the project started in 2015, and the last of the five homes was completed and sold recently. the project was stalled and sat incomplete for some time after the developer, coromandel properties, sought creditor protection while holding over $700 million in debt across 16 projects.
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