Towering TOD Proposed For Vancouver: City Unsure

The site will also include a 260 ft. tall office building and 288,000 sq. ft. of retail. Planning Director Brent Toderian, a frequent Planetizen contributor, says his department is a little hesitant about the number of residential units in the plan, given the industrial nature of the area.

From the Vancouver Sun: "The property, formerly an ICBC claims centre, is in the city's industrial zone south of Marine Drive, and the fear is that allowing residential development would invite speculation on surrounding industrial land and drive up property values, pushing existing businesses out.

'There are certain types of job lands that need single-use in order to keep land values low and taxes low,' Brent Toderian, Vancouver’s director of planning said in an interview."