A mixed-use infill development that works to balance contemporary design with historical context—thoughtfully positioned in a neighbourhood with room to grow.
Located at the corner of Quadra and Fisgard, our proposed development looks to provide secure, purpose-built rental stock and commercial offerings in North Park while supporting a car-lite, community-driven lifestyle. A diverse unit mix and investment in cycling infrastructure are tailored to increase livability and support long-term tenancies for future residents through form and function.
North Park is a vibrant and diverse community home to approximately 3,400 people, numerous small businesses and restaurants, as well as recreational facilities including Royal Athletic Park and the Crystal Pool Centre.
Occupying one square kilometre, North Park is one of Victoria’s oldest and smallest residential neighbourhoods and is well recognized for its collection of historic religious landmarks. The Abbey Apartments is one of the many multi-family buildings that make up the area's diverse housing stock and is a representation of the social and economic transition of the area prior to World War I.
In terms of context, the site is surrounded by heritage structures and existing residential towers, ranging from 7–16 storeys in height. It shares sidewalk frontage along Quadra Street with the modernist First Baptist Church, and is directly across the street from the First Metropolitan United Church.
The current structure on site is a 2 storey residential building and is home to 16 individuals and families. As it stands, the site is heavily under-utilized for a lot in the urban core of our city.
Throughout our engagement process, we have received valuable feedback from engaged community members, Heritage Design Panel, City Staff and the Advisory Design Panel.
As a result we’ve gone back to the drawing board to address livability, building mass, setbacks and exterior facade design. Having worked hard to find a solution for each concern we are confident the new design both meets and exceeds expectations from the site and neighbourhood.
The proposed development at 1702 Quadra has been designed with the consideration of three key project pillars. These core project elements have evolved in response to community feedback and collaboration to ensure the proposal contributes to numerous benefits for the residents and community at large.
Commercial Vibrancy
The commercial space and three live-work residences located on the ground floor have been designed in response to the corner site orientation, activating the public realm and creating opportunities for community connection on both streetscapes. The North Park Neighbourhood Association’s Community Values Survey highlights the community’s desire for local, diverse businesses that contribute to the vibrancy of the neighbourhood and we hope to honour that as we continue to explore suitable commercial tenants for the space.
While the exterior has shifted in form throughout design iterations, the rich history of the subject site is still important to celebrate and we continue to look for ways to honour the building’s history and neighbourhood context through design, research and collaboration.
Currently, this looks like exploring potential creative measures which create a material memory of the existing building while adding dimension to the ground floor and exterior. One example of this is the proposed use of salvaged brick from the demolition of the existing building to demarcate its location through a series of short walls and planters along Fisgard Street—bringing historical awareness and textural references to the original building to the pedestrian scale.
We are also interested in continued collaboration with local makers and creatives to explore design opportunities that weave the old with the new while remaining receptive to feedback from community members.
With homeownership increasingly out of step with local incomes, Purpose Built Rental housing represents a possible—and sometimes beneficial—alternative to homeownership.
What's more, all rental units at 1702 Quadra have been designed to increase livability through both form and function, ultimately supporting long-term tenancies.
EV Ready
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This includes invitations to future Community Information Sessions and notifications on key milestones throughout the process. We’re available to discuss development details with you through a variety of channels, with the goal of building trust and establishing a shared vision for the project.