As homebuilding slows down across the country, UBC is continuing to develop and implement its planning vision as outlined in Campus Vision 2050.
Ground recently broke on a parcel of land known Lot 26, located at the southeast corner of Ross Drive and Gray Ave. in Wesbrook Place, where Polygon Developments is building a 16-storey residential tower with 214 units and eight 3-storey townhomes. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2028.
And in Wesbrook Place South, a UBC spokesperson said construction is expected to begin soon on a project that will add 303 homes to the stock of housing on campus.
The project, built on a site called BCR7, located along Wesbrook Mall just south of the Evolve and Echo staff housing buildings, includes a 14-story high-rise apartment with 189 market rental units as well as four 6-story mid-rise buildings with 114 units for UBC faculty and staff at market-reduced rents.
A UBC spokesperson said the projects are expected to be completed in 2028.
The ramp-up in construction activity comes as housing construction slows down in many of Canada’s biggest cities.
Recent media reports have noted that fewer housing projects are being launched in Vancouver and fewer units coming to market.
While the Canadian Government has set an ambitious goal to double housing construction over the next decade, industry groups have said that goal will be extremely difficult to achieve without sizeable increases in the workforce and productivity gains.
When determining which campus housing projects move forward during adverse market conditions, UBC’s Director of University Affairs Matthew Ramsey said, “UBCPT leases land to developers to build strata homes as well as developing and managing faculty and staff housing. For leased land, developers lead on building design to meet market interest following UBC’s neighbourhood plans and determine when to build.”
ARIJIT JOSHI IS A RECENT MASTERS OF JOURNALISM GRADUATE FROM UBC. HE WRITES ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, URBAN PLANNING, CONSERVATION AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE.