4 Vancouver Office Projects We're Watching This Spring
A number of office developments are set to blossom in the coming months. (Oxford Properties Group’s MNP Tower was an early bloomer, with Regus Canada moving into the tower two weeks ago.) Here are four other high-profile projects we’ll be tracking.
1. Telus Garden
TELUS Garden (which lives up to its name, with 10k SF of green roofs and elevated forests) is slated for delivery next month. Project manager Rhiannon Mabberley, with developer Westbank, tells us the 22-storey office tower achieved its first occupancy permit last week, and the second is expected next month, with tenants occupying in March as well. TELUS Garden, with 448k SF, is substantially leased. Tenants include TELUS, Amazon and law firm Bull, Housser & Tupper. The complex’s 53-storey condo tower, with a YYoga centre, opens next year.
2. 980 Howe
BGC Engineering has signed a 15-year lease for four floors at Manulife Real Estate’s 269k SF, 16-storey tower (which has plates up to 16k SF). Manulife's Ted Willcocks told Bisnow that deals have been in the works with financial institutions and tech firms for the remaining space. The building, owned, developed and managed by Manulife, is targeting LEED Gold, which BGC said was a major factor in its decision to lease there.
3. 745 Thurlow
This slick-looking 25-storey office building, developed by Bentall Kennedy, is at the southwest corner of Thurlow and Alberni Streets, across from the Shangri-La. 745 Thurlow has 20 floors (365k SF) of leasable office space, with tenants including McCarthy Tétrault and SNC-Lavalin. The first three levels will be occupied by retail and amenities. The tower is two-faced, with the north and west glass curtain wall more traditional in shape, while the south and east facades rise at an outward angle, giving the impression of two distinct building designs.
4. Marine Gateway
The first project to be fully integrated with the Canada Line, the complex's 250k SF, 14-storey office building will have Westport Innovations as its anchor; the firm's seven floors are more than 50% of the building. Located at Cambie Street and Marine Drive, the office building will take occupancy later this year. Construction on the office tower, seeking LEED Gold, has reached the 10th floor. The mixed-use complex, built by PCI Developments, will include two condo towers (both sold out in a day), 11-screen Cineplex theatre and 46k SF Loblaws supermarket.
