National

North Vancouver's ICBC headquarters to become housing project development site

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 17 Jun, 2024 01:10 PM

The head office of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia in North Vancouver will be transformed into an urban housing development with hundreds of homes near major transit hubs.

Premier David Eby says the province has reached an agreement to buy the Crown auto insurer's waterfront headquarters with plans to develop market and below-market homes close to transit and the SeaBus to Vancouver.

With this new purchase we will be able to build hundreds of affordable homes close to transit and the SeaBus. 👍🏾

Investments in affordable housing near transit and services is key to address our housing challenges.

👉🏾 https://t.co/fUcnycCyjW pic.twitter.com/pcllYZF7tW
— Ravi Kahlon (@KahlonRav) June 17, 2024

Eby says the agreement to turn the property into a mixed use residential area with ICBC was also reached with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations, and there are plans to work with the City of North Vancouver and TransLink to develop the property.

The development is part of the province's $394-million plan to build 10,000 homes near transit hubs over the next 10 to 15 years.

ICBC already announced that it would be vacating the North Vancouver building to a new smaller location in Vancouver's False Creek Flats neighbourhood.

The B.C. government passed legislation last December requiring municipalities to designate transit-oriented development areas near SkyTrain and major bus exchanges as part of the initiative to encourage more property development.

"Underused areas that are already well-connected to transit and close to services and amenities are the perfect places to build new homes," said Eby.

"The planning work will take place while ICBC begins its transition to their new site and completes it over the next two years."

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Drop in drug overdose deaths

Drug overdose deaths are down by 24 per cent between April last year and this April, but still B-C’s Coroner says 182 people died. Fentanyl remains the primary killer, with the drug detected in 82 per cent of test results for those who died so far this year.

Drop in drug overdose deaths

Vancouver police crack down on stolen goods that turn up on downtown sidewalks

Vancouver police say a crackdown on the sale of stolen goods that turn up on the sidewalks of the city's Downtown Eastside has led to five arrests and turned up more than $650,000 in cash, drugs and stolen property. Insp. Mario Mastropieri says a shoplifting "epidemic" is fuelling an illicit market in stolen goods run by organized criminals, that's affecting small businesses, their staff, and customers.

Vancouver police crack down on stolen goods that turn up on downtown sidewalks

Vancouver mayor grieves stabbing death of 32-year-old chef near Chinatown

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has issued a statement saying police are working tirelessly to find the person responsible for a fatal stabbing near the city's Chinatown early Wednesday. Sim says the city is grieving the loss of 32-year-old Wataru Kakiuchi, a talented chef in a Yaletown Japanese restaurant.

Vancouver mayor grieves stabbing death of 32-year-old chef near Chinatown

Police in B.C. arrest two for theft of $2.5M worth of stolen vehicles

Two men face more than a dozen charges each after British Columbia's provincial auto crime team recovered 29 high-end vehicles valued at $2.5 million. RCMP say in a news release that they started their investigation in February when numerous newer-model trucks and SUVs were stolen across the Lower Mainland.

Police in B.C. arrest two for theft of $2.5M worth of stolen vehicles

Drones, dogs, helicopters and ground crews search for missing mountaineers in B.C.

The search and rescue team in Squamish, B.C., says helicopters, groundcrews, drones and avalanche dogs are involved in the search for three mountaineers missing for nearly a week. A social media post by the team says the search resumed at 5:30 a.m. Thursday in the area on Mount Garibaldi where the trio was last seen on May 31.

Drones, dogs, helicopters and ground crews search for missing mountaineers in B.C.

Canadians mark 80th anniversary of D-Day as sun shines on Juno Beach in Normandy

The sun was shining on the beaches of Normandy on Thursday morning as a Canadian ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day got underway in Courseulles-sur-Mer, France.