The Viking Way Business Centre has been acquired by PC Urban and KingSett Capital. The firms plan to redevelop the 9.7-acre property. (Courtesy PC Urban/Kingsett)
PC Urban Properties and KingSett Capital have partnered to purchase the multi-building light industrial Viking Way Business Centre in Richmond, B.C.
In an announcement Monday, the companies said current buildings on the 9.7-acre property, which include 160,000 square feet of leasable space, are 100 per cent occupied. PC Urban and KingSett plan to announce redevelopment and repositioning plans for the property this fall.
“This is our largest acquisition to date and it’s a well-positioned, well-known industrial property in a desired sub-market of Richmond where there is currently less than one per cent vacancy,” said Brent Sawchyn, CEO of PC Urban Properties, in the release. “For us, this acquisition is a natural progression of our growth and we are excited to be working with KingSett on reimagining and repositioning this property.”
Financial details have not been disclosed.
The property is located in Crestwood, the largest and most active sub-market in Richmond for industrial properties. The new owners say Viking Way Business Centre boasts a highly functional design, extensive frontage, an attractive look and design, and offers proximity to highways and transit.
Viking Way Business Centre
The single-storey, small-bay buildings are home to numerous light industrial businesses in biotech, electronics, aerospace, building products distribution, media, technology, textile and service businesses.
Demand for Viking Way Business Centre remains strong due to the park’s maintenance and appearance, along with its mix of unit sizes and dock/grade loading options.
“This partnership was attractive to us for a number of reasons,” said Andrew Kirkham, the Western Canada vice-president for KingSett Capital.
“Working with PC Urban Properties allows us to leverage local area knowledge and they have a strong track record for redeveloping industrial assets across Western Canada.”
Market rents have grown rapidly in North Richmond during the past three years, with strong demand for light industrial space, extremely limited options for tenants and a competitive atmosphere that includes multiple offers for most available spaces.
The average net rental rate in North Richmond increased more than 40 per cent from 2017 to 2019.
South Richmond has lagged behind due to the delayed George Massey Tunnel replacement and associated highway congestion. With no relief in sight for businesses located in South Richmond, PC Urban and KingSett believe demand will further increase for space in North Richmond.
PC Urban, KingSett partnership
Aerial view of the Viking Way Business Centre in Richmond, B.C. (Google Maps)
In creating their partnership, PC Urban and KingSett are part of an emerging trend in the Metro Vancouver region, where local developers partner with institutional investors.
As noted in the CBRE 2020 Canada Market Outlook report, strong commercial real estate fundamentals attracted more investment capital to Vancouver in Q1 of 2020. CBRE is projecting that institutional investors, including Blackstone, Crestpoint and KingSett, will increasingly partner with local firms to gain a foothold in the market.
“Investors are still drawn to Vancouver in a big way and we’re seeing a growing number of institutional investors partnering with local operators in Vancouver,” said CBRE Vancouver managing director Jason Kiselbach, in the release.
“They’re looking at our fundamental lease rates and growth and buying as much as they can in office, industrial and multifamily, driving further construction of new projects.”
HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.
Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.
The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.
Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.
The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.
Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.
Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500
Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438
Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103
Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359
Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent
How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.
Environment Canada says the weather system will bring prolonged heavy rain to Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and Vancouver Island starting Friday.
The agency says strong winds with gusts up to 80 kilometres an hour will also develop on Saturday — the day thousands are expected to go to the polls across B.C. — in parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.
Wednesday was the last day for advance voting, which started on Oct. 10.
More than 180,000 voters cast their votes Wednesday — the most ever on an advance voting day in B.C., beating the record set just days earlier on Oct. 10 of more than 170,000 votes.
Environment Canada says voters in the area of the atmospheric river can expect around 70 millimetres of precipitation generally and up to 100 millimetres along the coastal mountains, while parts of Vancouver Island could see as much as 200 millimetres of rainfall for the weekend.
An atmospheric river system in November 2021 created severe flooding and landslides that at one point severed most rail links between Vancouver’s port and the rest of Canada while inundating communities in the Fraser Valley and B.C. Interior.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
