Renfrew–Collingwood, the second most populous Vancouver neighbourhood after Downtown, had over 50,000 residents in the 2011 Census. A large, diverse eastside neighbourhood on the Vancouver-Burnaby boundary with substantial business centers and some fast-growing residential sectors, this neighbourhood had a population of 44,950 in 2001, 43.6 percent of whom then spoke Chinese as their first language. Canada’s 2011 census reported only 28 per cent of Renfrew-Collingwood residents as native English speakers. Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese are the languages heard most often on the streets.
Renfrew–Collingwood’s northern border is Broadway, East 41st Avenue is on the south, Nanaimo Street on the west, and Boundary Road on the east. Kingsway runs through the southern part of the neighbourhood, Grandview Highway through the middle, and the Trans-Canada Highway through the northeast corner.
History
In 1861, Colonel Richard Moody built a military trail through the area from New Westminster to English Bay. By 1891, Canada’s first electric interurban railway along Vanness Avenue connected Vancouver’s Downtown to New Westminster and opened the area to what became the thriving community of Collingwood near the present intersection with Joyce Street, and to the north the Renfrew district began to grow in the 1920s.
Over the years, the two areas grew together with commercial developments along Kingsway, Grandview Highway, and Boundary Road and growing numbers of condominiums and multi-family residential developments joining traditional single-family homes throughout. Two SkyTrain lines, five stations, and interconnecting bus routes now serve neighbourhood transit needs well. Many immigrants find Renfrew-Collingwood attractive for that reason.
In 2007, the City of Vancouver announced several neighbourhood centre programs as parts of an Eco-Density initiative to rezone Renfrew–Collingwood from single-family to duplex with rowhouses along busy streets to increase density and encourage commercial development along Earles and Rupert streets. The plan is controversial; many residents want their neighbourhood to retain its traditional single-family home character.
The Collingwood Village community around the Joyce-Collingwood SkyTrain station is a story of successful redevelopment that might be instructive in the ongoing unrest over plans to redevelop neighbourhoods across the city. Renfrew-Collingwood once faced the unpleasant prospect of too many people packed into multifamily homes, but residents worked with the city government and a sympathetic developer to reach a satisfactory result. A new daycare facility was a welcome amenity.
Completed in 2006, Collingwood Village was the largest master-planned community in British Columbia at that time. The developer constructed 16 condominium and rental buildings of four-storey town homes and mid- and high-rise apartments. Since the 1990s, 2,700 new homes have gone up on what had been industrial land south of Vanness Avenue and east of Joyce Street. Kingsway shops and services are a few blocks south. More than a quarter of the community is parkland.
In 2011, the city council approved a rezoning proposal for 33 parcels of land east of Collingwood Village within Boundary Road, Vanness Avenue, and Ormidale Street to be developed as Wall Centre Central Park, three residential towers of 28, 29, and 30 storeys, all higher than any present Collingwood Village structure. In April 2013 the first 623 units went on sale, almost half priced under $300,000.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR BUILDER & INVESTOR : Potential land assembly opportunity together with adjacent lot with lot 33'x 115' each and have pre-zoned (RM-9AN) for 4-storey apartment low rise building. Currently occupied by tenants on a month-to-month basis. 2 bedrooms & 1 bathroom both on main and below. Convenient location with all kind of retail stores, restaurants, schools, public transit and recreation nearby. Great opportunity for self-living or investment for future development.More details
Exquisite design meets stylish functionality in this stunning SIDE BY SIDE half duplex! Come home to a bright and contemporary open floorplan with upscale finishes and options such as engineered wood floors, high-end appliances, CUSTOM MILLWORK, brilliant storage ideas, and a full bathroom on the main floor. Upstairs you have 3 bedrooms, custom closets and 2 full baths including an en-suite. Enjoy CENTRAL A/C and beautiful MOUNTAIN VIEWS from your spectacular new home! The basement has a lovely self-contained legal suite. A separate entrance at the back leads to a very large and ACCESIBLE CRAWL SPACE for storage. There is a detached garage and gated parking pad off the back lane, and lots of parking on the wide street with no houses across. Easy freeway access and 10 min to Downtown!More details
Builders and Investors alert ! Corner lot home buil t in 1913 located on the quite street in Renfrew Vancouver East . Great central location . Short walking distance to school, shopping and bus . 5 minutes walk to TNT. By appointment onlyMore details
Charming front to back duplexes in Renfrew! 5 BEDS & 4 BATHS. This is the back unit. The sits on 33x122 lot with back lane. Open concept kitchen + living space. Kitchen is beautifully & tastefully finished with Fisher Paykel Intergrated Appliance package. Master room can accommodate king bed. Private back yard, comes with 1 car garage plus extra parking pad. High end quality finishings include white oak glue down hardwood floors, A/C, HRV, radiant heated floors, camera's, security system & built in vacuum. 2 BDRM LEGAL suite fully finished with gas range & laundry. Mins to PNE & Notre Dame Secondary, restaurants & Hwy#1. 19 mins drive to Downtown ***OPEN HOUSE FEB 18, 2-4PM****More details
FIRST TIME ON THE MARKET! FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY IN THE FABULOUS RENFREW NEIGHBOURHOOD! BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME ON THE PERFECT STREET OR UP TO 4 HOMES WITH THE NEW MULTIPLEX PROVINCIAL PLAN. One owner since 1968, well cared & loved, livable home. 2 levels with potential for lower suite. The upper level offers a spacious living room, 2 bedrooms, 1 full bath, bright kitchen with an eating area, & access to the lower level. A partial kitchen, laundry, large rec room with bar, 1 full bath & storage is on the lower. Close to HWY 1 & a short drive to Downtown Vancouver. Steps to Clinton Park, T&T Supermarket, banks, shops & restaurants. This location is excellent! School catchment: Lord Nelson Elementary & Templeton Secondary. Also near Our Lady of Sorrows & Notre Dame. Being sold "AS IS, WHERE IS"More details