As part of the seismic mitigation program, the Ministry of Education and Child Care funded the construction of a new Sir Sanford Fleming Elementary School. This process included a reconfiguration of the school site, which presented an opportunity to repurpose the southern portion of the property. With Ministry approval, the Vancouver School Board has finalized a 99-year lease with Vittori Developments Ltd. for the southern portion of our school site as per Board Policy 20 - Disposal of land or improvements. 

The key terms of the lease include:

• A 99-year pre-paid lease for approximately $8.5M, with no provision for overholding.
• Exclusive use for residential rental housing with optional ground-floor retail, as approved by the City of Vancouver and in compliance with VSB policies and administrative procedures, particularly Administrative Procedure 313.
• Priority access to vacant units for Vancouver School Board staff.

The VSB is committed to managing its facilities in a way that supports the achievement of Education Plan goals while optimizing operational effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. This lease agreement supports improving equity through the responsible stewardship of district resources.

Questions relating to the disposition process, including policies and procedures of the Vancouver School Board, can be directed to planning@vsb.bc.ca or 604-713-5000.

Timeline  

Engagement process

On April 13, 2021, VSB staff hosted an initial public information session regarding the potential disposal of the south portion of the Fleming school site, before the consideration by the Board about declaring the site as surplus to future educational needs of the school district.

• The initial public information session sought input from representatives of the Indigenous community, the education community, local government, community organizations as well as the general public.
• Two online information sessions were offered on the same evening, April 13, 2021 to provide more opportunities for more people to attend. The presentation for each session was the same for both sessions.

Session 1: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM (watch the session)
The first session focused on educational stakeholders and questions related to education were encouraged. Translations via captions were available for this session in Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Vietnamese, Tagalog, Spanish, and Arabic.

Session 2: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM (watch the session)
A second session was also held and open to the broader public. Non-education aspects were the main focus. Any member of the school community were also welcome to join. Translations via captions will be available for this session in Japanese, Korean, Russian, Portuguese, Hindi, and Persian. For more information, please read this report presented on March 10, 2021, during the Facilities Committee Meeting.

On May 5, 2021, the results of the public information session that occurred on April 13, 2020 were presented to the Facilities Planning Committee. Check the report and powerpoint presentation.

On May 25, 2021, the Board passed a resolution to declare the site as surplus. Additional public input and consultation will also occur through the City's rezoning application process. Disposal options are permitted by the School Act and Ministerial Regulations and would include a lease of 10 years or longer, or a sale or transfer in fee simple.

Land Disposition process

Following public engagement, on May 25, 2021, the Board declared the southern portion of the Fleming school site surplus to the educational needs of the District and authorized staff to proceed with the disposition process.

Prior to undertaking the disposition process, ministerial approval was required. The Ministry of Education and Child Care (MECC) provided the disposal certificate on December 16, 2022. The City of Vancouver provided a preliminary letter of approval (PLA) and a final Application for Deposit for the Subdivision of the remnant parcel as part of the disposition. This is the final step in creating a separate parcel of land for development.

Once the site's approvals were in place, a public bid process began through BC Bid. BC Bid is an online marketplace where public sector organizations advertise contract, purchase and sale opportunities for the entire Province of BC. Based on an assessment matrix, a shortlist of prospective tenants were provided to the Board.

On November 27, 2023 an offer to lease was presented, in which the Board passed a motion to accept and authorized the negotiation of a ground lease with Vittori Developments Ltd. for the remnant parcel located at 1455 East 49th Avenue.

The Board reviewed the final negotiated terms of the ground lease at the September 12, 2024 Special Private Board meeting.

At the September 23, 2024 public Board meeting, the Board gave two of three readings of the "Southern Portion of Fleming School Site Ground Lease By-Law 2024".

At the September 25, 2024 public Board meeting, the "Southern Portion of Fleming School Site Ground Lease By-Law 2024" was read a third and final time, passed and adopted.