Sometime this spring, Vancouver’s Fire Hall No. 5 will move to a temporary site.

A new and bigger fire hall will be developed at its current Champlain Heights location at 3090 East 54th Avenue. When construction is complete, sometime between late 2017 and early 2018, the fire crew will have neighbours above it.

The $13-million, two-storey replacement facility will have four additional floors to serve as affordable housing for single moms and their kids.

In December 2013, council approved $9 million to build 31 two- and three-bedroom units. YWCA Metro Vancouver—which will manage the housing portion—and other partners are kicking in at least $3.5 million of the cost.

To make this six-storey building possible, council will have to rezone 3090 East 54th Avenue, which is the subject of an application by the city and YWCA.

As with other rezonings, council is “compelled to have an open mind” on this application, explained Susan Haid, the city’s assistant director of planning for Vancouver South.

“It’s not atypical,” Haid told the Straight by phone about council considering a rezoning application filed by the city involving a council-approved housing project. “It’s been undertaken. There’s a number of examples.”

As one example, Haid cited the renovation and expansion of the city-owned Taylor Manor on Boundary Road at Adanac Street. It required rezoning for the redevelopment to go ahead. On March 19, the heritage facility reopened with 56 supportive-housing units for people with a mental illness or addictions issue.

Fire Hall No. 5 will hold an open house on its planned redevelopment on Wednesday (April 1) from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.