Vancouver real estate: buyer takes $7 million lot next to $13 million Shaughnessy mansion of Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou

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      A buyer has purchased a $7 million property next to the Vancouver mansion of Canada’s most famous detainee.

      The lot-only sale happened at 1625 Matthews Avenue in the posh neighbourhood of Shaughnessy.

      The property sits adjacent to 1603 Matthews Avenue, where Meng Wanzhou lives under house arrest.

      Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, faces possible extradition to the U.S.

      Meng was arrested at the Vancouver International Airport on December 1, 2018 on a U.S. warrant.

      Her arrest sparked an international row.

      Meng is reportedly scheduled to be back in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday (October 26).

      Meng has proclaimed innocence on fraud charges alleged by the U.S. in connection with American sanctions against Iran.

      China has taken into custody a number of Canadian citizens following Meng’s arrest.

      They include Michael Kovrig, a diplomat on leave, and Michael Spavor, a businessman.

      The 2020 assessment of Meng’s luxury property at 1603 Matthews Avenue comes to $13,647,000 for both lot and home.

      The home of the U.S. consul general is found on the same street.

      Real estate sites fisherly.com and Zealty.ca tracked the October 19, 2020 sale of 1625 Matthews Avenue.

      According to the listing by RE/MAX Masters Realty, the property was “priced (lot only) to sell”.

      It comes with development and building permits approved by the City of Vancouver for the construction of a new luxury home.

      RE/MAX Masters Realty listed the property on September 23 for $7,980,000.

      Another agency, Royal Pacific Realty Corp., previously tried to market the lot.

      The previous listings by Royal Pacific were as follows: August 21, 2020 for $8,880,000; June 9, 2020,

      $10,998,000; April 30, 2019, $12,680,000; and April 29, 2019, $12,380,000

      Vancouver journalist Bob Mackin wrote about the $12,380,000 listing for 1625 Matthews Avenue.

      On May 9, 2019, Mackin reported that the “existing two-storey, five-bedroom white mansion with an indoor pool” on the lot “is boarded up”.

      He also noted a car without licence plates “parked on the unkept lawn”.

      “You could always pitch a tent for the time being or build a shelter from a pile of wood,” Mackin suggested.

      At the time, the owner was waiting for the approval of a development permit for a new home construction.

      “Since May 9, 2016, the example of mid-1970s faux Roman architecture has been in the name of self-described homemaker Jing Zhao,” Mackin wrote.

      “A homemaker? Fancy that!” Mackin added.

      A sales history compiled by Zealty.ca shows how the property changed hands over a number of years.

      It sold for $4,520,000 on March 17, 2010.

      The property sold again on February 6, 2016. The purchase price was $9,500,000.

      According to B.C. Assessment, the lot of 1625 Matthews Avenue measures 73.5 feet by 223.18 feet.

      The lot’s 2020 assessment as of July 1, 2019 totals $6,950,000.

      The home on the lot has a value of $614,000.

      According to fisherly.com, the home has five bedrooms, seven baths, and two kitchens.

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