The building permits for the foundations and underground parking of the Atmosphere project, a large-scale residential/commercial project on No. 3 Road, have expired after six months of no activity.
Construction on Atmosphere, which is slated to have more than 800 residential units as well as retail and office space, appears to have ground to a halt, and the developer, South Street, will have to reapply for these permits if it wants to continue construction.
These building permits expired after six months passed with no work on the foundations taking place.
The site, located across from Lansdowne Shopping Centre, is currently an empty lot with a large hole – it appears concrete walls have been built below ground on the perimeter of the site.
The News heard from one Richmondite this summer who had bought a unit in pre-sales – spending $250,000 on a down payment – and was frustrated with the lack of information coming from the developer and the lack of activity at the building site.
“Everyday, I drive my car past this construction site and it’s still a big hole there with no obvious construction activities,” Joshua Zhang told the Richmond News this summer.
He said his realtor had been asking the developer about the status of the project, but they’ve been met with silence.
Earlier this year, he received an email saying the project would be completed by 2024.
The development plan includes an office tower and six residential towers with 824 units of housing, of which 112 will be market rentals and 38 affordable rental units.
According to the city, the project’s geo-technical engineer is monitoring the site to make sure it remains structurally secure.
“There is no sign of any movement in the retaining walls at this time,” said city spokesperson Clay Adams.
