Prolific Vancouver developer Westbank made headlines in the spring after submitting a rezoning application for a 24-storey office tower at 400 West Georgia Street with shifting stacked boxes. Now, Toronto-based Allied Properties REIT has cemented a deal to buy a half-stake in the project, giving the company a stronger foothold in the region.

The proposed design for 400 West Georgia Street, image via Merrick Architecture

So far, Allied has been able to secure approximately 300,000 square feet of office space in the high-density precincts of Yaletown and Crosstown. Upon completion, the development would represent a 60 percent boost in Allied's Vancouver office portfolio. The move "marries Allied's access to capital with Westbank's extraordinary development expertise in the City of Vancouver," said Allied president and CEO Michael Emory in an interview with RENX.

The 21,000-square-foot site is now defined by a Budget Car rental outlet. Merrick Architecture has designed a vision for the next era of the site, with a tower inspired by a Japanese lamp characterized by a vertical series of rotated cubes. Westbank will manage the project on its completion, which is expected in 2020.

Vegetation is a major aspect of the exterior, image via Merrick Architecture

The deal marks the fourth partnership between Allied and Westbank. The duo have teamed up on two projects in Toronto and the under-construction Telus Sky development in Calgary, featuring a pixelated design by prominent Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Group.

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