27-storey social housing tower planned by City of Vancouver for Granville Bridge's north end

Vancouver City Council approves four towers with 1,000 homes at Granville Bridge's north end

Over 1,100 rental homes in two towers up to 54 storeys proposed for the north end of Burrard Bridge in downtown Vancouver

City of Vancouver proposes rental housing towers up to 42 storeys next to Science World

30-storey rental housing tower proposed for Cambie Street Bridge's south end

First residents could move into Senakw's first rental housing tower by the end of 2025

This is the proposed car-free transformation of the Granville Entertainment District

Both loops at the north end of the bridge were recently demolished and replaced with a new grid-based street network to create new building development parcels.

This project comes as no surprise, as the site-wide loops rezoning of the 1.9 acres of resulting parcels for development was approved by Vancouver City Council in July 2022, which incorporates a mix of residential uses — including social housing — in multiple high-rise towers. This does not include the 0.8 acres used for the footprint needed for the new roads and sidewalks, which recently reached completion.

However, the development permit application proposes more social housing than what was originally contemplated by the July 2022-approved rezoning. There will be 201 social housing units across approximately 200,000 sq. ft. of residential floor area, as opposed to the rezoning’s plan for 120 to 152 social housing units across 166,000 sq. ft.

This is anticipated to be the only social housing project within these City-owned parcels on the former loops site, as market residential uses will be pursued for the remaining lots to cover the $50-million cost of demolishing the loops and a portion of the original main bridge structure, building the new streets and utilities, and building the new Granville Connector pedestrian and cycling pathways on the west side of the bridge deck.

Existing condition:

Future condition:

According to the development permit application, the unit size mix of this social housing project is 44 studios, 56 one-bedroom units, 57 two-bedroom units, 34 three-bedroom units, and 10 four-bedroom units. Some of the building’s units, including a large portion of the larger family-sized units, will be accessed from outdoor corridors that face east toward the new Rolston Street. These outdoor corridors also have an outdoor staircase.

As well, five of these social housing units will be two-storey townhomes located at ground level along the east side of the building, fronting Rolston Street.

Residents will have access to various indoor and outdoor amenities on the mid-building rooftop on level 12. About half of the indoor floor areas of levels 12 and 13 will be dedicated to double-height indoor amenities.

“The extent and variety of amenity spaces was developed following conversations with the Stakeholder Team. Stakeholders indicated a preference for more amenity spaces than the minimum required by BC Housing, having observed that residents in similar developments often express a need for additional amenities. Stakeholder feedback has indicated support for the extent of amenity space provided in the current design,” reads the application by the City.

A 5,700 sq. ft. childcare facility on the fifth level will have an expansive outdoor play space on the lower rooftop of the base podium, with the size of this play space further expanded by a cantilever deck along the building’s edge with Rolston Street.

There will be retail/restaurant space on the second level fronting the bridge deck/Granville Street, and additional commercial space on the main level fronting Pacific Street. Altogether, the project provides 10,600 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space.

The project’s total building floor area will reach about 205,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 9.7 times larger than the size of the 21,075 sq. ft. parcel of land. Three underground levels will accommodate 64 vehicle parking stalls and 410 secured bike parking spaces. Diamond Schmitt Architects is the project’s design firm.

 

Based on the July 2022-approved rezoning, the footprint of the loops will be developed into six new buildings, including four high-rise towers up to 40 storeys. This rezoning enables 930,000 sq. ft. of total building floor area across these buildings, including 606,000 sq. ft. of strata market ownership condominium homes, 126,500 sq. ft. secured purpose-built market rental homes, and the aforementioned social housing component; altogether, there will space for about 1,050 homes.

As well, the approved rezoning allows 26,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant uses and a 5,000 sq. ft. childcare facility for 37 kids, which is now achieved by the social housing tower.

“The Granville Loops redevelopment will link these neighbourhoods above and below the bridge, via the new Neon, Continental and Rolston Streets, and enhance the pedestrian character of both Pacific and Granville Streets,” continues the application, describing the overall concept of area in the future.

“On all four of the bounding streets around this Project, the massing of the lower podium establishes a continuous horizontal datum, and a pedestrian scale to the buildings, transitioning from a double-height commercial storey along Granville Street, to four storeys in height on Pacific Street.”

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