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However, in addition to the building permit application, the separate new development permit application sheds more light on the envisioned multi-tenant transformation of the space, which has been left vacant since Nordstrom’s closure in June 2023.

The building will become much more porous and accessible, with each of the four retail units provided with an entrance from the street.

This includes the construction of a new major retail entrance at the West Georgia Street Plaza for “Tenant 3,” which will be the “largest of all the new tenants,” according to the application. This entrance will be situated between the plaza’s former Nordstrom entrance and the existing office lobby entrance for tenants such as Microsoft above the former department store volume. This plaza also serves as the street entrance into SkyTrain’s Vancouver City Centre Station.

The largest tenant will also benefit from a brand-new mid-block street entrance on Granville Street, next to the bus stop shelter and replacing an existing storefront window area.

As for the existing street entrances that were previously used for Nordstrom, the West Georgia Street Plaza entrance will be used for “Tenant 4, and the entrance on Granville Street (near Robson Street) will be used for “Tenant 1,” which could also be accessed from the existing mall entrance at the intersection of Granville and Robson streets. The existing entrance at the intersection of Robson and Howe streets will be used for “Tenant 2.”

“The new entry on Granville Street will be designed and detailed to match the existing entry on Granville, replicating the storefront system, scale, and colours. The new entry on the Georgia Street Plaza will match the office building entry at 725 Granville, located adjacent to the store, matching the scale, materials, colours, and canopy details,” reads the application.

All of the new tenants will have outdoor signage placed along Robson Street, Granville Street, and the West Georgia Street Plaza.

Although there will be major changes to the interior space, the exterior changes — apart from the new street entrances — will be relatively very minor. The exterior facade was last completely reclad relatively recently in 2015, replacing the previous facade design largely dating back to the 1973-built building’s previous Eatons and Sears eras.

This is very much unlike Cadillac Fairview’s current construction project of repurposing the former Nordstrom space at CF Toronto Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto, which involves not only major interior changes but also some substantial changes to the building’s exterior panelling, with significant scaffolding concealing the current construction work. Later in 2025, this former Nordstrom space at CF Toronto Eaton Centre will reopen as a 110,000 sq. ft. Simons store, a 25,000 sq. ft. Eataly food hall, and an 18,000 sq. ft. Nike store.

“The former Nordstrom chain store is a significant commercial building in downtown Vancouver, and the focus of this project to re-tenant the store will maintain the look of the existing building with minimal improvements to the exterior design,” reads the application.

“With the repositioning of the building from a single store to multiple stores within the existing structure, each new tenant will require exterior access, enlivening the pedestrian streetscape.”

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