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When the previous rezoning application for the Plaza of Nations redevelopment at 750 Pacific Boulevard was approved in July 2018, the original design’s height was substantially limited by View Cone 9.0, which had a height restriction at the time that aligned with the tips of the spires of BC Place Stadium’s roof and over a much larger area of Northeast False Creek.

At the time of the July 2018 public hearings over the original rezoning application for the Plaza of Nations and the separate application by Pavco for BC Place Stadium’s residential tower, the intrusion into the view cones above these Northeast False Creek sites was a controversial matter.

The previous height restrictions compelled the Plaza of Nations’ developer and design team, led by James Cheng Architects, to create a bulky tower design. The site’s density was achieved horizontally rather than vertically, resulting in wide tower forms inspired by the shape of mountains, with some of Vancouver’s largest residential floor plates.

With the recent view cone changes, Northchild can pursue not only additional project density through increased height but also potentially redistribute some of the previously planned bulky horizontal density vertically, reducing the large building masses of the original concept.

Last Thursday, upon inquiry, the City of Vancouver told Daily Hive Urbanized no development permits have been issued for the Plaza of Nations to date, nor has the municipal government received any rezoning enquiries for revisions to the rezoning that were approved in principle by City Council in 2018. It was also noted that the 2018-approved rezoning has yet to be enacted.

As first reported by the Vancouver Sun on Monday, Northchild confirmed it is now pursuing a redesign on the basis that the view cone changes have enabled added density through increased verticality, with a new concept set to include a mix of condominium housing, rental housing, retail and other commercial uses, and a hotel, along with public amenities, waterfront access, and a marina.

Daily Hive Urbanized also reached out to Northchild, which acknowledged they have received a significant volume of media inquiries. However, they did not provide a response in time for today’s publication deadline.

“I understand the site is under new ownership — it is one of the last remaining waterfront parcels in downtown Vancouver and has been mostly vacant for years, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the new owners propose to council,” Vancouver city councillor Peter Meiszner told Daily Hive Urbanized, in reaction to the forthcoming redesign of the Plaza of Nations redevelopment.

“I’ve got an open mind about possibilities for the site — I see it as an opportunity to create a new neighbourhood with housing, shops, services and amenities that can be enjoyed by all Vancouver residents and visitors.”

In contrast, the previous rezoning concept approved in 2018 called for over 2.1 million sq ft of total building floor area, including about 1.6 million sq ft of residential space for about 2,000 homes, including 380 social housing units and the remainder as strata market ownership condominiums.

The previous concept included approximately 400,000 square feet of commercial space, featuring significant retail and restaurant areas — including multi-story retail spaces — designed to create a new entertainment district that complements the site’s proximity to BC Place Stadium and Rogers Arena, along with office space.

As a condition of rezoning, Canadian Metropolitan Properties agreed to provide a staggering $325.5 million in community amenity contributions (CACs), largely in the form of in-kind value through on-site development. This included not only the social housing and extensive waterfront public space components but also a civic centre with a 17,000 sq ft music venue, a childcare facility, a 34,000 sq ft community centre, and a 30,000 sq ft arena with an NHL-sized ice rink.

A key reason for including an ice rink in the community centre was a partnership between Canadian Metropolitan Properties and the NHL Vancouver Canucks, with the arena intended to serve as the team’s official practice rink and a public recreation facility when not in use. However, as reported by Daily Hive Urbanized in 2021, the Canucks subsequently cancelled their partnership with the developer.

In March 2022, Canadian Metropolitan Properties submitted its development permit application to pursue the first phase of the Plaza of Nations redevelopment, specifically the west parcel of the site. The development permit board approved the permit in June 2022, with final enactment of the permit subject to the fulfilment of conditions.

The value of Northchild’s acquisition was not disclosed. But, as of July 2024, according to BC Assessment, the Plaza of Nations property had an assessed value of $412 million, including about $410 million from the value of the prime waterfront land. This is down from $514 million in July 2023. Following the 2018 rezoning application approval, the property’s assessed value jumped from $365 million in July 2017 to $535 million in July 2018. Over the subsequent years, its assessed value fluctuated, reaching a post-rezoning approval low of about $404 million in July 2020.

The recent changes to View Cone 9.0 have also enabled significantly added height for more density for Concord Pacific’s adjacent site immediately to the east in Northeast False Creek. As reported by Daily Hive Urbanized last week, a newly revised concept for “Concord Landing” is substantially more ambitious than what the developer had originally proposed in 2017, with a total of 12 buildings now featuring far greater building heights, including twin towers of about 60 storeys that would become some of Vancouver’s new tallest buildings, potentially even the tallest, exceeding the current tallest of the Living Shangri-La tower.

With the view cone changes, Concord Landing’s floor area density has increased from about 2.1 million to 2.6 million sq ft in the previous 2017 concept to about four million sq ft in the 2025 design revision. This includes a total of over 5,000 homes, plus significant commercial uses.

The increased density from the revised concepts for the Concord Landing and Plaza of Nations projects could potentially generate additional revenue for the municipal government, supporting the high costs for the demolition of the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts and the construction of a new replacement surface road network. This demolition and new road network are key steps in the City’s Northeast False Creek Plan, enabling the realization of new major developments.

In an interview with Daily Hive Urbanized last week, Lon LaClaire, General Manager of Engineering Services for the City of Vancouver, emphasized that the municipal government cannot proceed with detailed planning for the viaducts’ demolition and the construction of replacement roads until the area’s key development projects secure final permitting. Significant engineering challenges remain with the area’s road infrastructure changes, and the associated costs have likely increased substantially since the Northeast False Creek Plan was approved in 2018.

The Concord Landing and Plaza of Nations projects combined account for the vast majority of the new developments in Northeast False Creek, and the development-driven funding for the area plan’s public amenities and benefits.

The Plaza of Nations site was originally built as the BC Pavilion of the Expo ’86 World’s Fair. One of the remaining Expo-built buildings was prominently used as the Edgewater Casino from 2005 to 2017.

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• It's official: Vancouver City Council approves view cone policy relaxations for more housing and job space
• Opinion: Future towers should preserve more of the skyline view of BC Place Stadium