Revised design for 24-storey office tower at future South Granville SkyTrain

July 2023 artistic rendering of the office tower at 1395 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Andrew Cheung Architects/Yuanheng Developments)

There is renewed movement on the proposal to build a 24-storey office tower within very close proximity to SkyTrain’s future South Granville Station.

After withdrawing its original 2021-submitted rezoning application in March 2023, Yuanheng Developments quickly circled back with the submission of a newly revised rezoning application to the City of Vancouver for consideration.

You might also like:

The tower is eyed for 1395 West Broadway — the northeast corner of the intersection of Hemlock Street and West Broadway, just one block east of the future Millennium Line subway station entrance at Granville Street. This property is occupied by an auto dealership building, previously the longtime home of Mercedes-Benz Vancouver and more recently temporarily used by Jim Pattison Toyota Downtown.

When the project was first proposed, the municipal government had yet to create its Broadway Plan for outlining how the areas anchored by the future subway will be densified with more homes and jobs.

1395 West Broadway Vancouver office tower 2023

Site of the office tower at 1395 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Andrew Cheung Architects/Yuanheng Developments)

Site of the office tower at 1395 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

The preservation and creation of job space — office, institutional, hotel, retail, and restaurant uses — within the core areas of the Central Broadway corridor is a key priority of the Broadway Plan and the City’s Employment Lands and Economy Review.

Although there is currently weakened demand for office space, this project targets meeting future office demand over the longer term. Based on the typical rezoning and permitting timelines, along with the construction period for a building of this size, the actual completion of the office tower is likely at the end of this decade at the very earliest.

Original 2021 concept:

1395 west broadway vancouver office tower

July 2021 artistic rendering of the office tower at 1395 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Andrew Cheung Architects/Yuanheng Holdings)

Revised 2023 concept:

July 2023 artistic rendering of the office tower at 1395 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Andrew Cheung Architects/Yuanheng Developments)

This revised rezoning application now benefits from the June 2022 decision of the previous Vancouver City Council makeup to approve the Broadway Plan, which focuses on the strategy’s tallest buildings mainly around South Granville Station due to the area’s lack of height-restricting protected mountain view cones.

The revised proposal still aligns with what was originally proposed two years ago, with slight changes to the overall architectural concept, and a very minor increase in density and height.

The building’s total floor area is now about 309,000 sq ft, including 280,000 sq ft of Class A office space and nearly 29,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses.

Original 2021 concept:

July 2021 artistic rendering of the office tower at 1395 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Andrew Cheung Architects/Yuanheng Holdings)

Revised 2023 concept:

July 2023 artistic rendering of the office tower at 1395 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Andrew Cheung Architects/Yuanheng Developments)

The retail/restaurant uses will span three levels and take advantage of the sloped site to provide more activated street frontage. This includes retail/restaurant units on the lower street level fronting West 8th Avenue, the main street level aligned with West Broadway, and a portion of an upper level above the main street level, where there is also an amenity space for office workers.

The floor area ratio (FAR) density of the project is now nine times the size of the lot — up from the original proposal’s FAR of 8.65. It will target a LEED Gold green building certification.

There will still be five underground levels, now containing 423 vehicle parking stalls — a slight increase of about 30 stalls from the original proposal — and 175 secured bike parking spaces.

July 2023 artistic rendering of the office tower at 1395 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Andrew Cheung Architects/Yuanheng Developments)

Designed by Andrew Cheung Architects, the overall architectural concept carries a sculpted, crystal-like form, with the top of the tower crowned with a sloping angular form inspired by a mountain peak.

“The design attempts to create a memorable landmark tower for the Fairview slope highpoint particularly viewed from the downtown area and driving along Granville Bridge,” reads the project’s design rationale.

July 2023 artistic rendering of the office tower at 1395 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Andrew Cheung Architects/Yuanheng Developments)

You might also like: