Rental towers up to 42 floors next to Science World proposed by City | Daily Hive

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

Concept of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Archeology/City of Vancouver)

The City of Vancouver is proposing a major secured purpose-built rental housing project for a site it owns immediately south of SkyTrain’s Main Street-Science World Station.

This would replace the existing Easy Park pay parking lot with two new towers, including a 262-ft-tall, 25-storey and a 425-ft-tall, 42-storey tower, plus a partial level on the rooftop of each tower for shared indoor and outdoor resident amenity uses.

According to the municipal government’s new Vancouver Housing Development Office, the 43-storey tower would be a “Landmark Terminus Gateway” building.

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The parking lot is at the southwest corner of the intersection of Main Street and Terminal Avenue.

To create the rezoning application for 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., which was submitted last week, the City worked with architectural firm HCMA, in partnership with new architectural firm Archeology, as well as landscape architectural firm PWL Partnership.

1405 Main Street 1510 Quebec Street Vancouver rental towers

Concept of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Archeology/City of Vancouver)

Existing condition:

Existing condition of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Concept of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Archeology/City of Vancouver)

The mixed-use proposal will have 100 per cent market rental housing for its residential component under the municipal government’s Rental Housing on City-Owned Land-Public Benefits Pilot Rezoning Policy.

There will be a total of 780 market rental homes, including 524 units in the west tower and 258 units in the east tower. The overall unit size mix is 56 studios, 282 one-bedroom units, 130 two-bedroom units, and 56 three-bedroom units. According to the City, these homes will align with the municipality’s Middle Income Housing Initiative.

Residents will have access to various indoor and outdoor amenities, including expansive outdoor amenity spaces on the building’s base podium’s lower rooftops.

At ground level, nearly 14,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant uses will activate the complex’s frontages with Main Street, Terminal Avenue, and Quebec Street.

Existing condition:

Existing condition of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Concept of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Archeology/City of Vancouver)

According to the design rationale, the project’s architecture is inspired by False Creek’s previous narrow channel at the site — the entrance into the False Creek Flats, which was filled in for the railyard and other developments over a century ago. It also takes inspiration from the area’s previous wooden trestle Main Street Bridge — specifically for the design of the base podium — and the ripples of the water in False Creek.

From Terminal Avenue, the project frames views of the landmark geodesic dome of Science World.

The project is made possible by Vancouver City Council’s July 2024 revisions to the protected mountain view cone policies, including revisions that narrow, elevate, and relocate View Cone 22, which now emanates from the intersection of Main Street and East 7th Avenue (near Kingsway), and View Cone 3.2.4 emanating from Queen Elizabeth Park. However, it is noted that the proposed concept slightly intrudes into the amended Main Street view cone.

It is noted that the project’s landmark tower would be of similar height to Concord Pacific’s newly revised concept for their nearby Concord Landing project in Northeast False Creek.

Vancouver protected mountain view cone impacts on the site of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St. before (top) and after (bottom) the July 2024 policy changes. (HCMA/Archeology/City of Vancouver)

Existing condition:

Existing condition of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Concept of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Archeology/City of Vancouver)

Under the City’s pilot program to enable such mixed-use projects with 100 per cent market rental housing for select City-owned sites, up to five projects by the municipal government will be considered.

The total building floor area will reach 711,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 11.27 times larger than the size of the 63,100 sq. ft. parking lot site.

Two underground levels will contain 204 vehicle parking stalls, and both ground- and below-ground levels will provide nearly 1,500 secured bike parking spaces.

Existing condition:

Existing condition of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Concept of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Archeology/City of Vancouver)

Concept of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Archeology/PWL Partnerships/City of Vancouver)

This proposal next to Science World is the second project under the pilot program. In late 2024, the City also submitted a rezoning application to achieve a similarly-scaled project for the City-owned site of 1402-1460 Burrard St., 900 Pacific St., and 1401-1451 Hornby St. — located at the north end of the Burrard Street Bridge, entailing two towers up to 54 storeys with over 1,100 rental homes, plus retail/restaurant uses.

The intent of the pilot program is not only to create housing suitable for middle-class working individuals and households but also to generate new long-term, non-tax revenue to support the City’s ongoing costs for infrastructure renewal, community amenities, and affordable housing initiatives.

Immediately to the south of the Easy Park parking lot, there are also plans by Greystar Real Estate Partners to redevelop the longtime McDonald’s restaurant at 1527 Main St. into mixed-use 22-storey and 18-storey towers with 371 rental homes and retail/restaurant uses, including a new flagship McDonald’s restaurant.

As well, immediately to the east of Main Street-Science World Station, GWL Realty Advisors is looking to redevelop 1220 Station St. into two 28-storey towers with about 400 rental homes, plus minor office and retail/restaurant uses, including a potential grocery store.

Both projects in the area by Greystar and GWL are made possible by the view cone changes.

1527 main street vancouver mcdonalds rental housing

Concept for the McDonald’s restaurant redevelopment at 1527 Main St., Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar Real Estate Partners)

1220 station street vancouver gwl realty advisors

December 2024 concept for mixed-use rental housing towers at 1220 Station St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/GWL Realty Advisors)

1402-1460 Burrard Street 900 Pacific Street 1401-1451 Hornby Street Vancouver Burrard Bridge tower

Concept for the Vancouver Housing Development Office site of 1402-1460 Burrard St., 900 Pacific St., and 1401-1451 Hornby St., Vancouver. (Diamond Schmitt Architects/City of Vancouver)

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