This is the City of Vancouver's big plan to redevelop 2400 Motel on Kingsway | Daily Hive

This is the City of Vancouver's big rental housing redevelopment plan for 2400 Motel on Kingsway

Concept of the 2400 Motel redevelopment at 2396-2400 Kingsway and 2441-2493 East 33rd Ave., Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects/City of Vancouver)

An end is now in sight for the historic 2400 Motel, as the City of Vancouver has now revealed its long-awaited concept for redeveloping the property.

The 1946-built, City-owned property — one of the few remaining major examples of traditional motor inns within the region’s urban environment — is now eyed by the municipal government for its evolution into a high-density, mixed-use rental housing and commercial space complex, and a community hub for the Norquay Village district of East Vancouver’s Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood. This includes a small community centre and sizeable event-friendly outdoor public spaces.

The project is being spearheaded by the municipal government under the City’s Rental Housing on City-Owned Land – Public Benefits Pilot Rezoning Policy.

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The motel spans a 3.2-acre property at 2396-2400 Kingsway and 2441-2493 East 33rd Avenue — situated just west of the prominent intersection of Kingsway, East 33rd Avenue, and Slocan Street. It is about a 15-minute walk to SkyTrain’s Nanaimo Station or 29th Avenue Station, and just footsteps from various TransLink bus stops serving bus routes operating on Kingsway, Nanaimo Street, and Slocan Street. As well, the site is within the provincially legislated Transit-Oriented Area of 29th Avenue Station.

Currently, this is a complex of 18 single-storey, bungalow-style buildings with a total of 65 suites, interspaced by surface vehicle parking spaces and driveways. The motel is currently still operational, accommodating short-term guests and generating ancillary revenue for the municipal government.

2396-2400 Kingsway 2441-2493 East 33rd Avenue Vancouver 2400 Motel

Site of the 2400 Motel redevelopment at 2396-2400 Kingsway and 2441-2493 East 33rd Ave., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Existing condition:

Site of the 2400 Motel redevelopment at 2396-2400 Kingsway and 2441-2493 East 33rd Ave., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Concept of the 2400 Motel redevelopment at 2396-2400 Kingsway and 2441-2493 East 33rd Ave., Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects/City of Vancouver)

The existing property was briefly considered for rapid conversion into a homeless shelter and temporary supportive housing at the height of the pandemic, and it was used as temporary accommodations for Syrian refugees about a decade ago.

It should be emphasized that the Church’s Texas Kitchen restaurant property at the intersection is not part of the development site.

Four towers with 863 market rental homes

According to the new City-initiated rezoning application, 2400 Motel will be redeveloped into four towers reaching 18, 25, 26, and 28 storeys, with the tallest building reaching a real height of 332 ft. (101 metres) and all towers sitting on a base podium. The three tallest towers front Kingsway.

The application suggests that precedent for high-rise tower heights in the immediate area has already been set by the 2013-built, 22-storey Eldorado mixed-use residential tower, which is found just to the west on the same city block.

There will be 100 per cent market rental housing uses for the residential component — a total of 863 secured purpose-built market rental homes, with a unit size mix of 92 studios, 467 one-bedroom units, 214 two-bedroom units, and 90 three-bedroom units. Residents will have access to various shared indoor and outdoor amenities on all tower and base podium rooftops.

Over 20,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space within the ground level of the base podiums along Kingsway will activate the major thoroughfare.

Ground-level floor plan; concept of the 2400 Motel redevelopment at 2396-2400 Kingsway and 2441-2493 East 33rd Ave., Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects/City of Vancouver)

Concept of the 2400 Motel redevelopment at 2396-2400 Kingsway and 2441-2493 East 33rd Ave., Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects/City of Vancouver)

Small community centre, childcare, plaza, and green space with a pond

For the base podium of the project’s shortest building, which is the 18-storey tower at the southwest corner of the property, the ground level will be dedicated towards a 15,000 sq. ft. “Neighbourhood House” — akin to a small community centre, complete with dedicated indoor space for arts, seniors, youth, multi-purpose uses, and a community kitchen. Attached to the Neighbourhood House will be a 5,000 sq. ft. childcare facility for up to 37 kids.

At the core of the development site will be a 20,000 sq. ft. event-friendly public plaza, which will feature the public art centrepiece of the rehabilitated and relocated iconic “2400 Court” motel neon sign — currently found on the property’s Kingsway entrance. This plaza will be activated by the adjacent retail/restaurant uses, Neighbourhood House frontage, and a permanent purpose-built covered outdoor stage for community events and performances.

The southeast corner of the site will be dedicated to publicly accessible green space, including a children’s playground, open grassy lawn, a motel bungalow-inspired pavilion for multi-purpose outdoor uses, and a new pond for rainwater storage purposes — complete with a pedestrian bridge that forms a part of the green space’s pedestrian pathway network.

In total, this project promises over 47,000 sq. ft. or 1.1 acres of publicly accessible outdoor open space.

Concept of the 2400 Motel redevelopment at 2396-2400 Kingsway and 2441-2493 East 33rd Ave., Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects/City of Vancouver)

The tower architecture also takes inspiration from the auto-centric motel design, with sculpted building massings that reflect the motel bungalow banding motif in a series of streamlined spandrel bands — stacked with ribbons of glass and punctuated with “a series of soaring balconies,” according to the design rationale.

“The material and colour palette draws inspiration from the spirit and history of the place as a 1940s auto court accommodation, while looking forward to a contemporary future that combines minimalist style with a bit of flash and flamboyance… From re-use and re-purposing of the iconic neon sign, to inventive interpretations of the bungalow in the form of pavilions in the park for performances, picnics and playing, there is no doubt that the public art will reflect the spirit of place throughout 2400 Kingsway,” continues the design rationale.

To achieve the project’s design, the City contracted Acton Ostry Architects and landscape architectural firm Perry and Associates.

In total, this project will generate a total building floor area of 660,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is five times larger than the size of the plot of land.

Three underground levels are planned, accommodating 581 vehicle parking stalls. There will also be over 2,100 secured bike parking spaces.

Concept of the 2400 Motel redevelopment at 2396-2400 Kingsway and 2441-2493 East 33rd Ave., Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects/City of Vancouver)

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