Commercial Drive social housing tower approved by Vancouver City Council

Artistic rendering of the social housing tower at 800 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Human Studio Architecture & Urban Design/City of Vancouver)

The City of Vancouver-owned surface vehicle parking lot at the southeast corner of the intersection of Commercial Drive and Adanac Street will finally be redeveloped, following previous failed attempts to do so.

On Thursday, during Vancouver City Council’s final scheduled public meeting before the summer break through mid-September 2024, the rezoning application to build a 15-storey, mixed-use social housing tower at 800 Commercial Drive received a unanimous vote of approval.

You might also like:

In just under eight months, after the rezoning application under the City’s Grandview-Woodland Community Plan was first submitted in late-November 2023, the City-led project completed the municipal government’s review process and reached public hearing.

“We’re proud to be one step closer to delivering this important housing development for East Vancouver,” said Mayor Ken Sim in a statement.

“This project represents a significant step toward addressing our city’s urgent need for affordable housing, while enhancing well-being in the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood. We are building a brighter, more inclusive future for Vancouver.”

800 commercial drive vancouver social housing 16

Site of the social housing tower at 800 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

800 Commercial Drive Vancouver social housing

Site of the social housing tower at 800 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Human Studio Architecture & Urban Design/City of Vancouver)

Existing condition:

Site of the social housing tower at 800 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Artistic rendering of the social housing tower at 800 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Human Studio Architecture & Urban Design/City of Vancouver)

There will be 93 units of social housing, including 26 studio units, 29 one-bedroom units, 26 two-bedroom units, and 12 three-bedroom units.

About 2,800 sq ft of commercial space fronting Commercial Drive will serve as hubs for community services.

Human Studio Architecture & Urban Design is behind the project’s design. The municipal government has selected Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society (ENFHS) to operate the social housing units, with the non-profit organization leasing the property under a nominal lease and the municipal government retaining ownership.

Uses of the social housing tower at 800 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Human Studio Architecture & Urban Design/City of Vancouver)

Artistic rendering of the social housing tower at 800 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Human Studio Architecture & Urban Design/City of Vancouver)

“ENFHS is delighted to continue our 40-year legacy of providing affordable housing to women, gender-diverse groups, single-parent families and seniors in the Grandview Woodland community in partnership with the City of Vancouver,” said Lilian Chau, CEO of ENFHS, who also noted that the building will provide new office space for both their non-profit organization and M’akola Development Services.

“This project exemplifies how City lands, in partnership with non-profit housing organizations, can be stewarded to provide affordable housing for generations to come. We look forward to welcoming residents to their new homes in a few years.”

Artistic rendering of the social housing tower at 800 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. (Human Studio Architecture & Urban Design/City of Vancouver)

This is the site of the cancelled Kettle Boffo redevelopment — a previous controversial proposal that called for a new 12-storey, mixed-use building with 200 condominium homes, 30 supportive housing units, 18,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses, and a new drop-in facility for The Kettle Society.

After seven years of planning, in 2018, development partner Boffo Properties cancelled their proposal due to the municipal government’s steep additional cash community amenity contribution (CACs) requirement of up to $16 million, in addition to $39 million of in-kind CACs. This pushed their proposal into the realm of financial unviability, adding to the challenges and delays due to the immense public opposition from the immediate neighbourhood.

In June 2023, City Council also approved a rezoning application for an 18-storey Indigenous social housing tower at 1710-1730 East Pender Street, situated on a Commercial Drive site a few city blocks to the north near Hastings Street.

As well, the municipal government is currently amidst the process of considering major changes to the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan, including enabling the controversial “Pace of Change” policy that has severely limited developments, enacting new existing tenant protections, and enabling additional transit-oriented development density near SkyTrain Commercial-Broadway Station.

1710-1730 East Pender Street Vancouver Place of Cedars f

Artistic rendering of Place of Cedars at 1710-1730 East Pender Street, Vancouver. (Dialog/Aboriginal Land Trust/Lu’ma Native Housing Society)

1710-1730 East Pender Street Vancouver Place of Cedars

The location and form of Place of Cedars at 1710-1730 East Pender Street (red) and the potential future developments in the area along Commercial Drive and Hastings Street. (Dialog/Aboriginal Land Trust/Lu’ma Native Housing Society)

You might also like: