New drawings of the transformative 800 Granville redevelopment proposal

Artistic rendering of 800 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

The full official rezoning application for the redevelopment proposal 0f 800 Granville Street has finally been made public, after it was published today by the City of Vancouver on its public consultation website.

It is a sign of momentum for this transformative project, which promises to provide a strong economic engine anchor for revitalizing the Granville Entertainment District in downtown.

The design and uses of the project are essentially the same as what Daily Hive Urbanized last reported on the concept in Summer 2021, when the rezoning application was initially submitted. The rezoning application now publicized is based on slight revisions submitted in November 2022, which makes note of Vancouver City Council’s July 2022 stipulation that the proponent set aside funding to build off-site social housing as a community amenity contribution (CACs) to replace the SRO rooms currently founding in the State Hotel. It should be noted that the on-site Slate Hotel heritage building is a SRO by technicality only, as it has been vacant for decades following fire damage.

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The rezoning application by local developer Bonnis Properties and designed by architectural firm Perkins&Will also outlines project features and statistics in greater detail than previously provided.

The building, stretching almost the entire length of the city block south of Robson Street, would have a total floor area of 651,500 sq ft, including 86,200 sq ft of cultural and entertainment uses, 468,000 sq ft of office space, and 97,300 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses. There would be enough job space within this single building to support up to over 4,000 office, retail, restaurant, and entertainment business workers.

800 granville street vancouver bonnis properties

Artistic rendering of 800 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

Concept of 800 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

Artistic rendering of 800 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

The first three levels, including street level, would be dedicated to retail, including the retainment of four heritage facades, and the full retainment of the existing Commodore building. The Commodore Ballroom and Commodore Billiards will be completely preserved, with a literal bridge structure constructed over the heritage building to achieve the new complex above. Directly above the Commodore building will be a new music performance venue, which will be a CACs gift to the municipal government as an expansion of the Orpheum Theatre’s facilities.

The new music performance venue would be on the fourth level, sharing the same floor with 50,000 sq ft of restaurants and lounges, which features a 650 ft long outdoor “sky promenade” with views of Granville Street below.

The Slate Hotel’s back lane wall would be part of the new “atrium” that houses a feature stair providing the public with access to the fourth level, in addition to the dedicated elevators located within the Slate Hotel building.

Artistic rendering of 800 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

August 2021 sketch of changes to the Orpheum Theatre’s Granville Street entrance for new vertical circulation access to the Commodore Ballroom and the new city-owned theatre, as part of 800 Granville Street. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

August 2021 sketch of the 800 Granville Street’s fourth level of a restaurant, lounge space, and promenade. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

Artistic rendering of 800 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

Office spaces are slated for levels five to 17, with most of these office levels stretching the length of almost the entire city block — providing large, flexible, open spaces that are rare and highly attractive to tech companies and other major businesses. Within the upper office levels, the building is terraced, creating large outdoor rooftop amenity terraces for office workers.

The complex’s highest point is 260 ft near the northern end of the development site, closest to Robson Street. Currently under existing City regulations, the maximum building height allowed on the block is 90 ft, and the potential height increase is further restricted to 260 ft by the protected mountain view cone of 12.2 from the Granville Street Bridge.

To visually enhance the area’s designation as an entertainment district, a large vertical neon “Commodore” text sign would be added to the exterior of the Commodore building, and a two-storey video screen banner would wrap the facade below the sky promenade. As an added public benefit, 10% of the air time of the video screen would be set aside to the City of Vancouver’s arts and culture use.

August 2021 artistic rendering of the revised design for 800 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

Diagram of 800 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

Just 98 vehicle parking stalls would be provided for this building, with four underground levels found on the northernmost half of the development site — between Robson Street and the northern exterior wall of the Commodore building. This underground space would also accommodate 345 secured bike parking spaces.

If approved, the complex would establish a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 13.58 times larger than the development site, which stretches between Robson Street to the City-owned air space above the Orpheum Theatre’s Granville Street entrance building.

The high-density, commercial-only uses and wide range of job spaces will generate significantly added foot traffic for the area. This positive impact will also be the result of the large retail spaces that attract large, high-profile, high-quality retail tenants and restaurant establishments, which will solidify this complex as a major destination — especially when combined with the improved Commodore Ballroom, retained Commodore Billiards, and new music performance venue.

This rezoning application is expected to be reviewed concurrently with the Granville Street Planning Program, which is expected to undergo major amendments by City Council this week before it is approved. Triggered by the 800 Granville Street proposal, this area planning process spanning five blocks of the Granville Entertainment District between Robson and Drake streets will guide future redevelopments and public space improvements for revitalizing the Granville strip. New residential uses will not be permitted within the northernmost three blocks — the core of the entertainment district.

August 2021 artistic rendering of the revised design for 800 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

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