A new addition to the northwest corner of the intersection of Granville Street and Smithe Street could help animate the Granville Entertainment District.

The municipal government has received an application seeking to install a digital billboard sign on the rooftop of the single-storey building at 897 Granville Street.

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Up until recently, the retail unit in this building was occupied by a longtime tenant, Champs Sports store. This unit is still available for lease.

The curved convex digital screen will measure 8 ft in height and 29 ft in length. It will be LED backlit to show static images and advertising. Artistic renderings also show a structure that will be built on the rooftop to backdrop the screen.

Existing condition:

The former Champs Store building at 897 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Future condition:

Artistic rendering of the new digital sign atop the former Champs Sports store building at 897 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Outfront Media)

The application was submitted by Outfront Media, which has a major portfolio of outdoor advertising displays in Metro Vancouver, and manages and oversees the City of Vancouver’s street furniture in exchange for advertising opportunities.

This is the second major digital screen location within/near the Granville Entertainment District after the pair of giant screens to the north at the Best Buy/Winners building, which were replaced with new larger models in 2020.

New larger video screens at the intersection of Robson and Granville streets in downtown Vancouver. (Daily Hive)

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• Granville Street should be Vancouver's version of NYC's Times Square: City staff
• City planning to guide future Granville Entertainment District revitalization
• Vancouver City Council rejects animated "diving girls" neon sign for Hotel Belmont
• Vancouver City Council to encourage new hotels on the Granville strip
• City of Vancouver to explore banning all vehicles from Granville strip, including buses