New details on Cineplex's The Rec Room opening in downtown Vancouver

Construction progress on Cineplex's The Rec Room at 850 Granville Street in downtown Vancouver, as of October 25, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

After earlier pandemic-related delays, construction progress on Cineplex’s The Rec Room entertainment centre in downtown Vancouver has picked up in pace over much of the past year.

The building’s facade fronting Granville Street — including the restored heritage components — is now largely complete, and work is clearly underway on furnishing the interior.

It will be located at the mid-block site of 855 Granville Street, immediately across from the Commodore Ballroom, in the Granville Entertainment District — within a space previously home to Empire Granville 7 theatre.

The visual pace of the construction progress suggests Metro Vancouver’s second The Rec Room could open sometime within the first half of 2024.

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As another sign of progress on the long-delayed The Rec Room project, Vancouver City Council is expected to review and approve Cineplex’s supporting liquor licence for the location next week.

The liquor licence application also provides new and updated details for a project that was last reviewed by City Council before the pandemic.

The 45,000 sq ft venue spanning three levels, including a basement level, will have a maximum capacity of 1,594 people, plus an outdoor patio on the Granville Street sidewalk with a capacity for 64 people.

This includes 492 people on the basement level, 726 people on the ground level, and 376 people on the second level.

With these figures, it will become one of the single largest entertainment-based establishments within the entertainment district. In comparison, the Commodore Ballroom across the street has a maximum capacity for just under 1,000 people.

Construction progress: September 2020

855 granville street vancouver cineplex the rec room

New mural at 855 Granville Street; construction progress of Cineplex’s The Rec Room in downtown Vancouver, as of September 17, 2020. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Construction progress: March 2023

cineplex the rec room granville vancouver construction march 3 2023

Construction progress on Cineplex’s The Rec Room Granville at 855 Granville Street, Vancouver, as of March 3, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Construction progress: October 2023

cineplex the rec room granville downtown vancouver construction october 25 2023

Construction progress on Cineplex’s The Rec Room at 850 Granville Street in downtown Vancouver, as of October 25, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Artistic rendering:

August 2019 design of 855 Granville Street, Vancouver, for Cineplex’s The Rec Room Granville. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Cineplex)

As well, based on Cineplex’s online listings of the maximum occupancy inside each The Rec Room, it appears the Granville location will be the second largest in the entire chain in terms of indoor capacity out of the 10 existing The Rec Room locations across Canada.

It will be only behind the 1,800-capacity location in South Edmonton and ahead of locations such as The Amazing Brentwood in Burnaby with 1,250 people and the Roundhouse in downtown Toronto with 1,200 people. Most The Rec Room locations have a capacity closer to 1,000 people.

Cineplex will be able to operate the Granville location between the hours of 9 am to 3 am daily, with the exception of an 11 pm closure for the outdoor patio. Similar to other The Rec Room locations, children can enter the licensed building as long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian, but only up until 10 pm.

The latest drawings attached to the liquor licence application show the Granville location’s features and offerings will be consistent with the most recent The Rec Room locations, including the 2021-opened Brentwood location. But there are some clear differences compared to what was outlined in 2019.

Basement level floor plan:

cineplex the rec room 855 granville street downtown vancouver basement

2023 concept: Floor plan of the basement level of The Rec Room at 855 Granville Street, Vancouver. Click on the image for an expanded version. (Core Architects/Cineplex)

Ground-level floor plan:

cineplex the rec room 855 granville street downtown vancouver second level

2023 concept: Floor plan of the ground level of The Rec Room at 855 Granville Street, Vancouver. Click on the image for an expanded version. (Core Architects/Cineplex)

Second-level floor plan:

2023 concept: Floor plan of the second level of The Rec Room at 855 Granville Street, Vancouver. Click on the image for an expanded version. (Core Architects/Cineplex)

The basement level will no longer be mainly used as an 11,500 sq ft performance and event space with a capacity for about 640 people, made possible by Cineplex’s previous acquisition of the liquor primary licence of the nearby former Republic Nightclub. The liquor primary licence transfer was needed as City policies do not enable a net gain in liquor primary seats or the relocation of liquor primary seats from another area of the city into the entertainment district.

Instead, within the basement level, there will now be a bar lounge with a capacity for 223 people, with a retractable wall opening up to a flex seating space for 138 additional people. A large area of the basement level is now also dedicated as a mini-golf course, with a capacity for 108 people.

The live performance stage that was previously found in the basement level’s performance and event space is now situated on the ground level, next to the lounge and dining area with a capacity for 410 people, and complete with an attached bar. This stage will be programmed with not only live music but also karaoke, comedy, and cabaret shows.

In 2019, when Cineplex first formally announced the location, they said the ground-level restaurant would carry their existing Three10 restaurant concept; however, this is no longer clear. The main casual sit-down restaurant within each The Rec Room is typically branded under the Three10 concept, but the liquor licence application notes the ground-level restaurant’s name has yet to be determined, with the added detail that it will “offer a playful take on sit-down comfort food.”

Cineplex’s The Rec Room at The Amazing Brentwood. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Cineplex’s The Rec Room at The Amazing Brentwood. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The Shed will still be the location’s quick-service food and beverage offering, located within the second level — where The Yard, the name of The Rec Room’s area for arcade and other gaming activities, will be located. The Yard will have video/arcade games, simulators, sports/interactive games, virtual reality, and redemption games under Cineplex’s Xscape brand. Additionally, within the same level, there will be activity rooms for axe throwing and ping pong.

Private rooms for group bookings are located on both the first and second levels, but Cineplex also provides the opportunity for corporate events, birthday parties, and other functions that take over the entire space.

Although this is a Cineplex-owned and -operated property, it will not feature any screen auditoriums. However, Cineplex recently began introducing its new Junxion concept, which essentially brings its auditorium and The Rec Room concepts together under one roof.

City staff state that while The Rec Room concept does not fit into some of the liquor primary licence exceptions, they support the application as they consider it to be aligned with the City’s aim to revitalize and intensify entertainment and daytime activities within the entertainment district.

The project specifically supports “new entertainment experiences and food services that invite a wider demographic of Vancouverites to enjoy, including youth, during select hours and aims to enrich the daytime vibrancy of the neighbourhood. These directions also support the proposed revitalizing of the unique heritage character of the building and the inclusion of a patio to enhance the viability of food service.” Such uses are expected to be reinforced in the forthcoming Granville Street Planning Program.

Empire Granville 7, which had seven screen auditoriums, closed in 2012. The fenced-off building became a huge void on the 800 block of Granville Street over the past decade, contributing to the Granville Strip’s current street issues.

The old theatre complex, composed of three buildings constructed over different eras, was demolished, but the heritage north and south facades were retained, with the centre facade being The Rec Room’s only new-build exterior. In recent weeks, nighttime lighting to accentuate the facade’s architectural details and help animate the Granville Strip has been tested.

Empire Theatres Granville 7 before its closure. (Google Maps)

August 2019 design of 855 Granville Street, Vancouver for Cineplex’s The Rec Room Granville. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership / Cineplex)

Construction first began in early 2020, just weeks before the onset of the pandemic, with completion and opening originally targeted for late 2021.

The expected opening of The Rec Room next year will bring much-needed new life to the entertainment district, both during the daytime and nighttime.

Just a block to the south, construction is also progressing on Bonnis Properties’ four-storey, mixed-use commercial building at 950 Granville Street — a large mid-block site previously home to businesses such as the Republic Nightclub, with the development wedged between Roxy Nightclub and the 7-Eleven.

In terms of street frontage length, this project to the south will have the same street presence as The Rec Room. There will be 71,000 sq ft of building floor area, including about 17,000 sq ft of ground-level retail/restaurant uses and over 54,000 sq ft of office space in the upper levels. Construction is expected to reach completion in 2024, which will provide the entertainment district with a much-needed lift.

Construction progress:

950 granville street vancouver bonnis properties construction october 25, 2023

Construction progress on 950 Granville Street, as of October 25, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Artistic rendering:

Artistic rendering of 950 Granville Street, Vancouver. (B&TB/Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties)

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