City of Vancouver considering additional rental homes for Granville Street in downtown
Additional secured rental homes are being considered for properties on the city blocks on both sides of Granville Street between Drake Street and Helmcken Street in downtown Vancouver.
City of Vancouver staff are proposing an amendment to the Downtown Official Development Plan’s K3 area on Granville Street, just south of the entertainment district.
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Early directions do not indicate the type of secured rental housing — such as market rentals, below-market rentals, and social housing — but the municipal government is looking to prioritize “promoting sustainable design and construction to address the climate emergency.”
This includes a moderate increase to the permissible floor area in the area that includes 100% secured rental housing, but without any zoning changes to the existing allowable heights, and aligning with the current design guidelines of the street, including consideration for heritage character for buildings completed in 1930 or before.
Building frontages on Granville Street can only reach up to 75 ft in length.
Affected area for increased rental housing on Granville Street. (City of Vancouver)
Affected area for increased rental housing on Granville Street. (City of Vancouver)
A forthcoming proposed policy change for the area will specifically encourage the use of mass timber, other greener materials, or building standards that reduce emissions.
City staff will release their report outlining proposed changes in the middle of January, and city council will make a decision in a public hearing before the end of the winter.
The area already has a cluster of low-income rental housing, including the recent acquisition and conversion of the Howard Johnson hotel into social housing.
At the southern end of the K3 area at the northeast corner of Granville Street and Drake Street, there is a proposal to redevelop the 7-Eleven building into a six-storey building with 29 homes and ground-level retail.
Artistic rendering of 1294 Granville Street, Vancouver. (GBL Architects)
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