8 things to know about the Hudson's Bay Vancouver redevelopment proposal

Model of the Hudson's Bay Vancouver redevelopment. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Hudson’s Bay Company’s (HBC) plans to redevelop its storied flagship department store in downtown Vancouver promises to be one of the most consequential building developments in the city centre in decades.

Daily Hive Urbanized was the first to report HBC’s proposal details on Tuesday. The new vision for the heritage property at 674 Granville Street was officially revealed to the public on Wednesday morning to kickoff a multi-day pre-application public consultation on the main floor.

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The building is solely used as a department store, but it has long passed its heyday given its very apparent ageing condition and underutilization. The proponents of the project are calling for a bold reimagining of the building as a mixed-use development to give it a new life.

Here are seven key things to know about the proposal:

1. The heritage exterior will be fully preserved

The heritage building was constructed in four different sections a century ago, with most of the building in its existing form completed in 1927.

In an interview on Wednesday, Doug Adams, senior vice president of development for Streetworks Development, the HBC division responsible for redeveloping the retailer’s vast real estate portfolio, told Daily Hive Urbanized the exterior’s iconic cream terra cotta facade and Corinthian columns will be fully retained, restored, and undergo seismic work.

Existing condition:

Hudson’s Bay in downtown Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

674 Granville Street Vancouver hudsons bay redevelopment

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

The interior of the six-storey heritage building — which has little remaining heritage value given the interior alterations it has seen over the past century — will be demolished to construct a new modern mixed-use structure for both public and private commercial uses.

“The whole intent is to create a modern building within the heritage building and save as much of the heritage building as possible,” said Adams.

“We wanted to create something that didn’t imitate or flatter the heritage, something that is simple with the same vertical lines so that it complements the heritage building.”

The project’s architectural design firm is Perkins & Will.

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

hudsons bay vancouver redevelopment model 674 Granville Street

Model of the Hudson’s Bay Vancouver redevelopment. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

2. One of Vancouver’s biggest office buildings: 5,000 office jobs

With about one million sq ft of premium office space, the redevelopment will be one of Vancouver’s single largest office buildings.

The office floor area will be found within the fifth and sixth floors of the heritage building, and largely within the creation of a new 12-storey tower over the heritage rooftop — giving the building a height of 18 storeys. This height does not protrude into the protected mountain view cones that cross through the site.

Large floor plates of up to 61,000 sq ft — some of the biggest in the city — will be highly suitable for tech companies and other larger businesses, which are seeking this kind of open, large-format space.

It is estimated the office space could accommodate up to 5,000 employees, providing the area with a significant economic boost from the added foot traffic to support retail, restaurants, and entertainment.

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

While office market demand has softened due to the pandemic, HBC is confident that there will be future demand for this type and scale of office space in downtown. At the very earliest, if the project is reviewed and approved by the City of Vancouver within the next two years, construction is not expected to reach completion until 2027 or 2028.

Commercial real estate analysts have established that there is long-term demand for more office space in the city, which is fuelled by the growth of the tech industry. This is also made evident by downtown Vancouver’s office vacancy rate, which is the lowest amongst major city centres in North America, according to CBRE.

3. Ample amenity spaces for office workers

Three five-storey enclosed atriums above the heritage building, within the corners to establish street views, will provide office workers with common amenity space. This sacrifices significant potential office floor area, but this is an asset that will help attract major corporate tenants.

“Rather than just creating this massive building with huge floor plates, we felt that these internal atriums create collaboration spaces internally. It is incredibly important and unique,” said Adams.

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. Inside the five-storey office atrium above the heritage building. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

Additionally, the new tower’s first floor on the rooftop of the heritage building is setback from the edge to create an expansive partially covered outdoor terrace along Granville, West Georgia, and Seymour streets. The entirety of the seventh level is dedicated as common amenity space, with the various interior spaces opening up to the terraces.

And instead of premium office space, the tower rooftop will be used as both indoor and outdoor amenity space for tenants, including landscaped areas for gathering and lounging.

Model of the Hudson’s Bay Vancouver redevelopment. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. On the rooftop of the existing heritage building. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

4. A new modern Bay department store in an “uncommon civic centre”

There will be about 400,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space within the first four floors of the building and the first basement level — down from its existing size of 650,000 sq ft across all six heritage building floors and two basement levels.

This includes a downsized new Hudson’s Bay flagship store, but with the latest retail space design principles to offer the public a highly immersive experience beyond just shopping. HBC is conceiving this as a new store within what they have termed an “uncommon civic centre,” which is configured around an internal atrium with a grand staircase, flexible event and gathering space, and activations. There will also be new dining opportunities.

Compared to the store’s existing configuration, all floors of the new concept store will be significantly more accessible with a centralized escalator system and numerous elevators.

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. An open concept for escalators linking the reimagined Hudson’s Bay department store floors. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

5. Improved SkyTrain access and connections

The Expo Line’s existing Granville Station street entrance from Granville Street will be reused, but the corridor beyond the entrance will be completely reconfigured to establish a new, publicly accessible west-east indoor pedestrian connection through the centre of the block between Granville and Seymour streets.

The new corridor on ground level will be activated by retail frontage and another entrance into the Hudson’s Bay. This also improves Granville Station’s accessibility, including the reconfiguration of the station’s Seymour Street entrance.

The proponents are also looking to improve transfer connections between Granville Station and the Canada Line’s Vancouver City Centre Station through the first basement level and the Vancouver City Centre Mall corridor. The first basement level is part of the “uncommon civic centre,” but no Hudson’s Bay uses are planned.

Model of the Hudson’s Bay Vancouver redevelopment. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

6. Zero vehicle parking

No new underground levels are planned beyond the two existing underground levels that already exist at the site. There are no plans to provide the mixed-use redevelopment with any vehicle parking to encourage more visitors and workers to use the public transit hub and the bike parkade.

Without needing to perform significant excavation, this also makes the project more financially economical and reduces emissions from limiting the need to truck away earth and the added concrete required.

A pedestrian overpass linking to the Bay parkade on the east side of Seymour Street will be retained, but the parkade’s longevity is likely limited. Local developer Holborn Group owns the city block-sized parkade and intends to redevelop it into a major mixed-use redevelopment at some point in the future.

7. Publicly accessible bike parkade

A significant bike parkade facility is planned for the second basement level, accessible from the Seymour Street side of the building.

There would be an on-street bike lane ramp on Seymour Street’s existing western curbside lane that descends into the first basement level, before entering a spiral ramp that leads to the bike parkade on the lower basement.

The bike parkade will have 1,500 secured bike parking spaces for both building workers and the general public. Adams says it is supported by end-of-trip facilities such as change rooms and showers.

Model of the Hudson’s Bay Vancouver redevelopment. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Hudson’s Bay’s Vancouver flagship store at 674 Granville Street. (Perkins & Will/Streetworks Development/Hudson’s Bay Company)

8. Construction could begin in 2024

Over the coming weeks, the proponents will submit their application for rezoning and a Heritage Revitalization Agreement to the City of Vancouver.

If all goes as planned with the project’s review process through city staff and then Vancouver City Council, construction could potentially start in early 2024. The redevelopment would reach completion in 2027 or 2028.

HBC will remain as the owner and operator of the building through its in-house property and investment arm. The company is also planning a similarly ambitious office and retail mixed-use redevelopment of its downtown Montreal store, and it is considering other uses for its downtown Calgary location, where the store was recently downsized to just the first three floors. The historic store locations in the city centres of Edmonton and Winnipeg recently permanently closed.

Model of the Hudson’s Bay Vancouver redevelopment. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

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