Indigenous-owned Jericho Lands project approved by Vancouver City Council

Indigenous-owned Jericho Lands project for 24,000 residents approved by Vancouver City Council

December 2023 conceptual artistic rendering of the Jericho Lands. (City of Vancouver)

The Vancouver Westside has traditionally been a low-density residential area, but that will no longer be the case, with the Jericho Lands development introducing high-rise residential towers to create a new high-density node near the western edge of Vancouver.

After hearing today from roughly 60 public speakers, with the vast majority being local residents in opposition, Vancouver City Council unanimously approved the policy statement for the Jericho Lands this afternoon.

The passing of the policy statement stage is the first major regulatory hurdle of the long-term development project to transform the 90-acre former military installation immediately south of Jericho Beach Park in the West Point Grey neighbourhood.

This is an Indigenous-owned and spearheaded project, with MST Development Corporation — the private for-profit real estate development company wholly owned by the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations — partnering with federal crown corporation Canada Lands Company (CLC) on the acquisition of the parcels that make up the site about a decade ago.

“Economic development is necessary and is an Aboriginal right in order to support the growth and needs of our communities. This unique development of the Jericho Lands incorporates Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh values and the best practices in city building. This is the first time First Nations have partnered with a city government to co-design the future of a new neighbourhood,” said Squamish Nation council chairperson Khelsilem during today’s public meeting.

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With the approval of the policy statement, which is in effect a site-wide master plan, the project’s owners can move towards rezoning applications for a four-phased redevelopment. It is expected the site will be built in four phases over 25 years, with the first phase situated on the western end of the site.

The site is framed by West 4th Avenue to the north, Trimble Park to the west, West 8th Avenue to the south, and Highbury Street to the east.

“I’m excited by the possibilities here. This is really the last of the big greenfield sites, and it’s a big site. This is a significant moment for the Nations, but also for our city and the future of our city,” said Green city councillor Pete Fry during the meeting.

“I appreciate it may not meet the desires of many of the current residents of the immediate area, who may perhaps desire to see something different, but as we look forward, I think this will be able to deliver a lot in terms of the adjacency to transit-oriented development, green space, parks, beaches, and the adjacent to UBC… This is an opportunity to build a truly high-density, mixed-income kind of community, and we should embrace that and aspire to deliver that.”

Existing condition: Aerial view of West Point Grey Village, Jericho Garrison Lands, and the surrounding single-family residential neighbourhood. (Google Maps)

December 2023 master plan of the Jericho Lands. (City of Vancouver)

jericho lands vancouver policy statement november 2023

Phasing plan for the Jericho Lands redevelopment, December 2023. (City of Vancouver)

However, the densities, scale, and uses of the project are entirely dependent on the construction of the future SkyTrain Millennium Line extension between Arbutus and the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus, which could be built in the early 2030s at the earliest.

The UBC SkyTrain project will provide an on-site Jericho Station near the core of the site, fully integrated into a building in the highest density area of the project, and an Alma Station (on West Broadway) still within very close walking distance from the development’s eastern areas.

It has been noted that if the SkyTrain extension is not built to establish a highly transit-oriented development, the policy statement guiding the rezoning applications will have to be revisited.

The Jericho Lands project is intended to be a car-light neighbourhood with a lower vehicle parking capacity than what minimum parking standards would otherwise require for such densities and uses, as well as an extensive network of high-quality pedestrian and cycling pathways that are well connected to the on-site subway station and its adjacent bus exchange.

“I’m hopeful to see the continued progress of the ‘UBCx’ rapid transit extension from Arbutus, and this certainly bolsters the case for that to move forward,” said ABC councillor Peter Meiszner during the meeting.

To address concerns from project opponents that hydrogeological studies were not performed as part of the policy statement process to identify potential tower placement and geotechnical issues, it was also clarified by City staff during today’s deliberations that such studies, which require provincial permit approval, will be performed in the future. If any issues are identified, such as the discovery of an aquifer immediately below a development parcel, the Jericho Lands master plan outlined in the policy statement will change accordingly. Such studies will be a requirement during the future rezoning process.

General potential area of the subway station footprint of the Jericho Station on the Jericho Lands. (City of Vancouver)

Transportation network for the Jericho Lands, December 2023. (City of Vancouver)

jericho lands mst clc vancouver concept june 2023

June 2023 revised concept of the Jericho Lands. (MST Development Corporation/Canada Lands Company)

The now-approved policy statement outlines a total building floor area of up to 13.5 million sq ft, including residential space for about 13,000 homes accommodating 24,000 residents. This is double the existing population of the entire West Point Grey neighbourhood.

In addition to setting aside 20% of the residential floor area for social housing (roughly 2,600 units), at least 10% will be below-market rental housing (roughly 1,300 units). Conventional strata ownership homes will not be available, as the First Nations would like to own the land in perpetuity. Instead, the only ownership option will be leasehold strata, which will account for the vast majority of the homes.

During the deliberations, City Council approved an amendment by ABC councillor Lisa Dominato to direct City staff to work with the project owners to explore possibilities to increase the percentage of below-market rental housing through provincial and federal support, encourage the use of mass timber construction, and consider opportunities to reuse, recycle, and relocate the Canadian Forces’ bungalow-like barracks structures found on the eastern side of the site.

Additionally, as a highly mixed-use development, there will be at least 750,000 sq ft of office, retail, restaurant, hotel, cultural, and creative industrial spaces for about 3,000 on-site jobs.

December 2023 conceptual artistic rendering of the Jericho Lands. (City of Vancouver)

jericho lands vancouver policy statement november 2023 f1

December 2023 conceptual artistic rendering of the Jericho Lands. (City of Vancouver)

The density and uses will be achieved through dozens of high-rise towers — reaching up to 49 storeys for the three “Sentinel” towers, where the subway station will be situated — along with numerous mid- and low-rise buildings.

The overwhelming concerns amongst opponents, including local resident group Jericho Coalition and many of today’s public speakers, focuses on the project’s high density, number of tall buildings, the anticipated quick pace of change in the neighbourhood’s character, traffic congestion, and impact to local services and/or the perceived lack of public benefits.

Project opponents have been adamant that there should be less density, with fewer homes and a reimagined project with low- and mid-rise buildings.

“It is change… The city today didn’t look the same 100 years ago, and it’s certainly it’s not going to look the same 30 years or 100 years from now. I appreciate the considerations people raised, but we do need to think boldly and long-term about what the needs are for the city, both in terms of housing and other community amenities,” said Dominato during the deliberations.

ABC councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung added, “Housing is going to look different than when a lot of other folks grew up in the city.”

Green councillor Adriane Carr likened the Jericho Lands concept to downtown Vancouver’s West End neighbourhood, which she says is where she lives, and is “a perfect example” of how a high-density community with tower can work, with its greenery and services.

“Towers are not the antithesis to community,” said Carr, before adding that “this project is at heart in my mind a project of reconciliation.”

June 2023 revised concept of the Jericho Lands. (MST Development Corporation/Canada Lands Company)

jericho lands vancouver policy statement november 2023 1

December 2023 conceptual artistic rendering of the Jericho Lands. (City of Vancouver)

The wide range of public benefits offered by the Jericho Lands is estimated to carry a value of $1.3 billion.

The project will set aside at least 20 acres for public park, open, and natural spaces — equivalent to 22% of the property for non-development uses.

There will also be event-friendly outdoor spaces, including a significant outdoor space with a capacity for at least 2,000 people, and arts and cultural spaces, including specific Indigenous spaces.

Other major amenities entail a 50,000 sq ft community centre, a 10,000 sq ft non-traditional library co-developed with the First Nations alongside a traditional public library, a minimum of 259 childcare spaces across up to five on-site childcare facilities, and the possibility for up to 240 after-school care spaces for school-aged children.

There will be space for up to two schools, including space for one 54,000 sq ft elementary school for up to 550 students operated by Vancouver School Board and a potential space for a new replacement home for West Point Grey Academy, which is an independent school — for students between Kindergarten and Grade 12 — currently found on the west side of the Jericho Lands. The return of the independent school would be subject to a commercial lease with the First Nation. Both schools could have a vertical configuration integrated into the base of mixed-use developments.

Other public benefits include arts and cultural spaces for the First Nations, renewal and expansion of Fire Hall No. 19, and storm and potable water upgrades, including the daylighting of streams across the site. The project has also dedicated the land required for the subway station, which does not include any potential consideration of a cash contribution towards the rapid transit project.

It is estimated that the Jericho Lands project will be able to self-fund about $1.152 billion of the $1.3 billion cost of the public benefits. The gap of $163 million will likely require funding assistance from the provincial and federal governments, which will go towards covering the $762 million in social housing and below-market housing.

Jericho Lands public benefits package. (City of Vancouver)

Up until 2014, the Department of National Defence owned the approximate eastern half of the two parcels that form the Jericho Lands, when it sold it to the current owners. The western half of the site was also sold to the partnership by the provincial government in 2016. The combined value of two separate acquisitions was $717 million.

The policy statement master planning process first began in early 2019.

Unlike Squamish Nation’s Senakw project, the Jericho Lands is not a reserve, and as a result the three First Nations, in partnership with CLC, are required to go through and follow the City of Vancouver’s bylaws, policies, and review procedures for this West Point Grey development site.

Khelsilem noted that their team had prior experience with going through the City’s processes. MST Development Corporation and CLC have a similar partnership for the Heather Lands — the 21-acre redevelopment of the former BC RCMP headquarters just east of Queen Elizabeth Park. The policy statement for the Heather Lands’ high-density, mixed-use development was approved by City Council in May 2018, and the site-wide rezoning application subsequently received its green light in June 2022. They acquired the Heather Lands from the federal government.

December 2023 conceptual artistic rendering of the Jericho Lands. (City of Vancouver)

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