This is the plan to redevelop McDonald's at Main Street SkyTrain

This is the plan to redevelop McDonald's next to Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station in Vancouver

Existing condition (left) and future condition (right) of the McDonald's property at 1527 Main Street, Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar Real Estate Partners)

Nearly a year after McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada sold its iconic location at the eastern end of False Creek, a rezoning application has been submitted to the City of Vancouver outlining how the site will be redeveloped into mixed-use towers with secured purpose-built rental housing as the primary use.

This is a redevelopment of the 1.15-acre McDonald’s restaurant property at 1527 Main Street, prominently located just south of SkyTrain’s Main Street-Science World Station.

South Carolina-based Greystar Real Estate Partners is looking to turn the 1972-built restaurant property into a pair of towers reaching 191 ft with 18 storeys and 230 ft with 22 storeys.

When the sale was completed in November 2023, it was noted that McDonald’s would return to the location within a new “flagship” space integrated into the new complex, below the residential uses. This concept is reaffirmed in the application designed by local architectural firm Dialog.

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The project’s building heights are made possible by the City of Vancouver’s decision in July 2024 to amend various protected mountain view cones that restrict the heights of buildings. This project specifically benefits from the narrowing and repositioning of View Cone 22 emanating from the intersection of Main Street and East 6th Avenue, and the elimination of View Cone 3.2.4A, which forms the underside of the view cone emanating from the peak of Queen Elizabeth Park.

“The modernization of Main Street View Cone (22) and elimination of Queen Elizabeth View Cone (3.2.4A) allows for an 18-storey West Tower and a 22-storey East tower. A more vertical expression is created for the West Tower as its tower floorplate carries all the way down to grade, anchoring the corner at Quebec and Central St, with unimpeded views out to False Creek and beyond,” reads the application.

1527 main street vancouver mcdonalds rental housing

Site of the McDonald’s restaurant redevelopment at 1527 Main Street, Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar Real Estate Partners)

Existing condition:

McDonald’s restaurant at 1527 Main Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Future condition:

Concept for the McDonald’s restaurant redevelopment at 1527 Main Street, Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar Real Estate Partners)

There would be 371 secured market rental homes, with a unit size mix of 73 studios, 166 one-bedroom units, 114 two-bedroom units, and 18 three-bedroom units. Shared indoor and outdoor amenity spaces for residents would be situated within the eighth level — including on the rooftop of the base podium — and both tower rooftops.

On the ground level within both towers, there would be about 7,800 sq ft of retail/restaurant space, with the McDonald’s restaurant unit located within the base of the East tower to front Main Street, accounting for the vast majority of this commercial space component.

The current restaurant is highly popular for its central location, large size (spanning 11,000 sq ft of floor area across two levels), and its drive-thru. However, due to City regulations, there will not be a replacement drive-thru.

Concept for the McDonald’s restaurant redevelopment at 1527 Main Street, Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar Real Estate Partners)

Interior design examples for the new replacement flagship McDonald’s restaurant at the redevelopment of 1527 Main Street, Vancouver. (Dialog/Greystar Real Estate Partners)

Three underground levels will provide 170 vehicle parking stalls, which is below the 230 stalls typically required for such a project of this size and with such uses.

It is noted that this project is well within the provincial government’s Transit-Oriented Area for Main Street-Science World Station as outlined by legislation, which enables building heights of at least 20 storeys and axes minimum vehicle parking requirements. Additionally, the project will provide 688 secured bike parking spaces.

The total building floor area will reach 301,000 sq ft, establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 5.97 times larger than the size of the lot.

McDonald’s restaurant at 1527 Main Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Records show Greystar acquired the property in a deal worth $80 million.

Currently, according to BC Assessment’s July 2023 roll, the property holds an assessed value of $77.214 million, with $77.173 million coming from the land and $41,100 coming from the structure. The vast majority of the property is used for surface vehicle parking.

McDonald’s has owned this property ever since it was built more than half a century ago. Its last major renovation was made just in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, with the prime location’s adjacency to the Olympic Village, and when McDonald’s was still a major sponsor of the Olympic movement.

The surface vehicle parking lot immediately north of the restaurant (1510 Quebec Street and 1405 Main Street) is owned by the City of Vancouver and is not part of this redevelopment.

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