Redevelopment of McDonald's next to Main Street SkyTrain station approved | Daily Hive

Redevelopment of McDonald's restaurant next to Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station approved by Vancouver City Council

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

Big changes — perhaps you might say a McMakeover — will soon be coming to McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada’s longtime and iconic location next to SkyTrain’s Main Street-Science World Station.

On Tuesday, during a public hearing, Vancouver City Council unanimously approved the rezoning application to redevelop the 1.15-acre restaurant property at 1527 Main St. into a mixed-use development with secured purpose-built rental housing and commercial uses, entailing a 220-ft-tall, 21-storey tower and an 181-ft-tall, 17-storey tower interconnected by a seven-storey base podium.

You might also like:

The McDonald’s restaurant building, surrounded by surface parking, has occupied this site since 1972. It was especially prominent during Vancouver’s major events over the decades, including the Expo ’86 World’s Fair, the annual Molson Indy race, and the 2010 Winter Olympics, with the Olympic Village located right next door. The restaurant’s last major renovation was performed just in time for the Winter Games.

1527 main street vancouver mcdonalds rental housing

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

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

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

Although change is coming, the restaurant will make a comeback fully integrated into the new development, with a new modern concept space fronting Main Street and designated as a flagship location.

John Wilbeck, the Managing Director of Development in Canada for Greystar Real Estate Partners, the company that bought the prime transit-oriented development site from McDonald’s in 2023 for $80 million, said his “kids would kill me if we removed it,” the restaurant.

“McDonald’s views this site as a landmark. They consider it a forever home that has just a slight interruption of scale along Main Street. So they’re the main tenant. It’s really a McDonald’s location in their minds,” Wilbeck told City Council during the public hearing, while also noting that the head of design for McDonald’s “is excited to have this project be a landmark site of scale to have enough seating.”

“Both us and McDonald’s recognize the value proposition in the neighbourhood that McDonald’s achieves,” continued Wilbeck.

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

The project will provide about 7,800 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space, including the larger unit for McDonald’s in the base of the east tower and smaller spaces in the base of the west tower to help activate Quebec Street. In contrast, the current two-storey McDonald’s restaurant building spans 11,073 sq. ft., with the upper level seldom open in more recent years.

One key design difference will be the lack of a drive-thru for the restaurant, which is no longer permitted for new developments under City bylaws. Wilbeck says this will enable a safer and more pedestrian-focused public realm.

“I am actually really pleased to hear about the McDonald’s as a third space,” said Green Party city councillor Pete Fry, emphasizing the importance of the continuity of this fast food restaurant’s use as a space for relaxation and socialization for low-income seniors, including those in the Chinese community.

“I do think that’s actually a value add to this project because it is such an important community asset in this particular location now.”

With that said, Fry added, he is disappointed that there is no below-market rental housing component in the project, but acknowledged that it was not a requirement under City policies.

OneCity city councillor Lucy Maloney highlighted “the excellent location of this proposal so close to the SkyTrain station and the frequent bus service on Main Street and the cycling infrastructure and its facilities for bike storage. I feel as though even though this is all market housing, there is an element of affordability in having the option not to own and operate a private car.”

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

Wilbeck told City Council that his company would like to begin construction in 2026, if subsequent permit approval timings allow for it. During the construction closure, existing restaurant staff will be provided with employment opportunities at other locations.

In addition to the new flagship McDonald’s restaurant, the project will provide 371 secured purpose-built 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 on the eighth level, including the rooftop of the base podium, as well as both tower rooftops.

Three underground levels will contain 201 vehicle parking stalls and 688 secured bike parking spaces. The total building floor area will reach 302,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is six times larger than the size of the lot. Dialog is the project’s architectural design firm.

It was noted that the site does face some geotechnical challenges, as its land area was created by infill reclamation a century ago, filling in the narrow point of False Creek, the entrance into the False Creek Flats. The engineering solutions will be identified in the subsequent development permit and building permit processes.

Immediately to the north, replacing a pay parking lot, the City of Vancouver is proposing to redevelop its municipally-owned property of 1405 Main St. and 1510 Quebec St. into 42-storey and 25-storey towers with 780 market rental homes and 14,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space.

1405 Main Street 1510 Quebec Street Vancouver rental towers

Concept of 1405 Main Street and 1510 Quebec Street, Vancouver. (HCMA/Archeology/City of Vancouver)

You might also like: