New area plan for two East Vancouver SkyTrain stations adds 19,000 residents | Daily Hive

New municipal densification plan for SkyTrain's Rupert and Renfrew stations adds 19,000 residents and 8,000 jobs

Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan, July 2025. (City of Vancouver)

The new Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan is now finalized ahead of its expected review and approval by Vancouver City Council next week.

This is the first densification area plan created by the City of Vancouver since the 2022 approval and enactment of the Broadway Plan. It was made following a three-year planning process that involved public consultation, and it is also the first area plan directly influenced by the Vancouver Plan.

As the name of the area plan suggests, this a transit-oriented development land use strategy oriented around SkyTrain Millennium Line’s Rupert Station and Renfrew Station, which are currently immediately surrounded by light industrial and low-density commercial uses. Furthermore, most of the area covered by the plan currently consists of single-family residential neighbourhoods.

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The entire Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan is roughly framed by Parker Street to the north, Boundary Road to the east, East 27th Avenue to the south, and Nanaimo Street to the west. The total land area within the area plan — encompassing the southern area of the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood and the northern area of the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood — spans about 1,631 acres or 6.6 sq. km., which is slightly larger than the area within the Broadway Plan.

As of the 2021 census, this area is home to 30,900 residents living in 12,300 homes, along with employment space supporting 13,500 jobs. Currently, 72 per cent of the area’s residents are visible minorities, including 59 per cent Chinese.

By 2050, under the area plan, the City envisions a 61 per cent increase in population — an additional 18,700 residents, bringing the total to 49,600. The number of homes is expected to grow by 82 per cent to 22,400, while the number of jobs is projected to increase by 61 per cent to 21,800.

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View of SkyTrain’s Renfrew Station from the new LaSalle College Vancouver campus. (Kenneth Chan)

View of Broadway Tech Centre office campus next to SkyTrain’s Renfrew Station from the new LaSalle College Vancouver campus. (Kenneth Chan)

The finalized area plan is highly consistent with the previous draft plans presented for public consultation, and it takes into account the provincial government’s transit-oriented development legislation designating Transit-Oriented Areas around both stations.

Towers up to 45 storeys, and even higher on a First Nations-owned site

As can be expected, the highest densities will be closest to the two SkyTrain stations, generally enabling existing residential sites to see high-rise tower heights of up to 45 storeys for social housing or secured purpose-built rental housing uses (80 per cent market rental housing and 20 per cent below-market rental housing), with a floor area ratio (FAR) of up to 10.5 times the size of the lot. Up to 35 storeys and 8.5 FAR are permitted for 100 per cent secured purpose-built market rental housing uses, and up to 29 storeys and 7.0 FAR are allowed for strata market ownership condominium housing or hotel uses.

Tower heights and densities taper off for sites that are further away within residential areas, reaching up to 26 storeys and 6.5 FAR.

It should be emphasized that existing industrial and employment uses within the area — including sites closest to the SkyTrain stations — will be preserved exclusively for non-residential purposes, which follows the regional direction to preserve scarce industrial lands. These sites will support intensified employment through greater density, accommodating uses such as industrial, laboratories, institutional, office, cultural, retail, fitness centres, services, and hotels. Some employment sites near the stations could be built up to 30 storeys with a floor area ratio (FAR) of up to 5.5 for these uses.

Village and Other Low-Rise Residential Areas Map; Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan, July 2025. (City of Vancouver)

Rapid Transit Area Map; Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan, July 2025. (City of Vancouver)

Industrial and Employment Lands; Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan, July 2025. (City of Vancouver)

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June 2024 draft concept for Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan. (City of Vancouver)

Large sites will continue to accommodate uses such as big-box retail stores, film studios, and other commercial/institutional uses, with the area notably home to Real Canadian Superstore, Walmart, the new LaSalle College Vancouver campus, and Vancouver Film Studios. Much of this area lies within the floodplain of Still Creek, which runs east-west through its low-lying sections. To address flood risk, additional building height will be permitted to accommodate higher construction levels.

There will also be ongoing efforts to naturalize and daylight Still Creek, along with new measures to protect its water source. These include prohibiting new underground structures within 30 metres of the creek and limiting underground levels to a maximum of two for sites further away but still nearby — to help maintain groundwater flow into the salmon-bearing creek, which connects with Burnaby Lake and the Brunette River.

New buildings in this area must also incorporate design strategies to mitigate noise, vibration, emissions, and derailment risks associated with the busy Canadian Pacific railway, whose freight and passenger trains bisect the area.

Although residential uses are generally banned in employment areas, City staff have made one major exception for the 10-acre former BC Liquor warehouse site at 3200 East Broadway, located at the southwest corner of East Broadway and Rupert Street, immediately west of Rupert Station. This site is owned by the First Nations-owned MST Development Corporation, in partnership with Aquilini Development Group.

In October 2024, under the City’s enhanced rezoning process, MST and Aquilini unveiled a preliminary design concept to transform the site into 12 high-rise towers up to 60 storeys — among Vancouver’s new tallest buildings — featuring 3,800 homes across 3.25 million sq. ft. of residential floor area (leasehold strata, rental housing, and affordable housing). Their preliminary development proposal also includes 750,000 sq. ft. of space for retail, hotel, office, and/or industrial uses, supporting approximately 1,750 jobs.

Site of the former BC Liquor warehouse at 3200-3270 East Broadway and 2625 Rupert Street, Vancouver. (MST Development/Aquilini Development)

A preliminary concept for 3200 East Broadway, Vancouver. (MST Development/Aquilini Development)

The former BC Liquor property is one of 15 designated “Unique Sites” in the area plan — generally larger than two acres — where larger redevelopment projects can be pursued, along with opportunities to deliver significant public benefits. Other examples of sites with this designation include the East 1st Avenue Marketplace strip mall (anchored by T&T Supermarket), the Akali Singh Sikh Society Gurudwara temple, Still Creek/Kaslo Gardens Co-op, Casa Serena, and the Italian Cultural Centre/Il Centro.

Notably, about a decade ago, the members of Il Centro voted against proceeding with a significantly high-density, mixed-use residential redevelopment that would have renewed and expanded their community and cultural spaces.

Other designated Unique Sites with pre-established redevelopment plans that predate the area plan’s guidelines include BC Housing’s Skeena Terrace project, which will feature buildings up to 36 storeys and approximately 1,900 affordable homes across various tenures, and BC Children’s Hospital’s new East Vancouver healthcare campus, which is currently under construction.

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2024 revised artistic rendering of Skeena Terrace. (Perkins&Will/BC Housing)

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Concept of the Centre for Health Complexity of BC Children’s Hospital at 3580-3644 Slocan Street, Vancouver. (Diamond Schmitt Architects/BC Children’s Hospital)

The new LaSalle College Vancouver campus, as of May 2025’s construction progress. (Kenneth Chan)

The area plan also prescribes and stipulates the creation of new neighbourhood hubs — Village Areas — further away from the stations. Such villages are located at the intersection of Renfrew Street and East 1st Avenue (anchored by East 1st Avenue Marketplace), Renfrew Street and East 22nd Avenue, Rupert Street and East 22nd Avenue, Nanaimo Street and East Broadway, and Nanaimo Street and East 1st Avenue. Generally, areas designated as a village will see new low-rise residential building forms up to six storeys, with ground-level retail/restaurant uses for sites that are on a major street — such as along Renfrew Street and East 22nd Avenue.

Most of the new land uses in the area plan call for the conversion of the majority of the area’s existing single-family neighbourhoods into low-rise residential uses up to six storeys for social housing and secured purpose-built rental housing, up to four storeys for strata market ownership condominiums, and up to three storeys for strata market ownership townhomes and multiplexes.

In the single-family neighbourhoods located near the northern edge and the southeast corner of the area plan, redevelopment will allow for multiplex buildings of up to three storeys, with exceptions permitting social housing projects of up to six storeys.

Later in 2025, following the approval of the area plan, City staff will return to City Council to seek approval for City-initiated rezonings covering a substantial portion of the area, specifically to enable new low-rise apartment uses. This accelerates potential developments by removing the need for property owners and developers to submit an individual rezoning application for their project site, effectively enabling them to skip to the development permit application.

City-initiated Rezoning Map; Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan, July 2025. (City of Vancouver)

$1.2 billion in utilities, infrastructure, and public benefit costs

But City staff note that in order for the area to sustain greater density, significant investments would need to be made toward utilities, infrastructure, and community amenities.

Some areas currently cannot support the new low-rise densities envisioned in the area plan. For example, in the southern portion of the plan area, existing water connections lack the capacity to provide the necessary flow for fire suppression in larger buildings. However, this limitation could be addressed within a few years if funding is allocated for the required upgrades.

The first 10-year priorities are estimated to cost a combined total of $1.2 billion in 2024 dollars. This includes $80 million for potable water pipe expansion, $257 million for new sewers, $40 million for rainwater drainage, and $52 million for Still Creek naturalization improvements to enhance flood management. Additional investments include $28 million for new arterial road paving, $47 million for widened pedestrian sidewalks, bike lanes, and greenways, $39 million to expand fire hall capacity, $24 million for new and improved public parks and open spaces, $49 million for the expansion of the Renfrew Community Centre & Pool and Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House, and $7 million for new cultural facilities.

This total also incorporates $147 million for the social housing component at Skeena Terrace, $371 million for nearly 600 new City-led social housing units, and $54 million for new childcare facilities accommodating 220 children.

Lower amounts of developer-funded public amenities can be expected, given that the area plan focuses on catalyzing rental housing and affordable housing. As well, in 2026, separate Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) will be created in the area plan for strata residential buildings, and there will be CAC exemptions for market rental housing incorporating a childcare facility and 20 per cent below-market rental housing. The CACs policies for the are could potentially be created under the provincial government’s new tool of Amenity Cost Contributions (ACCs).

SkyTrain Rupert Station. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

In terms of accommodating the area’s significantly increased transportation demand, lower ridership levels at both SkyTrain stations suggest that the stations can support additional circulating passenger volumes. As for the Millennium Line’s overall passenger-carrying capacity, this will be further enhanced by the substantial increase expected in 2027, following the opening of the Broadway extension to Arbutus, which will increase the frequency and lengthen the trains running on the Millennium Line.

According to TransLink’s 2024 statistics, Renfrew Station is the 38th busiest SkyTrain station out of the network of 53 SkyTrain stations, recording 1.388 million annual boardings, with averages of 4,500 boardings per weekday, 2,500 per Saturday, and 1,900 per Sunday/holiday. Rupert Station is the 47th busiest station with a total of 857,000 annual boardings, and averages of 2,600 boardings per weekday, 2,100 boardings per Saturday, and 1,700 boardings per Sunday/holiday.

The area plan identifies a need for improved bus speed and reliability measures along Renfrew Street, Rupert Street, East Broadway, and East 22nd Avenue to support TransLink’s future bus network expansion.

Earlier this year, TransLink highlighted its proposal of launching new bus routes serving the Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan, including new local routes between Commercial-Broadway Station and Holdom Station (along Grandview Highway and Canada Way) and between Main Street-Science World Station and Brentwood Town Centre Station (along Terminal Avenue and East 1st Avenue), and a new express route between 29th Avenue Station and Phibbs bus exchange (along Renfrew Street and Ironworkers Memorial Bridge).

Pedestrian and cycling access to the SkyTrain stations and improved bus services will be enhanced by active transportation changes, including the possibility of improved north-south crossings for the railway, and reduced vehicle lanes on the busy routes of East Broadway, Renfrew Street, and Rupert Street to accommodate widened pedestrian sidewalks and new bike lanes.

Potential concept for redesigning East Broadway, with reduced vehicle lanes for widened pedestrian sidewalks and new bike lanes; Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan, July 2025. (City of Vancouver)

Potential concept for redesigning Rupert Street and Renfrew Street, with reduced vehicle lanes for widened pedestrian sidewalks and new bike lanes; Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan, July 2025. (City of Vancouver)

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