A look inside the rental homes of Senakw's first completed tower, with tenants now moving in

More than a century after Squamish Nation families were displaced from the lands beneath the south end of Burrard Street Bridge, the first residents are now moving home.

This week marks a historic turning point for the First Nation and the broader Vancouver housing landscape as the very first tenants begin occupying the Senakw rental housing complex on the reserve, specifically the first phase on the west side of the bridge — immediately adjacent to Vanier Park.

The first move-ins begin this week, starting with Squamish Nation members before broader leasing expands to the general public.

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All three towers in the first of Senakw’s four phases have risen relatively quickly, with major construction work first beginning in late Summer 2022.

Much of this speed is due to Senakw being on reserve land, which is exempt from the municipal approvals, zoning restrictions, and policies of the City of Vancouver.

However, prior to the start of construction, the First Nation and the City reached an extensive services agreement, which outlined the expected scope and size of the development, the utilities and services (sewerage and water connections, and sanitation and emergency services) that will be provided by the municipal government, and the transportation and other infrastructural upgrades that will be funded and completed by the First Nation. Senakw is following the provincial government’s BC Building Code, with fire safety standards aligning to those established by the Vancouver Building Code.

Tower 2 and Tower 3 are now in the final stages of construction, with full completion slated for later in 2026, while the finishing touches are currently being made to Tower 1.

This milestone represents the completion of the first residential tower in Canada’s largest Indigenous-led residential development, and the contemporary re-emergence of a village that First Nations leaders say was interrupted for generations.

Standing on the 26th floor rooftop of the completed Tower 1 overlooking the mouth of False Creek and English Bay, the executives of Nch’ḵay̓ Development Corporation — the economic development company of the Squamish Nation — described the moment as symbolic and deeply personal.

“We’re feeling incredibly proud to be here,” said Brandi Halls, executive vice president of brand, marketing, and community engagement for Nch’ḵay̓, during an interview with Daily Hive Urbanized this morning.

“This village has been at least 100 years in the making, and we’re here this week.”

“It’s profound pride and honour,” echoed Jacob Lewis, the director of community development for Nch’ḵay̓.

The lands adjacent to the Burrard Street Bridge were once home to a village of the First Nation before residents were removed by government in the early 20th century. The site remained disconnected from the First Nation for decades, before the 10.5-acre reserve was formally established in 2003 following a lengthy legal battle.

Lewis credited generations of Squamish Nation leadership and community members who envisioned reclaiming and redeveloping the site long before construction began.

“Our leadership and our ancestors, some of them that aren’t here with us now, really had a vision for what this could be,” Lewis told Daily Hive Urbanized.

That vision — designed by local firm Revery Architecture — is now visible in the form of the beginnings of a striking new skyline south of the Downtown Vancouver peninsula, framing the entrance to False Creek.

Tower 1, the westernmost building fronting Chestnut Street, reaches a height of 291 ft. with 27 storeys. The first phases’s remaining buildings of Tower 2 reach 297 ft. with 32 storeys and Tower 3 with 370 ft. with 40 storeys.

“We definitely like to say that Senakw is unmistakably Squamish,” said Halls.

“You drive over that Burrard Street Bridge, you see the trigons on the side of the building. We are really proud that people from afar will know that this is a Squamish village, and it’s a Squamish village that welcomes all.”

Leasing interest has been strong, according to the project team

As Tower 1 opens this week, according to the project team, leasing demand appears strong despite a highly challenging rental housing market across Metro Vancouver due to a wave of new purpose-built rental housing completions that first began in 2025 and will continue through 2027, along with structural economic challenges provincially and nationally, and the federal government’s immigration policy changes.

When Senakw was first publicly unveiled and approved by Squamish Nation members in a 2019 vote, the project was conceived at a time when Metro Vancouver faced a severe shortage of purpose-built rental housing, with relatively few major developments in the construction pipeline contributing to a vacancy rate hovering below one per cent, intense competition among prospective renters, and an upward pressure on rents.

According to Halls, roughly 17,000 people have already registered their interest in living at Senakw. However, when asked, they were unable to elaborate on the percentage of the homes in Tower 1 that have already been leased.

Tower 1 contains 333 market rental homes and 67 below-market rental homes, which are prioritized for the First Nation’s members. When Tower 2 and Tower 3 are also ready, the first phase will have a combined total of roughly 1,400 purpose-built rental homes, including about 280 below-market rental homes.

There is a phased approach of releasing the newly-built homes in Senakw’s first phase, beginning with Tower 1 before focusing on filling Tower 2 and Tower 3.

“We are releasing our homes in phases,” Halls told Daily Hive Urbanized. “Of course, we started by welcoming the Squamish people home first.”

After previously prioritizing Squamish Nation members, leasing expanded to the broader Indigenous community.

This week, the project began its release of the first market rental homes, beginning with Kitsilano residents and neighbours. As well, they have invited some nearby residents to be among the first members of the general public to tour the newly-built first tower.

This approach reflects a deliberate emphasis on neighbourliness and inclusion.

“We’re starting actually, again, local and inviting our Kitsilano neighbours, friends and family and residents in to tour Senakw and to express their interest in living here as well,” said Halls.

As well, a temporary small modular pavilion structure will be constructed at Vanier Park as a welcome centre to provide more information about the development and help market the rental homes. It will front Chestnut Street and the new access roadway built for the project.

The rental rates for Senakw’s first tower

To provide renters with certainty, given that the site is on reserve, the same protections of the provincial government’s British Columbia Residential Tenancy Act (BCRTA) have been adopted by Squamish Nation for Senakw and all of their other future on-reserve residential developments elsewhere. Toronto-based firm Fitzrovia will provide rental management services for the project. The First Nation’s non-profit housing operator, Hiyám Housing, is overseeing the below-market rental housing component.

Halls said market rents currently begin at approximately $1,600 per month for studio units, $2,200 per month for one-bedroom units, and $3,500 per month for two-bedroom homes, with pricing varying depending on the location within Tower 1.

In terms of real unit size, the rental homes are very roughly 300 sq. ft. for studio units, 400 sq. ft. to 550 sq. ft. for one-bedroom units, and 600 sq. ft. to 650 sq. ft. for two-bedroom units. The floor plans vary considerably due to the irregular shape of the towers.

The project also includes a limited number of three- and four-bedroom units, but pricing for those rental homes has not yet been publicly released.

While the handful of varying rental home configurations toured by media today were furnished for staging purposes, the rental homes offered Senakw are not furnished.

This is a central and highly attractive location, within very close proximity to parks, the seawall pathway, beaches, and Granville Island, as well as Downtown Vancouver and the Central Broadway corridor — all by walking, cycling, or a short bus ride. As a car-light project, Senakw provides very limited on-site vehicle parking within its underground levels, but there is ample secured bike parking.

The homes fronting the west feature expansive views of English Bay, the Downtown Vancouver skyline, and the mountains.

“With these incredible views, we like to say that from up here, you literally see where the ocean meets the city and the mountains all in one view,” said Halls.

Residents will have access to ample shared amenity spaces, including indoor and outdoor amenities on the tower rooftops — ample seating, barbecues, yoga areas, and gathering spaces.

But one of the most ambitious amenity components currently remains under construction: a three-storey, 25,000-sq.-ft. wellness pavilion, including an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room, cold plunge, and 10,000-sq.-ft. fitness gym, as well as co-working areas. Altogether, phase one offers over 36,000 sq. ft. of shared indoor and outdoor amenity facilities.

In addition to the shared amenities, many of the residential units also feature a private patio, which have an installation pattern that significantly adds to the exterior architecture of the towers.

Checking out the views of Vanier Park, English Bay, the Downtown Vancouver skyline and the mountains from #Senakw's first rental homes. #vanpoli #vanre 2/5https://t.co/oqPahtiuHU pic.twitter.com/rsiWKsV9Dm

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) May 27, 2026

Extensive Squamish Nation design considerations

The development also incorporates extensive Indigenous art, language, and cultural storytelling throughout the site.

Lewis highlighted contributions from multiple Squamish Nation artists integrated directly into the architecture, interior space, public space, and landscape design, including swimming pool tile work by artist Marissa Nahanee. He described the art program as a reflection of the First Nation’s relationship to the land and the historical ecology of the area.

He said the project is designed to reconnect residents and visitors with the cultural history of the site while embedding Squamish Nation identity into every layer of the development.

“All of that is just a recognition of our connection to our ancestors and, you know, who we are as Squamish people. So it’s very, very important to this project,” said Lewis.

Unlike some master-planned developments, Senakw’s footprint has been intentionally designed to remain publicly accessible, with a public realm integrated with the surrounding neighbourhoods. Lewis said approximately 60 per cent of the development on reserve consists of publicly accessible space.

Most of the ground-level commercial space to serve the critical mass of residents is slated for Senakw’s future phases, but the first phase will still introduce an important retail presence to the emerging village. Four retail/restaurant units at the base of the first three towers are intended to help animate the surrounding plaza areas, with Squamish Nation design influences extending beyond the architecture itself into details such as stencil-like concrete imprints, landscaping elements, and custom street furniture. Marcus & Millichap began seeking potential tenants for nearly 20,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space earlier this year.

There’s still so much to come

New transportation infrastructure is another major component of the broader vision.

New public transit hub and cycling connections between Senakw, the broader neighbourhood, and the south end of the bridge deck are planned to integrate the site directly into Vancouver’s transportation network.

Some progress on realizing the new pedestrian and cycling pathways — seamlessly connecting the bridge’s existing pathways and Senakw’s active transportation pathways — and the TransLink bus hub on the bridge deck is expected for next year.

“Being able to ride your bike across the bridge, directly off the bridge into our bike parkade,” Halls told Daily Hive Urbanized. “That is really going to increase the accessibility of our community to all of Vancouver.”

Although Tower 1 is now largely ready, construction across the broader development of the first phase continues.

Tower 2 is now expected to reach full completion around September 2026, while Tower 3 is anticipated to finish by December 2026.

Further phases are already entering planning stages, supported in part by the $1.4-billion, low-cost loan from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) tied to the first phase and second phase. That loan was announced on-site by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2022, when major construction work on the first phase also began.

The Squamish Nation’s ownership partners have also changed considerably from the project’s outset. In Summer 2025, it was announced that local developer Westbank had sold its entire ownership stake in the Senakw project. The deal saw OPTrust increase its ownership stake to 50 per cent, acquiring Westbank’s remaining interest in the first phase now reaching construction completion and the future second phase. The First Nation owns 50 per cent of the first phase and future second phase, and 100 per cent of the future third and fourth phases.

Lewis said lessons learned from the first phase will shape the remaining three phases of Senakw.

“We’re starting to step into the planning and the design conversations,” he said. “A lot of it, looking and reflecting on this tower or this phase, to make sure that we’re picking up on lessons learned, things that we can continue to improve.”

Excavation and site preparation for the second phase immediately to the east of the bridge and north of the former Molson Coors brewery previously started. Major construction activity on the second phase could get underway in 2027, which would also be guided by the timelines and other requirements established by the CMHC loan.

Some finishing touches being made for the exterior of Tower 1 of #Senakw.

Tower 2 and Tower 3, the remaining towers of the first of four phases, will be ready later in 2026. #vanre #vanpoli 4/5https://t.co/oqPahtiuHU pic.twitter.com/LRgF6J1VHD

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) May 27, 2026

Each of the four phases is intended to produce roughly 1,500 rental homes, with 20 per cent of the units in each phase set aside for below-market rental homes. There will be a total of nearly 6,100 secured purpose-built rental homes for up to 9,000 residents, including over 4,800 market rental homes and about 1,200 below-market rental homes. As well, as previously outlined, Senakw will have a total of 100,000 sq. ft. of commercial retail/restaurant uses and about 45,000 sq .ft. of office space.

Just under 900 vehicle parking stalls are planned within the underground levels of the entire complex at buildout, but there will be ample secured bike parking throughout.

All phases combined will significantly add to the Senakw skyline established by the first phase, with a total of 11 towers upon the full buildout of all phases, with the tallest building of Tower 9 in the third phase reaching 560 ft. with 58 storeys, containing over 900 rental homes.

For now, the development team is focused on filling Tower 1 with residents and establishing the foundations of a new urban village.

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