Vancouver City Council approves heritage preservation of century-old office tower in downtown

Mar 5 2022, 2:44 am

A tower in downtown Vancouver that was once the tallest commercial building in the British Empire is now a fully protected building in Vancouver’s Heritage Register.

On Thursday, Vancouver City Council approved a voluntary application by Spear Street Capital to designate the historic Standard Building at 510 West Hastings Street — the southwest corner of the intersection of West Hastings Street and Richards Street — under the “A” evaluation category. The structure and heritage exterior are also protected under the designation change.

This is an upgrade from its previous “B” evaluation category in the register.

The 15-storey office building was built in 1912, and contains about 115,000 sq ft of office and retail space.

According to a city staff report, the building was one of the earliest high-rise office structures in downtown, and is a representation of the Edwardian-era economic boom and the westward shift of the Central Business District from the Downtown Eastside. It was designed by architects Russell, Babcock & Rice.

It features a steel frame and concrete construction, and is finished with unreinforced masonry, and cladding comprised of granite, buff brick, and faience or glazed terra cotta.

510 west hastings street vancouver standard building

Standard Building at 510 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

510 west hastings street vancouver standard building

Standard Building at 510 West Hastings Street: artistic rendering (left) and 1921 photo (right). (City of Vancouver)

Heritage consultants have deemed the building’s character-defining elements to be “highly intact, retaining most of its original design and materials.” However, changes over the years removed some of its original elements, both inside and outside.

The building is undergoing rehabilitation work, including seismic upgrades of its historic elements and structure, along with some interior improvements. The heritage designation change will ensure the building is “protected from unsympathetic exterior alterations that would diminish its heritage value, and from demolition.”

The request for the change in heritage designation by the property owner was pursued to fulfill the requirements of the city’s Heritage Incentive Grant Application. This grant program by the municipal government provides up to $4 million per building for heritage conservation and seismic upgrades, which requires the building to be listed on the register and legally protected by a heritage designation bylaw.

The office of the Vancouver Heritage Foundation is located in this building. A prominent corner retail unit on the ground level is currently vacant; up until last year, the retail unit was a longtime Blenz Coffee location.

Kenneth ChanKenneth Chan

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