University Canada West to open major campus at new Vancouver office tower

University Canada West to open major campus at new downtown Vancouver office tower

February 2024 condition of the new B6 office tower at 1090 West Pender Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

One of downtown Vancouver’s largest post-secondary institutions is set to see a footprint expansion as part of a replacement of one of its previous locations.

University Canada West (UCW) is set to occupy nearly 89,000 sq ft of office space within the brand new B6 office tower at 1090 West Pender Street in the core of the Central Business District. This campus for the university is scheduled to open this summer.

B6 reached completion this month at the southeast corner of the intersection of Thurlow Street and West Pender Street — just around the corner from SkyTrain Burrard Station. This 403-ft-tall, 33-storey office tower has over 560,000 sq ft of premium Class AAA office space.

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According to a new change of use application, the private university will occupy five levels between floors three and seven.

The total number of students at this campus location is estimated to be 2,200 at any given time out of a combined total of 11,000 body movements per week. About 150 faculty and staff are also expected for this campus.

Jane Talbot, the president and CEO of Downtown Van (the local business improvement association for downtown Vancouver), says the influx of the significant number of students to the area could provide local businesses with a big boost.

“The possible opening of a University Canada West campus at the B6 Office Tower is exciting news for downtown Vancouver,” Talbot told Daily Hive Urbanized. “Whether they’re grabbing lunch between classes or enjoying a happy hour after exams, the estimated 11,000 students per week are sure to bring a positive economic impact to businesses in the downtown core.”

b6 office tower 1090 west pender street vancovuer 15

Location of B6 office tower at 1090 West Pender Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

b6 office tower 1090 West Pender Street vancouver

February 2024 condition of the new B6 office tower at 1090 West Pender Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

It is indicated that University Canada West’s space within this building is a combination of leasing space from building owner BentallGreenOak and sub-leasing some of the space originally secured by Microsoft.

In June 2022, Daily Hive Urbanized reported Microsoft has leased at least about 400,000 sq ft across about 20 levels. This is by far larger than Microsoft’s other office locations in downtown Vancouver, providing enough workspace for thousands of employees.

WeWork was previously slated to be one of B6’s main tenants. Prior to the pandemic, it had plans to take up as much as 170,000 sq ft across 10 floors, but this was later scaled back to about 100,000 sq ft. But as of late 2023, WeWork is withdrawing from its commitment at this location as part of the co-working giant’s bankruptcy proceedings.

The application notes that UCW intends to open the new B6 campus on July 1, 2024, just ahead of the fall semester starting in September 2024. However, a spokesperson for UCW told Daily Hive Urbanized says the campus will be opening after this previously targeted date.

b6 office tower 1090 West Pender Street vancouver

February 2024 condition of the new B6 office tower at 1090 West Pender Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Artistic rendering of the outdoor amenity space for University Canada West on the base podium rooftop of the B6 office tower at 1090 West Pender Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/BentallGreenOak)

Their B6 campus will have classrooms, an innovation lab, student lounges, a library, supporting offices, and faculty spaces. Washrooms will be added on each floor, and the main reception/welcome area will be located on the third floor, which will be connected by a central staircase to the fourth floor. Students and staff will have access to the tower’s outdoor patios on the rooftop on the base podium on the fourth and fifth floors.

UCW’s original campus location in downtown Vancouver is within six floors of The London Building at 626 West Pender Street, which is near the southeast corner of the intersection of Granville Street and West Pender Street — roughly four city blocks east of B6. The new B6 campus will replace the current use of The London Building, which will retain UCW’s physical presence as a two-campus institution.

In October 2020, UCW opened its second campus location at Westbank’s Vancouver House complex at the north end of the Granville Street Bridge. Their Vancouver House campus is situated within two six-storey commercial buildings that are part of the development, occupying 90,000 sq ft of office space. It was previously noted that the Vancouver House campus supports an enrolment of over 3,400 additional students.

university canada west vancouver house 1461 granville street

University Canada West’s Vancouver House campus at 1461 Granville Street. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

As of September 2023, UCW has a total student enrolment of 14,000 students from over 110 countries.

BentallGreenOak’s completion of B6 represents the conclusion of downtown Vancouver’s office building boom, which began before the pandemic. Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership is the architectural design firm for the tower.

As of the end of 2023, downtown Vancouver’s lease office vacancy rate reached 11%, representing a drop from 11.8% in the third quarter of 2023, according to CBRE. The elevated vacancy rate is due to a combination of newly completed supply, economic conditions, and enduring workplace behavioural changes since the pandemic. While this is an elevated rate, this is still the lowest rate for a major city centre area in Canada and the United States.

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Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional details from UCW.