Vancouver moves forward on four new permanent street plazas | Daily Hive

City of Vancouver moves forward on building four new permanent street plazas by 2026

Artistic rendering of the permanent Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza. (City of Vancouver)

Construction will begin soon this spring on Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza, a new permanent street plaza in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood of East Vancouver.

This will be a conversion of the existing temporary street plaza in the area’s retail district on Kamloops Street, immediately south of the intersection with Hastings Street.

The temporary plaza, closing the short segment of Kamloops Street to vehicles, was originally created in 2021 as a pandemic-time measure.

You might also like:

“As a Council, we’re committed to investing in Vancouver’s neighbourhoods, and it’s great to see those investments coming to life in Hastings-Sunrise,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim in a statement on Thursday.

“The Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza has really become the heart of this fantastic community, and I’m excited to see the Uplifting Communities Fund helping bring even more positive changes to this area.”

Existing condition of the temporary Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza:

Existing condition of the temporary Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza. (Google Maps)

Future condition of the permanent Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza:

Artistic rendering of the Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza. (City of Vancouver)

Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza is one of four new permanent street plazas that will be constructed over the coming year as a conversion of existing temporary street plazas.

In late February 2025, Vancouver City Council approved an $8.77 million contract to Jacob Bros. Construction Inc. to build all four new permanent street plazas.

This contract covers the permanent conversion of not only the street plaza next to the intersection of Kamloops Street and Hastings Street but also the temporary street plazas east of the intersection of Main Street and East 14th Avenue (Main Street Village in Mount Pleasant), east of the intersection of Granville St. and West 14th Avenue (South Granville Village in Fairview), and east of the intersection of Cambie Street and West 18th Avenue (Cambie Village in Riley Park-Little Mountain).

Coincidentally, two of these plaza locations are next to a JJ Bean cafe.

Map of existing temporary street plazas in Vancouver that will be converted into a permanent design by 2026. (Daily Hive/Google Maps)

Temporary Main-14th plaza

Existing temporary plaza at the intersection of Main Street and East 14th Avenue. (Google Maps)

Temporary Granville-14th plaza

Existing temporary plaza at the intersection of Granville Street and West 14th Avenue. (Google Maps)

Temporary Cambie-18th plaza

Existing temporary plaza at the intersection of Cambie Street and West 18th Avenue. (Google Maps)

This will remove the temporary materials and configuration of the existing plazas, replacing them with durable, purpose-built materials and additional amenities and features for more optimal long-term use.

According to a City staff report summarizing the contract, each project location will involve the removal of the existing street surface, the construction of a new concrete plaza surface raised to the sidewalk level, and the construction of new walking and cycling paths.

As well, there will be an electrical kiosk to power food trucks, small events, pedestrian-scale lighting, decorative lighting, a Mobi public bike share station, new plantings and green infrastructure (rain garden), seat walls and built-in seating, and a drinking fountain. In the future, the plazas could see the addition of an automated public toilet and a digital panel.

These plazas are intended to be suitable for not only everyday community use but also special events and activations.

The municipal government expects Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza will reach completion in Spring 2026. This plaza is near the PNE/Hastings Park, where Vancouver’s official five-week-long FIFA Fan Festival will be held.

The City staff also states it is anticipated the permanent plazas will be complete and available for use in advance of Vancouver’s role in hosting the FIFA World Cup in Summer 2026. When inquired, the City told Daily Hive Urbanized that the construction schedule details for the remaining three plazas in this contract are still being determined, and they reaffirmed the expectation of a Spring 2026 completion for all locations.

During the construction period, a temporary street plaza will be set up on the north side of the intersection of Kamloops St. and Hastings St., opposite of the construction site on the south side.

In a news release on Thursday, the City indicated that the permanent construction of the Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza will cost $3.2 million, which includes not only the contracted cost but also the costs incurred by the municipal government, such as design and planning work.

Separate from these plaza projects, the municipal government will also spend $2 million on street-level improvements to the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood, including targeted sidewalk repairs, pole painting, litter bin upgrades, new bike racks, and street cleaning. It is the first community to benefit from City Council’s July 2024-approved $6-million Uplifting Communities Fund.

You might also like: