Construction begins on new addictions rehab centre in Vancouver | Daily Hive

Construction finally begins on new major addictions rehabilitation centre in Vancouver

Artistic rendering of the VCH Withdrawal Management Centre and SUCCESS social housing at 1636 Clark Drive, Vancouver. (Vancouver Coastal Health)

More than five years after Vancouver City Council approved the project’s rezoning application, construction has officially begun on one of British Columbia’s largest opioid addiction rehabilitation centres.

This is the long-planned new Withdrawal Management Centre (WMC) set for a city block-sized lot at 1636 Clark Dr. and 1321-1395 East 1st Ave. — situated at the northeast corner of the busy intersection of Clark Drive and East 1st Avenue in the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood.

The new facility is a replacement and expansion of the existing Vancouver Detox Centre operated by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), which is located at 377 East 2nd Ave. The existing facility is aging, smaller, and no longer meeting current demand.

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The provincial government announced today the new complex will take about three years to build, with construction estimated to reach completion in 2028. This represents a significant delay from the original timeline of beginning construction in 2020 following its rezoning application approval in February 2019.

Since then, the addictions and overdose crisis has only escalated, with renewed calls for the provincial government and health providers to significantly expand treatment services.

1636-Clark-Dr.-1321-1395-East-1st-Ave.-377-East-2nd-Ave.-Vancouver-detox-centre-withdrawal-management-centre-1.jpg

Location of the existing Vancouver Detox Centre at 377 East 2nd Ave. (left) and the future new location of the Withdrawal Management Centre at 1636 Clark Dr. and 1321-1395 East 1st Ave. (right), Vancouver. (BC Housing)

Artistic rendering of the VCH Withdrawal Management Centre and SUCCESS social housing at 1636 Clark Dr., Vancouver. (Vancouver Coastal Health)

1636 Clark Drive 1321-1395 East 1st Avenue Detox

Layout of the new drug addiction rehabilitation centre at 1636 Clark Dr. and 1321-1395 East 1st Ave., Vancouver. (HDR Architecture/CEI Architecture/BC Housing)

“For many, withdrawal management is often the first step of their recovery journey. This new facility is going to help more people get the critical supports they need and is another step in our work to expand access to treatment and recovery services in B.C., so people can get the care they need, where and when they need it,” said Josie Osborne, B.C. Minister of Health, in a statement today.

When complete, the new WMC complex will reach up to 10 storeys high, including a two-storey base podium that spans the length of the block.

The first two levels will contain the new 50,000 sq. ft. WMC operated by VCH, featuring 91 beds, including 51 medically supervised detox beds, 20 sobering beds, and 20 short-term transitional beds. The transitional beds will be dedicated to individuals who have completed treatment through the facility’s services and are waiting for support recovery and treatment beds elsewhere.

The new WMC will offer on-site and outpatient withdrawal management, as well as sobering services.

Within the upper eight levels of the building above the clinic levels, there will be 97 social housing units, which will be rented at the lower end of market rates. The overall building complex and the affordable housing component will be operated and maintained by the non-profit organization SUCCESS (United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society).

Additionally, this building will have a 3,000 sq. ft. space for Indigenous-led programs to support community and personal development, healing, and wellness through employment.

Location of the new drug addiction rehabilitation centre at the amalgamated site of 1636 Clark Drive and 1321-1395 East 1st Ave., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Artistic rendering of the VCH Withdrawal Management Centre and SUCCESS social housing at 1636 Clark Dr., Vancouver. (Vancouver Coastal Health)

Artistic rendering of the VCH Withdrawal Management Centre and SUCCESS social housing at 1636 Clark Dr., Vancouver. (Vancouver Coastal Health)

Artistic rendering of the VCH Withdrawal Management Centre and SUCCESS social housing at 1636 Clark Dr., Vancouver. (Vancouver Coastal Health)

The project’s total building floor area spans roughly 140,000 sq. ft., and underground levels will accommodate about 90 vehicle parking stalls. It was jointly designed by HDR Architecture and CEI Architecture.

In total, the project carries a total cost of approximately $180 million, which is nearly three times the original cost estimate when it was first proposed in 2018.

To cover this cost, the project will receive about $32 million from the provincial government through BC Housing for the social housing component, $18 million in joint funding from the federal and provincial governments through the National Housing Strategy, a $7 million non-repayable contribution and a $98 million repayable loan from the federal government toward the social housing component, and over $23 million from the provincial government through VCH and VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

The municipal government provided the project’s land over a nominal 99-year lease, worth about $17 million. The redevelopment replaces old single-family houses and a three-storey apartment building.

“We’re excited to see this project move forward thanks to strong partnerships with the province, BC Housing, CMHC, and Vancouver Coastal Health,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.

“With the city’s significant support, we’re delivering much-needed housing and support — building a more inclusive, supportive Vancouver for everyone.”

In September 2024, just before the general election, the provincial government expanded its involuntary care programs for people with mental health and addiction issues. Over 400 mental-health beds at new and expanded hospitals are also being built, including about 280 outdated beds and adding 140 new beds. All facilities will provide involuntary care under the B.C. Mental Health Act.

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