Downtown Vancouver Updates II

[officedweller]

Demo site on Robson St.
https://www.threads.com/share/_fEWSKgul/

[madog222]

DP application is in for 1150 Barclay.

Slight architectural design changes and a loss of one residential unit from the rezoning design.

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/1150-barclay-st-2


Image from MCM

[officedweller]

Nice.

Good to see small windows facing future neighbouring site development.

[Changing City]

New (to me) cranes now up on the 95 Nelson social housing / firehall site, and on the Listel Hotel redevelopment on Robson.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by Changing City

I guess it's actually in Downtown. The development permit for the site was approved in February. The new building has hybrid concrete (3 floor) and mass timber construction, for Atira.


[changing city blog]

There was a groundbreaking ceremony for this project today.
MAC Housing and Development Society will be the operator and the UBC Learning Exchange will be moving into the educational centre space on the first two floors.

[jollyburger]

Press releases

2029 completion. No mention of mass timber so that must be out the window.

Housing mix

The Province, through BC Builds, will fund 79 homes for people with middle incomes.
Nearly 50% of these homes will be at 20% below market rates.
This is more than the standard for BC Builds-funded projects of 20% of units at below market rates and creates deeper affordability for renters.
The project will have an additional 39 deeply affordable homes for people on income assistance, which will be owned and managed by MAC Development and Housing Society.
These homes are for families, individuals and seniors in need of affordable rental homes on the Downtown Eastside.
The target tenant group includes people with a range of low and middle incomes, particularly multigenerational families, seniors, Indigenous Elders, and people with disabilities.

Permit:

STAGE II: Full Construction; Revisions to Building per DPMA DP-2026-00200, including Change of Structure from Mass Timber to Concrete - In review

Funding:

Funding provided for 172 East Cordova Street is as follows:

$41.9 million from the federal government, through the Affordable Housing Fund

$17.7 million from BC Housing through the Build BC fund

$12.5 million from the University of British Columbia

$14.5M in land lease contributions and $2.7 waivers from the City of Vancouver

$2.4 million from MAC Housing and Development Society

$1.2M in waivers from MetroVan

$15.5 million land sale

$403,750 through the provincial Mass Timber Demonstration Program

$258,900 in waivers from Translink

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public/Default.aspx?PossePresentation=Guest&PosseObjectId=187639253

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026HMA0084-000939

https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/funding-support-construction-affordable-homes-172400447.html

https://news.ubc.ca/2026/08/new-location-for-ubc-learning-exchange/

Is this a new or old rendering? The 2022 rezoning rendering matches the one above.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Is this a new or old rendering? The 2022 rezoning rendering matches the one above.

I don't think there was ever a rezoning. The original 2021 design was slightly different, (below), and mass timber, but it was cheaper to build the whole thing in concrete. The design you're showing was in the 2022 Development Permit Board report, when it was approved, subject to conditions. It took until this year to get a final sign-off. Whether it'll still look exactly like that remains to be seen.


Changing City blog

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Changing City

I don't think there was ever a rezoning. The original 2021 design was slightly different, (below), and mass timber, but it was cheaper to build the whole thing in concrete. The design you're showing was in the 2022 Development Permit Board report, when it was approved, subject to conditions. It took until this year to get a final sign-off. Whether it'll still look exactly like that remains to be seen.


Changing City blog

Sorry the 2022 DP not a rezoning but the 2022 rendering doesn't have those solid unified colours on the facade. The side facing Powell is also cut down one floor on the west side (maybe a loss of some mass timber height variance?)

https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/305-main-st-dp-2021-00795-final-report.pdf

[gaviscon]

Man why is this city's new generation of projects all looking like stacked shipping containers...

[officedweller]

Probably to reduce the bulkiness of the building, and in this case, mimic the heritage blocks of the area with the verticality of the colours.
They are missing cornices or something mimicking cornices (like a stripe or railing) at the top of each section.
I liked the scattered colours better but it gives off "hospital research facility" vibes.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Holborn bought 1185 West Georgia last month from Allied Properties and could potentially be converted into a hotel.

https://www.westerninvestor.com/british-...tower-completing-downtown-block-12550715

Holborn is wasting no time at all here, completely out of character for them.

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public/Default.aspx?PossePresentation=Guest&PosseObjectId=300042379

"Renovation" is the only information given, no mention if it will be a hotel yet.

Submitted by Henriquez who of course Holborn is also working with for the Bay Parkade project. Given their involvement I think we can expect this will be a major renovation including a full recladding of the building.

[officedweller]

I wonder if the Fitness World will have to move?
That 2nd level is a high ceiling'd space that would make an impressive hotel lobby/conference/lounge space.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

DP coming in for 1394 Robson

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public/Default.aspx?PossePresentation=Guest&PosseObjectId=294550762

72 total residential units, 57 market and 15 non-market, with commercial on the first two levels.
The text in the application pages is all AI...

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/1394-robson-st


Image from Arcadis

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by madog222

72 total residential units, 57 market and 15 non-market, with commercial on the first two levels.
The text in the application pages is all AI...

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/1394-robson-st


Image from Arcadis

Thanks.
Why would they orient the suites to face inside the block and the elevator core to face the street?
I can only think of noise, but I assume that the separation across the street would be wider than the future separation to anpther mid-block tower.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Thanks.
Why would they orient the suites to face inside the block and the elevator core to face the street?
I can only think of noise, but I assume that the separation across the street would be wider than the future separation to anpther mid-block tower.

My guess is to keep the core off to the side, out of the way, on the parking and commercial levels. On the east side of the tower would be right in the centre of the podium.

[jollyburger]

Probably gives more privacy to their neighbouring development as well.

With the tower separation rules does the fact they have no future tower shadow rendered right next to them mean the centre lots would have a tower that sits closer to the Listel redevelopment?

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by madog222

My guess is to keep the core off to the side, out of the way, on the parking and commercial levels. On the east side of the tower would be right in the centre of the podium.

That makes sense, thanks. I guess they can't butt the tower up to the east property line.

Originally Posted by jollyburger

With the tower separation rules does the fact they have no future tower shadow rendered right next to them mean the centre lots would have a tower that sits closer to the Listel redevelopment?

I do see a tower to the east.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by officedweller

That makes sense, thanks. I guess they can't butt the tower up to the east property line.



I do see a tower to the east.

But the future tower to the east side looks like it has more separation than the one across the street?

I wonder if this tower is as far back as possible from that property line but then whatever future tower has to be as close to the 80 feet tower separation since the neighbouring lot is wider?

[SFUVancouver]

^ If the project were in the Broadway Plan, I could see the awkward tower placement and core positioning as being the result of contortions to squeeze in an additional tower on a block without impacting the development potential of suitable adjacent sites that might have been earlier out of the gate.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

But the future tower to the east side looks like it has more separation than the one across the street?

I wonder if this tower is as far back as possible from that property line but then whatever future tower has to be as close to the 80 feet tower separation since the neighbouring lot is wider?

I would think the separation is unknown and the wider amount shown would be to support the present application.
West facing views would also usually be preferred.
There are also 2 lots between the Listel project and this one.
Those could be redeveloped separately.
I think madog222's reasoning on keeping the core out of the way makes the most sense.