The city is pressing on with this development, having approved the required Variances and a Conditional Use.
VARIANCE: 26-111961/B
Taller building
Normal rule: Maximum 100 feet tall.
Approved: 126 feet tall (about 26 feet / 8 metres higher than usual).
Smaller parking stalls
Normal rule: Parking spots next to a wall, fence, or column must be 10 feet wide.
Approved: They can build narrower spots (as narrow as 8 feet wide).
The City has approved a Conditional Use permit to allow a ground-level parking lot.
In this downtown “Character Sector,” a regular surface parking lot (at-grade parking) is not allowed by default.
This approval gives special permission to build non-accessory off-street parking at grade.
“Non-accessory” = The parking lot is not just for the people living or working in the new building. It can be used by the general public or other nearby users (curling club).
Looks like the Granite CC exec committee is being pretty flatly told to pound sand. If there's any changes to design it won't be to accommodate their parking demands.
This is great news. Everyone likes a happy ending.
The Municipal Board has been rendered effectively powerless on city land-use appeals. In March, the NDP government introduced legislation to overhaul the board’s powers. Once the bill receives royal assent in June, the board will lose its authority to issue binding decisions. It will instead be limited to making non-binding recommendations for the city to consider.
It’s the same as West Broadway Commons. I hate stilts buildings too but this has active, publicly accessible spaces at the sidewalk, not just an elevator to the second floor.
It's disappointing to see the City prioritize parking in their plans for the Granite Curling Club at the expense of the Beer Can. This space has become so popular over the years and has created genuine vibrancy and community spirit downtown — losing it for additional parking spaces feels like a shame.
definitely not impacting the beer can...its not used as a parking lot when the beer can is operating....reconfiguring the existing layout to get 4 more stalls in the winter.
I think it's crazy they are removing the boulevard on the other side of the street, but the clowns at the granite need to be made happy.
Last edited by trueviking; Jun 5, 2026 at 5:02 AM.
Obviously it's not fully in their control, and I know curling clubs aren't exactly ripe with cash, but it's so frustrating that there can't be some kind of agreement to use part of the parking lot across the street.
They raised enough of a stink about parking that it's become a legitimate news story, and the city is reshaping the street all while there's an absolute OCEAN of parking 20 feet away.
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