Social Housing in Vancouver - The 14 Sites

[Changing City]

Not one of the 14 sites, but the Powell Horizons non-market building is just completing for Lookout Housing and Health Society, with 114 new non-market and below-market rental apartments. It's the first of six non-market buildings completing in the next few months,m (and the least architecturally exciting of them).

Image is from the Changing City blog, where there are a few more details, and a render of the original design (not very different from what has been built).

[griswold]

I dont understand why it takes so long for the city to decide if they want to go forward with the streetcar if they left room for it on the streets and there's already a bunch of old track left over. It'll obviously get used if they make it happen. DO IT ALREADY!

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by griswold

I dont understand why it takes so long for the city to decide if they want to go forward with the streetcar if they left room for it on the streets and there's already a bunch of old track left over. It'll obviously get used if they make it happen. DO IT ALREADY!

There's thread that explains why the streetcar isn't going to be built by the City of Vancouver. They're retaining a right of way that would allow it to be built in future, including on the social housing site on Expo. Most of the route doesn't have any track. There might be a trial service on the short stretch that exists - see the Transit thread for that discussion.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by griswold

I dont understand why it takes so long for the city to decide if they want to go forward with the streetcar if they left room for it on the streets and there's already a bunch of old track left over. It'll obviously get used if they make it happen. DO IT ALREADY!

Well, this is the city that has taken literally years to FU a few blocks of Drake Street with the world’s worst-designed bike/vehicle route….

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Well, this is the city that has taken literally years to FU a few blocks of Drake Street with the world’s worst-designed bike/vehicle route….

Please do explain.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Please do explain.

On a thread that isn't about social housing?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Changing City

On a thread that isn't about social housing?

It’s about the city’s ability to deliver something in a timely manner.

[Zepfancouver]

Milestone No.1 for 1050 Expo Blvd - Pile Driver work is completed Oct 15, 2025

Oct 15, 2025


https://makeagif.com/i/LNpOkg

Timelapse of the moving out day Vancouver Construction Weekly Timelapse

Not sure if this PDF is up to date https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/1050-expo-blvd-appendix-f-applicant-design-rationale-page-1-30.pdf

[Zepfancouver]

I was expecting excavation to begin this week but...
Is this a preload, do they or have done preloads in this area before?

• Video Link

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Zepfancouver

I was expecting excavation to begin this week but...
Is this a preload, do they or have done preloads in this area before?

I was confused when I saw the trucks on site delivering material, rather than taking it away. I wondered if the crushed rock is to build a ramp surface into the excavation, so they can run the spoil trucks in one gate, and out of another. As they had to pile the perimeter, and as it's a former industrial site, the ground and the material they're going to be removing is likely to be unstable, and potentially contaminated too.

[Zepfancouver]

Originally Posted by Changing City

I was confused when I saw the trucks on site delivering material, rather than taking it away. I wondered if the crushed rock is to build a ramp surface into the excavation, so they can run the spoil trucks in one gate, and out of another. As they had to pile the perimeter, and as it's a former industrial site, the ground and the material they're going to be removing is likely to be unstable, and potentially contaminated too.

That will be an interesting watch. One thing about dirt (or rock) pilling, it's quickly done, should see and understand better by end of day.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by Zepfancouver

I was expecting excavation to begin this week but...
Is this a preload, do they or have done preloads in this area before?

Much more fill brought to site today, certainly piled like preload. Strange.

[Zepfancouver]

Originally Posted by madog222

Much more fill brought to site today, certainly piled like preload. Strange.

My first look at the work done today (was busy all day). And yes, we now see it as a preload, I have no idea if there is a standard preload period, its got to sit there for at least through the winter and maybe spring?
I was looking forward so much to watching the excavation.

[Zepfancouver]

50% of preload at 1050 Expo Blvd. I think they would like to get it done before the long weekend.

Todays preload work - Nov 04, 2025

• Video Link

[Zepfancouver]

For those who like to watch excavation work, this is your day.
Yesterday they brought in a second larger machine to either make the pile higher or it's a short lived preload and plan on removing it all today.
(I'm off to work, be back later this afternoon, for answers to all of my questionings right now)

• Video Link

[jollyburger]

I assume the preload will be there for a few months? Are those some remaining piles stored to the bottom left? Maybe after they load it they will finish piling the rest of the site. The pump station is the concrete building to the bottom left.

It might be related to either the bridge or Nelson forcemain.

Prior to issuance of any building permit, provision of a signed and sealed report prepared by a
qualified professional engineer indicating whether the proposed development (both temporary and
permanent works) will have (or potential to have) negative impacts to the Nelson pump station,
Nelson forcemain, and other associated infrastructure. The submission should include, but not be
limited to:
i. An excavation and shoring plan showing all temporary works in relation to City infrastructure. This
shall include estimated ground settlement/deformation due the construction activities and a
corresponding evaluation to show that this deformation will not have adverse affects on the sewage
forcemain and other associated infrastructure. The plan will also need to outline how vibrations will
be kept within allowable tolerances. Depending on the type of shoring system proposed, an
emergency response plan may be required depending on the level of risk posed to the City’s
Infrastructure.
ii. Ground movement/displacement estimates and any other potential ground stability concerns
resulting from construction activities, determined by the geotechnical engineer. Details of analysis
performed, all design assumptions, and factors of safety for the proposed designs should be listed in
the submission.
iii. A monitoring plan detailing recommendations for vibration monitoring and survey monitoring of the
forcemain during construction. Thresholds for vibration and movement tolerances of the forcemain to
be determined by a qualified professional.

https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/1050-...port-final.pdf

They're spending $21.7 million for emergency repairs to the forecemain discovered during a survey by BC Housing as well

The budget adjustment is to increase the project budget to reflect emergency repairs for
the Nelson Forcemain, in order to support the housing development at 1010 Expo Blvd.
The emergency repair work is a result of a survey conducted by BC Housing.

https://council.vancouver.ca/2025061...ents/cfsc2.pdf

Edit: It's not completing until Spring 2028 so I'm pretty sure this is going to be Preload Pile 24/7 stream soon.

https://www.bcild.ca/projects

[whatnext]

Social housing related:

Problematic supportive housing at former Howard Johnson hotel on Granville Strip to permanently close by early summer
Kenneth Chan
Nov 8 2025

Six years after the Government of British Columbia acquired the Howard Johnson Hotel in downtown Vancouver’s Granville Entertainment District for use as rapid supportive housing during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the property is now set to completely transition away from that purpose.…

…. Earlier this year, Vancouver City Council approved the Granville Plan strategy of revitalizing the Granville Entertainment District, which also includes gradually removing the existing single-room occupancy (SRO) hotels and supportive housing buildings found on Granville Street in the city centre.

The City then subsequently identified five potential municipally-owned sites — all located away from the Granville Strip — for the provincial government to construct brand new permanent purpose-built supportive housing building…..

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/luug...nville-closure

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Zepfancouver

For those who like to watch excavation work, this is your day.
Yesterday they brought in a second larger machine to either make the pile higher or it's a short lived preload and plan on removing it all today.
(I'm off to work, be back later this afternoon, for answers to all of my questionings right now)

They're already removing all the preload. I wonder what the purpose of the preload is when you only have it there for a week?

From the building permit

STAGED CONSTRUCTION
Stage 1A - Secant Piling Only (West of Safe Boundary Line - Outside Zone of Influence) - Issued May 29, 2025

Revision 1 - Relocation of Stage 1A Safe Boundary Line - Issued September 5, 2025

Most of the soil was piled to the side of the site with the pumping station so maybe it has something to do with that.

[Zepfancouver]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

They're already removing all the preload. I wonder what the purpose of the preload is when you only have it there for a week?

From the building permit

Most of the soil was piled to the side of the site with the pumping station so maybe it has something to do with that.

What the heck! I had a quick look at the live stream yesterday (was surprise to see people working) but did not pay attention long enough to notice they where removing the preload.
Well, that's good news! Maybe excavation will begin soon.

[jollyburger]

Not sure if they will finish piling before they start the excavation.

EDIT: Some details on the secant wall for the site

A secant wall, or solid underground wall, secures the 1010 Expo site for excavation in preparation for an affordable housing tower of 299 rental units.

This work involves inserting pilings into ground perforations around the site. More than 230 holes are bored (up to 22.5 metres in depth) and then filled with I-beam-fortified concrete, creating a water- and earth-tight subterranean wall.

For each pile, a rig twists large steel casings into the earth that support the surrounding soil as the hole is drilled deeper. Each hole is then filled with concrete and a steel I-beam for structural support.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMypze-S6iw/