VANCOUVER | 501-595 W. Georgia St | 1,033 FT | 68 FLOORS

[NYguy]

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/hudsons-bay-parkade-vancouver-redevelopment-holborn-group

Downtown Vancouver's skyline soars with proposal for landmark towers up to 1,033 ft


Kenneth Chan
May 8 2025

Western Canada could see its very first “supertall” skyscraper, envisioned for the core of downtown Vancouver.

Local developer Holborn Group has submitted a new formal rezoning application for a historically and economically significant redevelopment spanning two separate sites.

The proposal features four mixed-use towers, including a transformative landmark project of three skyscrapers in the Central Business District on the city block with the Hudson’s Bay parkade and low-rise office buildings and the vacant lot of the former Dunsmuir Hotel SRO. A fourth tower — a major social housing project next to Woodward’s on the southernmost edge of Gastown — is being offered as a 100 per cent gift to the City of Vancouver.

The tallest of the trio of towers replacing almost the entirety of the 500 block of West Georgia, where the parkade is located, is proposed to reach a height of 1,033 ft (315 metres), containing 68 storeys.

[NYguy]

[Biff]

Wow… what about view cones at that site. Very impressive.

[ssh]

On some other platforms everyone keeps saying things like "no chance it will be built" or mocking the developer, anyone have some context on this?

[Hudson11]

why haven't we seen supertalls for Vancouver before? They had such a massive boom in the 2000s.

[Vancouver_Highrise]

Apparently this is already being reviewed by city council to be approved. They didn’t build any supertalls due to strict view cones and shadowing rules. Current city council is in the process of removing/altering current view cones.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by ssh

On some other platforms everyone keeps saying things like "no chance it will be built" or mocking the developer, anyone have some context on this?

I feel it’s not less about them never being built (if you are in the know) but that it will likely be a long time frame (hence why they say 10 to 15 years). Holborn usually gets their projects done in relatively the same form as proposed, but they frequently have had delays.

Vancouver’s current second tallest tower on the downtown peninsula (The Paradox) was built by them but it had several delays for example.

As for view cones, many have been removed, reduced or made more flexible recently, and this project has been having city involvement in its development, so this isn’t just some random fantasy proposal thrown at the city out of the blue. It has some real grounding.

[NYguy]

View of the deck....

[Metro-One]

It should be noted that there are three towers proposed for the site, the other two would also be Vancouver’s new tallest towers at 271m and 239m.

Current tallest in Vancouver proper is 201m, and in the metro area 215m in Burnaby completed, with a 230m tower currently U/C (also in Burnaby).

[BuildThemTaller]

Where's that observation deck guy go? Another one!

[MolsonExport]

It would be a miracle if this should come to pass, given all the height restrictions and protected sightlines in Vancouver.

[Metro-One]

A nice skyline rendering:

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Cropped image



Credit: Holborn

[LeftCoaster]

A big no thanks for Stantec in Vancouver. If something is going to punch through the tabletop it should be something with form and architecture, not a block.

Also, re:Colombia Center why does the City need a building of 967 feet before it can get a building of 1,033 feet? That seems silly. When Colombia Center was built most of the tallest buildings in Seattle were 150m, the same or lower than Vancouver. Seems to me like this is exactly what Vancouver should build, since every other tower you listed from Seattle was built after it's tallest.

In reality this is the first to go tall following the readjustment of the viewcones but it certainly won't be the last. There is already a proposal just east of this by Concord to go ~230+M and there are a few more in the works for central downtown in that height range. I don't doubt this one will be sticking out too much for long.

Besides this is years away from being U/C, so plenty of time to get it some friends!

[Metro-One]

Thinking that it is ugly is very subjective.

I personally love the design. The detail in the cladding is a good reflection on old futurism architecture that was popular in the west end of downtown.

And the atrium at the top is interesting without being overbearing to the design (and in a way also celebrates Vancouver's old primary observation deck at Harbour Centre).

[Repthe250]

Originally Posted by jackb

Bit of misdirection happening here.

First of all, I never said Santec was good. It isnt. But it would be better than this thing. It looks like one of those upside-down shampoo bottles.

Secondly, Re: Columbia center; my point wasn't about the exact heights. It was that Vancouver would look a lot better with a more gradual transition. I'm glad to hear that there is some 200-250 meter material in the pipeline.

That all said, if this thing was less ugly, the height mismatch wouldnt be as much of a problem

This is all your opinion and doesn’t necessarily correlate to reality. I love the design and I’m sure a lot of people do. When (if) it’s built, I’m sure it’ll be beautiful in person. There isn’t necessarily any tall skyscraper icons in Vancouver yet, but I’m sure this will set a new precedent and the skyline will eventually level out.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

A big no thanks for Stantec in Vancouver. If something is going to punch through the tabletop it should be something with form and architecture, not a block.

Also, re:Colombia Center why does the City need a building of 967 feet before it can get a building of 1,033 feet? That seems silly. When Colombia Center was built most of the tallest buildings in Seattle were 150m, the same or lower than Vancouver. Seems to me like this is exactly what Vancouver should build, since every other tower you listed from Seattle was built after it's tallest.

In reality this is the first to go tall following the readjustment of the viewcones but it certainly won't be the last. There is already a proposal just east of this by Concord to go ~230+M and there are a few more in the works for central downtown in that height range. I don't doubt this one will be sticking out too much for long.

Besides this is years away from being U/C, so plenty of time to get it some friends!

Now here is a buried lead. Some good info for the rumor mill here!

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by jackb

Bit of misdirection happening here.

First of all, I never said Santec was good. It isnt. But it would be better than this thing. It looks like one of those upside-down shampoo bottles.

Secondly, Re: Columbia center; my point wasn't about the exact heights. It was that Vancouver would look a lot better with a more gradual transition. I'm glad to hear that there is some 200-250 meter material in the pipeline.

That all said, if this thing was less ugly, the height mismatch wouldnt be as much of a problem

Sounds like you just don't like the design. That's fine, no one will ever please everyone with architecture and I can see the criticisms of this project.

With respect to the height graduation, it will come. The view cones only got adjusted within the last 12 months so this is the first of many towers to break the 200m threshold.

Also, this project has 240m and 270m towers that are phased to be built before the supertall, so there's your Stantec and Rainier Towers right there

[NYguy]

• Video Link

[madog222]

Rezoing applications were submitted to the city just a week after the renders were released to the media. They have the height in feet listed at 1,034’.

-1288 strata units
-273 rental units
-680 short stay hotel rooms
-240 long stay hotel rooms
Density averages 28 FSR by my math.

501-555 W Georgia St, 619 Richards St & 500 Dunsmuir St - Application recently submitted. Staff preparing notification - To rezone from DD to CD-1 to allow for one 80-storey mixed-use residential tower and one 69-storey mixed-use residential tower with a total of 1,288 strata residential units, 273 rental residential units, and commercial retail on the ground floor. Heights of 271 m (889 ft.) and 239 m (783 ft.), a total floor area of 174,426 sq. m (1,877,505 sq. ft.), and a density of 31.29 is proposed.

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public/Default.aspx?PossePresentation=Guest&PosseObjectId=264235657

595 W Georgia St & 620-692 Seymour St - Application recently submitted. Staff preparing notification - To rezone from DD to CD-1 to allow for one 68-storey hotel tower with commercial retail on the ground floor and a top floor observation level with restaurant. The application includes 680 short stay hotel rooms and 240 long stay hotel rooms. A height of 315 m (1,034 ft.), a total floor area of 114,366 sq. m (1,231,028 sq. ft.), and a density of 24.13 is proposed.

https://plposweb.vancouver.ca/Public/Default.aspx?PossePresentation=Guest&PosseObjectId=264233289

[madog222]

The rezoning application booklet is now online. Fair warning, it's 500+ pages

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/5575-595-w-georgia-st-and-620-692-seymour-st

Some of the information summarized and plenty of the images here: https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bay-parkade-vancouver-observation-deck-supertall-tower-proposal