Last week, during a public hearing, Vancouver City Council approved three separate rezoning applications to build three high-rise towers, with secured purpose-built rental housing as the primary use.
These projects are also among City Council’s first rezoning approvals of 2025.
All three projects will generate a combined total of 490 secured purpose-built rental housing, including 392 market rental units and 98 below-market rental units, based on hte Broadway Plan’s requirement of setting aside at least 20% of the residential rental uses for below-market units.
The three development sites are all located within a short walking distance of the future subway stations along SkyTrain Millennium Line’s Broadway extension, opening in 2027.
One project will replace a low-storey commercial building and a surface vehicle parking lot, while the two other projects will replace old low-storey apartment buildings with a combined total of 58 units. As well, two of these projects will incorporate mixed uses of commercial space.
The tallest of these projects is the 25-storey tower at 1434-1456 West 8th Avenue by PCI Developments, which is immediately adjacent to the developer’s 39-storey “The Stories at South Granville Station” tower, which is set to reach completion later in 2025.
Here is a rundown of these three newly approved rental housing towers within the Broadway Plan area:
- Neighbourhood: Fairview/South Granville
- Nearest cross streets/intersection: Granville Street and West 8th Avenue
- Transit-oriented development: 2-minute walk northeast from SkyTrain’s future South Granville Station
- Developer/owner: PCI Developments
- Architect: Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership
- Height: 25 storeys
- Residential uses: 154 secured purpose-built rental homes, including 123 market rental units and 31 below-market rental units
- Other uses: Retail/restaurant uses on the ground level, and office uses on the second level
- Existing development site uses: Low-storey commercial building and surface vehicle parking
Originally, PCI Developments proposed 162 rental homes, including rental housing uses on the second level. However, during the rezoning application review process, City staff recommended that the second level be used for office space instead of rental housing, which reduced the number of rental homes to 154 units. All units represent a 100% net gain in housing supply.
Artistic rendering of 1434-1456 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/PCI Developments)
Artistic rendering of 1434-1456 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/PCI Developments)
- Neighbourhood: Fairview
- Nearest cross streets/intersection:Birch Street and West 10th Avenue
- Transit-oriented development: 8-minute walk southeast from SkyTrain’s future South Granville Station
- Developer/owner: Westridge Holdings
- Architect: Stuart Howard Architects
- Height: 20 storeys
- Residential uses: 164 secured purpose-built rental homes, including 131 market rental units and 33 below-market rental units
- Other uses: n/a
- Existing development site uses: 23 apartment units
This project will produce a net gain of 141 homes.
Artistic rendering of 1245-1265 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver. (Stuart Howard Architects)
Artistic rendering of 1245-1265 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver. (Stuart Howard Architects)
- Neighbourhood: Fairview
- Nearest cross streets/intersection:Alder Street and West 10th Avenue
- Transit-oriented development: 10-minute walk southeast from SkyTrain’s future South Granville Station or a 10-minute walk southwest from SkyTrain’s future Oak-VGH Station
- Developer/owner: Prospero International Realty and Five Mile Holdings
- Architect: Studio One Architecture
- Height: 22 storeys
- Residential uses: 172 secured purpose-built rental homes, including 138 market rental units and 34 below-market rental units
- Other uses: Retail/restaurant units on the ground level
- Existing development site uses: 35 apartment units
This project will produce a net gain of 137 homes.
Artistic rendering of 1190 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver. (Studio One Architecture/JTA Development Consultants/Prospero International Realty/Five Mile Holdings)
Artistic rendering of 1190 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver. (Studio One Architecture/JTA Development Consultants/Prospero International Realty/Five Mile Holdings)