First Nation partners with redevelopment of Langara Family YMCA in Vancouver with nearly 460 homes in towers up to 37 storeys

Six years after the YMCA of Greater Vancouver first indicated its intention to redevelop its aging Langara Family YMCA facility, a brand new rezoning application outlining a substantially revised mixed-use concept with more housing has been submitted to the City of Vancouver.

Langara Family YMCA at 282 West 49th Avenue is located just one block east of SkyTrain Langara-49th Avenue Station, and immediately west of Langara College and north of Langara Golf Course.

With the area increasingly being densified through redevelopment, Langara Family YMCA will serve an important role in filling the community service needs demanded by the growing residential population.

“The current YMCA facility is in advanced stages of disrepair and is at the end of its useful life. Renovations will not be cost-effective, and the facility needs to be reconfigured to meet the needs of the Marpole and Oakridge communities,” states the YMCA in its new rezoning application.

The 1978-built, two-storey YMCA facility spans 44,000 sq ft and features an indoor aquatic centre, a fitness gym, a gymnasium, multi-purpose rooms, and programming such as physical wellness and the South Vancouver Food Hub.

As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized, the original 2018-submitted rezoning application called for a new two-building complex with an 11-storey building — containing 71 units of social housing above a 60,000 sq ft replacement and expanded YMCA facility — and a 20-storey tower with 157 strata market ownership condominium homes.

The previous 2018 concept’s new YMCA facility entailed a new six-lane swimming pool, warm water leisure pool, a hot tub, a gymnasium, a cycling studio, a 12,300 sq ft fitness gym, an indoor walking track, multi-purpose rooms, a family centre, and a 9,000 sq ft childcare facility for up to 75 kids. As the five-storey base podium of the 11-storey social housing building, the YMCA facility was also designed in a way to enable a two-storey, 15,000 sq ft future expansion.

Existing condition:

Cancelled 2018 redevelopment concept:

Revised 2024 redevelopment concept:

In contrast, the newly submitted 2024 rezoning application for the project recalibrates the project to focus on generating more housing through significantly added density and height, with a comparatively smaller replacement YMCA facility. There would be a 407-ft-tall, 37-storey condominium tower at the southwest corner of the site, fronting Alberta Street, as well as a 252-ft-tall, 22-storey market rental housing tower at the northwest corner of the site, fronting West 49th Avenue.

The 37-storey and 22-storey towers would be linked together at the second level by a “bowtie” outdoor bridge that links the shared common outdoor amenity space of both towers.

Under the 2024 concept revisions, the eastern half of the site would be occupied by a third building — a nine-storey building with 73 units of social housing within five upper levels directly beneath the two-storey replacement YMCA facility spanning 32,300 sq ft.

There would be 269 strata market ownership condominium homes (28 studios, 98 one-bedroom units, 116 two-bedroom units, and 27 three-bedroom units), 206 secured purpose-built market rental homes (40 studios, 86 one-bedroom units, and 80 two-bedroom units), and 73 social housing units (15 studios, 20 one-bedroom units, 24 two-bedroom units, and 14 three-bedroom units). With a combined total of 458 homes in the 2024 concept, this represents a doubling of the 2018 concept’s tally of 228 homes.

No aquatic centre in new Langara YMCA

Another key difference is the 2024 concept does not include a replacement aquatic centre, which departs from the existing Langara YMCA’s focus on general community recreation uses.

The City’s Cambie Corridor Plan designates the Langara YMCA property as a “unique site” redevelopment opportunity, with specific mention that the project should “consider building a partnership between City and YMCA to gain access for public use of new YMCA aquatic facility.”

Instead, according to the new application, the new 32,300 sq ft YMCA would have a “community hub” focus with services for chronic disease, health and fitness, physical wellness facilities, youth mental health, newcomers, and employment.

The new YMCA’s ground level would feature three larger multi-purpose rooms and three smaller meeting rooms. The second level would feature 6,500 sq ft of space for YMCA programming and a 7,700 sq ft YMCA childcare facility for 49 kids, which opens up to outdoor play space.

“Revitalizing the YMCA and renewing the community facility is central to the social component of the redevelopment. The YMCA’s longstanding presence on this site is honoured through vibrant colours and open glazing, creating a welcoming atmosphere along West 49th Avenue, reflecting the YMCA’s values and future programming,” reads the new application.

“The identity of the site is inextricably linked to the YMCA’s decades of service, and this redevelopment will ensure the building remains safe and usable for many more decades to come.”

The project also incorporates a minor commercial space use, with about 2,300 sq ft of retail/restaurant space within the ground level of the 22-storey rental housing tower. This would help activate the redevelopment’s public spaces and West 49th Avenue frontage.

Overall, the total building floor area of the 2024 concept would reach over 479,200 sq ft, establishing a floor area ratio (FAR) density of a floor area that is 5.5 times larger than the size of the lot. This is up by 56% from the 2018 concept’s 308,000 sq ft and density of 3.5 FAR.

Based on the 2024 concept, 48% of the floor area would be allocated to strata market ownership condominium housing, 27% to secured purpose-built market rental housing, 12% to social housing, 7% to the new replacement YMCA facility, 4% to strata resident amenity spaces, and 1% each to rental housing amenity spaces, social housing amenity spaces, and commercial retail/restaurant space uses.

“The proposed scheme creatively amplifies the social impact of the redevelopment by providing a new YMCA community hub, service retail (ie coffee shop), and more diverse housing options in response to the pressing needs of the region, which together help to create a diverse and complete community with a strong sense of place,” continues the application.

The YMCA’s significant social housing component is due to the Cambie Corridor Plan’s stipulation that any Langara Family YMCA redevelopment with strata market ownership condominium housing uses set aside at least the equivalent of 20% of the net residential uses for inclusionary affordable housing/social housing. The social housing component of 73 units above the new YMCA facility represents slightly more than 20% of the project’s combined strata and social housing floor area.

The strata market ownership condominium housing uses will help cover the YMCA’s project costs for renewing and redeveloping their aging facility.

Musqueam First Nation to own the rental housing tower

To achieve the redevelopment, YMCA BC Properties Foundation has partnered with local developer Townline and Musqueam Capital Corporation, which is the wholly-owned company that oversees Musqueam First Nation’s for-profit ventures and real estate holdings.

Musqueam Capital Corporation will own and operate all 206 secured, purpose-built market rental homes within the 22-storey tower.

The Cambie Corridor Plan stipulates that the development of secured purpose-built rental housing uses on the YMCA site should set aside at least 20% of the net residential floor area for below-market rental housing. However, according to the application, the proponents are seeking “additional variances and relaxations requested by the Musqueam under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), TOA and Economic Reconciliation policies” in order to enable 100% market rental housing uses.

“This project represents a unique partnership between local and First Nation stakeholders. All parties involved recognize the neighbourhood’s significance in the evolution of the Cambie Corridor and are dedicated to creating an exceptional gathering and community space that honours Musqueam heritage.”

Furthermore, the project’s architectural design concept — led by Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects — takes on Musqueam culture and principles for its inspiration.

The design is said to draw inspiration from the forest’s different zones: the forest floor, the understorey, and the crown canopy.

The forest floor is represented by the site’s public uses and spaces, including the YMCA facility and the landscaped amenity spaces, while the understorey of growth and biodiversity is represented by the Musqueam First Nation’s rental housing tower. The crown canopy is represented by the upper levels of the two high-rise towers, where the building amenities provide panoramic views.

The expansive high-quality landscaped public spaces and pedestrian paths linking the site to Langara College and West 49th Avenue also form a major part of the forest floor concept.

The strata and rental housing spaces will be served by a distributed water source heat pump system, while the YMCA and social housing spaces will be equipped with an air source heat pump system.

It is noted that existing groundwater conditions on the site limit the project to just three underground levels. There would be a total of 487 vehicle parking stalls — including 285 stalls for strata residents, 116 stalls for rental residents, and 85 shared stalls for the YMCA and social housing — and 1,053 secured bike parking spaces.

“The Langara Family YMCA represents a unique and significant opportunity to integrate residential, retail, and public amenities located adjacent to rapid transit and support the establishment of an inclusive transit-oriented neighbourhood. Compounded with a creative reallocation of land uses, the site is uniquely equipped to provide diverse and affordable housing options and local amenities to form a vibrant and complete community on site,” reads the application.

“Redevelopment of this site will likely be followed by other nearby redevelopments and continued evolution of the neighbourhood. This is particularly relevant in the context of the site’s proximity to a major transit station and recent policy changes regarding density, parking and height in transit-oriented areas.”

If approved, the Langara Family YMCA mixed-use development would be the tallest and largest transit-oriented development near SkyTrain Langara-49th Avenue Station. But it falls just outside of the provincially legislated Transit-Oriented Area’s (TOA) 200-metre band permitting a 20-storey tower, as it is within the middle band where a 12-storey height is permitted for residential uses.

The second tallest building near Langara-49th Avenue Station would be Global Education Communities’ (GEC; formerly CIBT Group) plan to develop its newly acquired site of the vacant lot of 6428 Cambie Street (478-496 West 48th Avenue), located immediately north of the station entrance building. A 10-storey rental housing tower concept by the property’s previous owner was previously approved for this site, but GEC indicated in June 2024 that its GEC Langara purpose-built student housing project will double the rezoning height to at least 20 storeys, based on the allowances of the provincial government’s TOA legislation. A new rezoning application was recently submitted by GEC.

Without the aquatic centre at Langara Family YMCA, the nearest pool in the area would be the future Pearson Dogwood therapy pool within Onni Group’s nearby Pearson Dogwood redevelopment, which will replace Vancouver Coastal Health’s existing Stan Stronge Pool dedicated for individuals with physical, cognitive, and development challenges. The Vancouver Park Board’s aquatic centre at Hillcrest Centre would be the nearest general-use public pool.

Although there will be a decreased emphasis on general recreation uses for the new Langara Family YMCA, the area will benefit from the opening of several other major community and recreational centres.

Later in 2025, the City of Vancouver will open the 100,000 sq ft, five-storey Oakridge Community Centre within the base of a social housing tower at the northwest corner of the Oakridge Park (Oakridge Centre) mall development. As a public benefit of the Oakridge Park project by Quadreal Property Group and Westbank, the new Oakridge facility will include a seniors’ activity centre, youth hub, performance space, fitness gym, gymnasium, various community centre spaces, movement studio, childcare facility, artist studios, music rooms, and a new replacement and expanded Oakridge branch of the Vancouver Public Library.

Just west of Oakridge Park, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver has plans to pursue a major mixed-use development with two rental housing towers and an expanded community centre. The community centre portion alone would be a new eight-storey building with 245,000 sq ft of space, including a new replacement and expanded aquatic centre below ground — complete with recreation, training, and therapy pools, and a wellness centre.

In late 2023, the City of Vancouver began construction on the new replacement and expanded Marpole Community Centre. At a cost of $91 million, the 42,000 sq ft, two-storey building opening in 2025 will contain a gymnasium, fitness gym and studios, multi-purpose spaces, childcare facility, and fieldhouse with change room and washroom for Oak Park sport field users.

The original plan for the new Marpole Community Centre included a major outdoor aquatic centre with two pools — a 4,550 sq ft, five-lane lap swimming pool and a 2,120 sq ft leisure pool, plus a 600 sq ft hot whirlpool. However, due to funding constraints and cost escalation, the outdoor aquatic centre will have to be built as a future phase of the community centre if funding is made available for it.

In 2010, through a partnership with Concert Properties, the YMCA significantly renovated and expanded its heritage facility on Burrard Street in downtown Vancouver through a mixed-use project that also produced a 42-storey Patina strata market ownership condominium tower. The 92,000 sq ft Robert Lee YMCA facility at the location includes an aquatic centre, a large fitness gym, and other recreational spaces.

Up until four years ago, there were also plans to build Surrey City Centre YMCA in partnership with Simon Fraser University and the City of Surrey, with the university providing the land and the municipal government contributing $20 million towards the cost. The 60,000 sq ft YMCA facility would have included an aquatic centre, fitness gym, gymnasium, multi-purpose rooms, and a family development centre, with the facility integrated with a high-density residential development. However, the project was cancelled in 2020 due to growing costs, and the City of Surrey is instead now pursuing an expansion of the nearby Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre.

In 2023, the three-storey, 55,000 sq ft Bettie Allard YMCA facility opened next to SkyTrain Burquitlam Station as a major public benefit driven by Concert Properties’ new major residential projects. It includes an aquatic centre, gymnasium, walking track, fitness gym, fitness class studios, a family centre, and community spaces.

Bettie Allard YMCA was built at a cost of $101 million, with $38 million provided by the YMCA of Greater Vancouver and $57 million covered by the City of Coquitlam primarily through developer fees. YMCA and the City of Coquitlam have a 50/50 ownership partnership for this facility, with the YMCA covering all operating costs for the life of the building.

While the Bettie Allard YMCA facility is accessible to everyone, Coquitlam residents are eligible for a special reduced access rate. This rate provides 30 hours per week of aquatic access and 13 hours per week of fitness access at fees equivalent to Coquitlam rates.

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