The existing small cluster of retail in the vicinity of the intersection of West 4th Avenue and Macdonald Street in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood is set to see its first anchor retailer.
Fresh St. Market will open within the ground level of the Kitsilano Block mixed-use residential and retail building currently under construction at 1981 Macdonald Street (2803 West 4th Avenue) — on the site of the long-vacant property at the northwest corner of the prominent intersection.
Kitsilano Block will be a four-storey building with 67 strata market condominium homes within the upper levels and commercial uses on the ground level.
When Daily Hive Urbanized first reported about the project in 2019, during the application phase, it was indicated at the time that the ground level’s retail and restaurant space would be used as a new additional London Drugs store for the area, which would have effectively been Kitsilano’s second London Drugs after the nearby location of 2230 West Broadway (near Arbutus Street).
Then in 2022, a change of use was sought to enable the commercial space’s use for a grocery store instead of a retail drug store. Tenant improvements were approved this past spring to enable Fresh St. Market.
Site of Kitsilano Block and Fresh St. Market at 1981 Macdonald Street. (Hathstauwk)
June 2024 construction progress on Kitsilano Block:
Construction progress on Kitsilano Block and Fresh St. Market at 1981 Macdonald Street, as of June 23, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Construction progress on Kitsilano Block and Fresh St. Market at 1981 Macdonald Street, as of June 23, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Future condition of Kitsilano Block with Fresh St. Market:
Artistic rendering of Kitsilano Block and Fresh St. Market at 1981 Macdonald Street. (Daily Hive photo)
Artistic rendering of Kitsilano Block and Fresh St. Market at 1981 Macdonald Street. (Hathstauwk)
Artistic rendering of Kitsilano Block and Fresh St. Market at 1981 Macdonald Street. (Hathstauwk)
Daily Hive Urbanized has confirmed that Fresh St. Market’s space at the Kitsilano Block will span about 20,000 sq ft and feature not only the typical grocery store offerings but also Peak Donuts & Cafe, a hot meal self-service bar, grab-and-go sushi, an extensive cheese counter, and a full-service deli and meat seafood area. Customers will have access to ample underground parking.
Construction on Fresh St. Market’s tenant improvements within the shell space at Kitsilano Block is expected to begin in early 2025, with a targeted Summer 2025 opening. The condominium homes in the levels above are also scheduled to be completed in early 2025.
Kitsilano Block is owned and developed by Richmond-based developer Hathstauwk, which is owned by BC’s storied Louie family. The family also own London Drugs and Georgia Main Food Group, which is the parent company for the Fresh St. Market and IGA grocery store brands. Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership is the project’s architectural design firm.
This will be Fresh St. Market’s eighth location, including their upcoming location at 150 West Esplanade Avenue in Lonsdale in North Vancouver, which is a conversion of an existing IGA store. This Lonsdale store will reopen as Fresh St. Market in Fall 2024.
The Kitsilano Block location will be their second store in Vancouver after the 2020 opening within the Vancouver House Tower in downtown Vancouver.
Immediately to the east of Kitsilano Block, construction is also progressing on Third Space Properties’ redevelopment of the former Chevron gas station at 2783 West 4th Avenue — the northeast corner of the intersection of West 4th Avenue and Macdonald Street.
Third Space Properties’ project is a six-storey building with 99 secured purpose-built market rental homes within the upper levels, and 15,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant uses on the ground level. The rental homes are expected to be ready for occupancy in Fall 2025.
June 2024 construction progress on Third Spaces Properties’ 4th and Macdonald rental housing building:
Construction progress on Third Spaces Properties’ rental housing building at 2783 West 4th Avenue, as of June 23, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Future condition of Third Spaces Properties’ 4th and Macdonald rental housing building:
Artistic rendering of 2783 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver. (Yamamoto Architecture/Third Space Properties)
Artistic rendering of 2783 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver. (Yamamoto Architecture/Third Space Properties)
Both projects combined will greatly serve to bring new life to the retail cluster and animate the street — an overwhelming improvement from the previous vacant lot and gas station use in terms of street frontage activation.
In particular, this sizeable grocery store will become an anchor of activity for the small retail village in the area along a three city block stretch of West 4th Avenue between Bayswater Street and Trafalgar Street. Such businesses are known to become a focal point where locals converge, enhancing foot traffic to neighbouring businesses and fostering a symbiotic relationship. Customers not only shop for groceries but also linger to explore nearby retail and restaurants.
The area’s accessibility was also recently enhanced by TransLink’s conversion of the No. 2 Macdonald/Burrard Station bus route into a fully articulated bus service, which provides more capacity for the busy bus route.
Construction progress on Kitsilano Block and Fresh St. Market at 1981 Macdonald Street (foreground) and Third Spaces Properties’ rental housing building at 2783 West 4th Avenue (background), as of June 23, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Through potential redevelopment over the long term, this retail cluster could become a part of a longer continuous West 4th Avenue retail strip between Bayswater Street and the Granville Street Bridge. Currently, the retail areas along this segment of the street are segregated by two blocks of residential-only uses between Trafalgar Street and Balsam Street.
The possibility also exists of the long-term redevelopment of the nearby Safeway grocery store at 2315 West 4th Avenue, which is at the northwest corner of the intersection of West 4th Avenue and Vine Street.