Langley-based developer Marcon has filed a rezoning application with the City of Vancouver to develop a new 32-storey hotel in Downtown Vancouver, in hopes of addressing the City’s much-needed shortage of hotel rooms.
The proposed hotel would sit on 516-534 West Pender Street and 509 Richards Street, diagonally-across the street from Cathedral Square and a five-minute walk away from Waterfront Station, on the eastern edge of the Central Business District, in close proximity to Harbour Centre, the Vancouver Convention Centre and Canada Place.
The site is currently occupied by a six-storey parkade, a two-storey mixed-use building, and an eight-storey office building. The buildings are referred to as the Captain Pybus Building and the Lumbermen’s Building, both of which were constructed in the early 1900s.
Aerial view of the site for the proposed hotel in Vancouver. (Marcon / Henriquez Partners Architects)
According to Marcon, the Lumbermen’s Building will be retained, while the Captain Pybus Building will be incorporated into the new hotel. Marcon is seeking to consolidate the three parcels, and rezone the site from DD (Downtown) to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development).
The proposed mixed-use building would be 32-storeys, with 576 hotel units, nearly 45,000 sq. ft of office space, over 20,000 sq. ft of commercial space, and six levels of underground parking with 146 vehicle parking stalls and 91 bicycle stalls. The total proposed floor space ratio is 22.81.
(Marcon / Henriquez Partners Architects)
The P6 level will also house several cycling facilities, including storage space, washing stations, bicycle maintenance facilities, end-of-trip facilities, and a dedicated bicycle elevator.
The lobby of the hotel will be on the ground floor, which will also house restaurant space. The second floor will house hotel staff offices and other operational rooms, while the third floor will then house multi-purpose conference rooms of various sizes.
Floors four through 10 and 12 through 29 will house a majority of the hotel rooms. The eleventh floor will be home to a restaurant and bar with an outdoor deck, while floors 30 and 31 will then include hotel amenity space and some office space.
(Marcon / Henriquez Partners Architects)
Marcon says that “new hotels are desperately needed in Vancouver to address a recent decline in hotel rooms and to support the recovery of the tourism industry,” and that its proposal would contribute to that, while also bringing employment benefits to the local economy downtown, both during construction and once the hotel is operational.
According to a 2020 State of Downtown report by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, hotel occupancy fell from 80% in 2019 to 27% in 2020, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s travel restrictions, of course. Since then, numerous hotels have permanently closed and some have also been acquired by BC Housing and converted in temporary supportive housing.
Looming over this hotel shortage is the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Vancouver will be hosting alongside 16 other cities across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Last year, a 30-storey hotel was proposed for 848 Seymour Street, a few blocks away from where Marcon’s proposed hotel would sit, with the development team on that project also citing the shortage of hotel rooms.
Vancouver-based Henriquez Partners Architects will be serving as the architect for Marcon’s project, who say that the proposed hotel’s architectural form “will strengthen the urban fabric of the downtown core while making a significant contribution to the beauty and visual power of the city within the overall dome shape of the city’s skyline.”
(Marcon / Henriquez Partners Architects)
Henriquez also says the materials used for the proposed building are inspired by the historical context of Victory Square and Gastown, to the east, which feature “a rich tapestry of warm colours and natural materials.” The design also makes architectural references to the Lumbermen’s Building.
The City of Vancouver will be hosting a virtual open house on this proposed project from Wednesday, April 19 to Tuesday, May 2.
Written By Howard Chai
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Howard is a Staff Writer at STOREYS. He is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and has also written about media for One Zero and international politics for WhoWhatWhy. Before STOREYS, he was also the Deputy Editor of 604 Now.
HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.
Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.
The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.
Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.
The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.
Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.
Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500
Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438
Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103
Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359
Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent
How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.
Environment Canada says the weather system will bring prolonged heavy rain to Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and Vancouver Island starting Friday.
The agency says strong winds with gusts up to 80 kilometres an hour will also develop on Saturday — the day thousands are expected to go to the polls across B.C. — in parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.
Wednesday was the last day for advance voting, which started on Oct. 10.
More than 180,000 voters cast their votes Wednesday — the most ever on an advance voting day in B.C., beating the record set just days earlier on Oct. 10 of more than 170,000 votes.
Environment Canada says voters in the area of the atmospheric river can expect around 70 millimetres of precipitation generally and up to 100 millimetres along the coastal mountains, while parts of Vancouver Island could see as much as 200 millimetres of rainfall for the weekend.
An atmospheric river system in November 2021 created severe flooding and landslides that at one point severed most rail links between Vancouver’s port and the rest of Canada while inundating communities in the Fraser Valley and B.C. Interior.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
