Summary#

Vancouver City Council approved in principle a site-specific rezoning for 2345–2349 Main Street, from C-3A commercial zoning to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development, a site-specific zoning). The proposal is intended to provide student and arts-school housing, space for Goh Ballet Academy and ground-floor retail, while keeping the south and east façades of the heritage building. Council’s approval is not yet in force: it depends on a separate public hearing and approval of heritage designation, followed by enactment of the relevant bylaws.

• The approved-in-principle plan allows a 25-storey building, up to 108 metres high, and a floor space ratio (FSR, floor area compared with site area) of 21.3, up from 9.2 metres and 1.0 FSR.
• It provides for 305 student-housing units and 10 units for students at an on-site arts or self-improvement school, plus school space and ground-floor retail.
• The rezoning and related Sign and Noise Control bylaw changes cannot proceed unless Council separately approves protection of the heritage building’s south and east façades.
• A housing agreement is required. City staff say the student housing must be operated by one or more B.C. public post-secondary institutions, through ownership or a long-term lease.
• An amendment replaced a motion to send the application back to staff with approval in principle. The final motion passed unanimously; Councillor Montague was absent for the vote.

What it means for you#

• Students: The decision sets out a path for 305 student-housing units and 10 arts or self-improvement school-housing units. It does not set rents or guarantee that the building will be built.
• Goh Ballet Academy: The proposal includes space to retain and expand the academy, as well as housing for 10 students of an on-site arts or self-improvement school.
• Nearby residents and businesses: The approved plan would allow a much taller and denser building than the current zoning. The site is at Main Street and East 8th Avenue, has no rear-lane access, and the proposal includes no on-site parking or loading.
• Heritage: The approval depends on a future Council decision to designate the existing building’s south and east façades as protected heritage property.
• Property owner and developer: They bear the risk of costs they incur to meet rezoning conditions. The decision does not require the City to enact the rezoning or create a legal right to it.

Money#

No cost information is in the available material.

• The owner and applicant bear costs they incur to meet rezoning conditions. Staff say no financial compensation was sought for heritage conservation.
• The material gives no estimate of City costs, development contributions, or the cost of building or operating the project.

What is unclear#

• The housing agreement’s full terms are not provided. The material does not state rents, how long housing restrictions would apply, or what happens if an institutional partnership ends.
• The final outcome depends on a separate public hearing and Council approval of heritage designation, and on later enactment of the CD-1 bylaw. No timing is given.
• City staff raised concerns about building-code issues, servicing and safety. The material does not show whether these issues can be resolved at later permit stages.
• The decision approves the project in principle, subject to conditions. The materials do not establish when construction might start or whether all required permits will be granted.

Case for#

• Residents who commented in support cited student housing, the expansion of Goh Ballet, heritage retention and the site’s proximity to transit. Of 62 online responses, 16 supported the proposal, 39 opposed it and seven were mixed.
• City staff recognize that purpose-built student housing could meet a distinct housing need and support Goh Ballet Academy. The proposal also retains two façades of a heritage-listed building.
• A possible argument for the decision is that it permits a large housing project near a future rapid-transit station while keeping part of the heritage building and providing cultural and retail space.

Case against#

• City staff recommended sending the application back. They said the 18.9-metre frontage is far below the 45.7 metres set out in the Broadway Plan for tower sites, and the site has no lane access. Staff said the proposed scale and lack of tower separation could affect neighbouring redevelopment and the area’s character.
• Staff raised concerns about no on-site loading or parking, student drop-off and pick-up, and pedestrian and public safety. The Urban Design Panel also recommended resubmission and raised concerns about traffic, loading, livability and the building’s fit with the neighbourhood.
• Staff said the proposed units average 25 square metres, below the bylaw’s stated minimum of 37 square metres (which staff say can be relaxed to 29.7), and have lower floor-to-floor heights than the 3.1-metre standard. They also said the application lacked a partnership with a B.C. public post-secondary institution and could face serious building-code problems later.