Controversial Commercial Drive tower development discussed at public hearing

CBC News

· Posted: May 15, 2025 10:07 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

A arguable program to redevelop the Safeway determination connected East Broadway adjacent Commercial Drive is being discussed at a nationalist consultation astatine Vancouver metropolis assembly Thursday night. 

Redevelopment astatine 1780 East Broadway has been successful the works for years with a fig of past rezoning applications and withdrawals, metropolis planner Simon Jay said astatine the opening of Thursday's nationalist hearing.

Westbank Projects Corp/Crombie REIT, connected behalf of Snowcat Property Holdings Ltd. has applied to build three purpose-built rental towers, ranging successful tallness from 36 to 43 storeys, adjacent the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain station. 

WATCH | Commercial Drive operation improvement faces metropolis hearing

The projected towers would person much than 1,000 rental lodging units, with units adjacent to 10 per cent of the residential level country disposable at below-market rent. 

The program besides includes retail space, including a market store, bureau and commercialized space, a city-owned child-care facility, and a nationalist plaza moving parallel to the SkyTrain station.

Zakir Suleman with the assemblage radical No Towers astatine Safeway told CBC's The Early Edition past period that the connection doesn't bash capable to code the city's lodging crisis. 

"I deliberation that developers who basal to marque a important nett should beryllium paying their just stock back," Suleman said. "So this connection arsenic it stands, it doesn't physique affordability successful the neighbourhood. It hardly builds assemblage amenities."

Adam Abti, who grew up successful the area, said helium supports the towers. 

"The much lodging we person successful general, the much proviso and the lower the price," Abti said. "So it's amended for everyone."

The application is being considered nether the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan.

A referral study from metropolis staff notes that the exertion "exceeds the anticipated tallness and density expected successful the plan," but "otherwise mostly meets the intent of the plan."

The study besides notes that the projected towers would adhd much than 1,000 rental units without displacing immoderate existing residential tenants. 

City assembly volition ballot connected whether to proceed with the program pursuing the nationalist hearing.