The Future of Granville Street – Vancouver’s Car-Free Entertainment District 

Granville Street is set for a bold transformation. A proposed car-free entertainment district could turn six city blocks into a pedestrian-first hub for live performances, dining, and nightlife. With major redevelopments, new towers, and landmark projects in the works, this shift could reshape Vancouver’s commercial real estate market. 

For businesses, investors, and tenants, the changes bring both opportunities and challenges. Here’s what to expect. 

A New Vision for Granville Street 

Spanning six city blocks from Georgia Street to Drake Street, Vancouver’s proposed master plan envisions Granville as a vibrant, all-day destination, featuring: 

• A pedestrian-only corridor, initially seasonal (starting as early as summer 2025) before becoming permanent. Over time, the pedestrian-only zone could extend northward from Robson Street to Waterfront Station. (Proposed Public Space and Transportation Directions)
• Increased building height, density, and new developments, including hotels, offices, and residential towers. (Proposed Land Use Directions)
• A Times Square-style entertainment and commercial district at Robson and Granville Streets. 
• Expanded entertainment zones, with new rooftop patios, outdoor venues, public art installations, and enhanced nightlife. 
• Transit improvements to enable pedestrian zones on Granville Street, to support reliable bus service on Howe and Seymour Streets, and to improve pedestrian connections to SkyTrain stations.
• Cultural investments to preserve historic venues like the Orpheum, the Commodore Ballroom, and the Vogue Theatre, while continuing to expand cultural spaces through incentives.
• Improved safety and wellbeing through collaborations with community partner organizations and the Vancouver Police Department.

The plan focuses on three sub-areas, located along Granville Street: The City Centre, the Entertainment Core, and the Bridgehead. While the northern end of the district will remain entertainment-focused, the southern side will incorporate mixed-use developments to support businesses, tourism, and residential growth, fostering a more community-oriented atmosphere. 

You can find more details in the Granville Street Planning Application.

Robson & Granville: Vancouver’s Answer to Times Square? 

One of the boldest elements of the proposal is transforming Robson and Granville into a landmark destination, similar to Times Square in New York or Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto. Expect: 

• Large-scale digital billboards for advertising and public art. 
• Live-streamed events and interactive media displays. 
• Expanded nightlife, retail, and entertainment options. 
• Integration of transit for enhanced SkyTrain access. 

This vision will cement Granville as a high-profile commercial hub, attracting both local and international businesses. 

Zoning & Density Adjustments

To support these changes, Vancouver City Council has proposed adjustments to protected view cones, allowing for increased building heights. This is expected to: 

• Make new developments more financially viable. 
• Expand commercial real estate offerings, including office space, hotels, restaurants, and cultural venues. 
• Introduce more purpose-built rental housing, including affordable housing options, to support Vancouver’s housing demand. 

The balance between modernization and heritage preservation remains a key factor in final project approvals. 

Key Real Estate Projects Shaping Granville’s Future 

Several major commercial and residential projects are poised to redefine the Granville corridor, including: 

1167-1193 Granville Street – Mixed-use Hotel

Deecorp Properties is proposing a 33-storey mixed-use hotel at the intersection of Davie and Granville Streets. The site currently comprises of five parcels, each occupied by low-rise commercial buildings, which will be transformed into a mixed-use hotel featuring:  

• 464 guest rooms divided between two distinct hotels.
• A four-storey commercial podium at its base housing diverse amenities, including a 4,425 square foot lounge and bar, a 6,847 square foot restaurant, and a 6,850 square foot event space.
• 8,158 square feet of amenity space for hotel guests, with a pool, fitness centre, and spa.
• An 8,500 square foot rooftop terrace, which will provide both indoor and outdoor spaces, including a bar and patio.

This project aligns with Vancouver’s plan to increase density and revitalize Granville Street beyond its traditional nightlife identity. 

800 Granville Street – Mixed-use Office // On Hold 

Bonnis Properties’ proposed redevelopment of 800 Granville Street is one of the most significant projects in the area. While originally proposing a 17-storey mixed-use commercial tower with approximately 470,000 square feet of office space, Bonnis Properties is amending their rezoning application to reflect shifting market conditions and reduced demand for large-scale office space.  

The updated proposal is set to introduce:  

• Two towers, featuring over 500 rental homes and a hotel with about 150 guest rooms, above the commercial areas.
• Retention and revitalization of the Commodore Ballroom and Lanes, the façades of the State Hotel at 876 Granville Street, and three other heritage properties on site.
• Approximately 100,000 square feet of retail on the first three storeys and approximately 50,000 square feet of restaurant and cultural space at level four, including a performance venue to be dedicated to the City.
• The office space component is now expected to play a much smaller part.

This project highlights Granville Street’s shift toward modern mixed-use developments, blending heritage preservation with new commercial opportunities. 

674 Granville Street – Redevelopment of the Hudson Bay Flagship Store

Back in 2022, Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) and it’s real estate arm Streetworks Development proposed a redevelopment of the historic Hudson’s Bay flagship store at Granville and West Georgia Streets in downtown Vancouver. HBC’s press release highlighted the following details:

• A new 12-storey office tower to be built above the existing six-storey heritage store.
• Tower to include about 1 million square feet of new office space (tripling the existing floorspace), accommodating about 5,000 employees.
• Office floors to have large floor plates of up to 61,000 square feet – 4X the size of an average Vancouver office floor plate.
• A reimagined retail space of about 350,000 square feet available for retail and restaurant uses on the bottom half of the building.
• Preservation of the building’s century-old terra cotta heritage exterior. 
• Reconfiguration of the lower floors with a new west-east covered public pedestrian walkway created through the building for a mid-block corridor linking Granville Street and Seymour Street.
• Enhanced connectivity, including improved access to the Granville SkyTrain station and the Vancouver City Centre Canada Line station.
• Plans to build an internal multi-level atrium above the existing store and an amenity rooftop garden.

For more information on the redevelopment of the Hudson Bay flagship store, visit Floorspace’s article: The Bay Building at 674 Granville Reimagined.

625-777 Pacific Street and 1390 Granville Street – 1,000 Homes at Granville Bridge’s North End

In 2022, the City Council approved a rezoning application submitted by the City of Vancouver to remove the circular ramps (the Loops) connecting Pacific Street to the Granville Bridge. The ramps will be replaced with extensions of Continental and Rolston Streets and a new level connection of Neon Street to Granville Street. Four new development parcels will be created in this area, allowing for residential tower development in those sub-areas. The proposal includes:

• Six buildings – two towers each reaching 395 feet (40 storeys), two shorter towers each reaching 275 feet (with 27 storeys), and two mid-rise towers each reaching 105 feet (12 storeys).
• Approximately 920,173 square feet of total floor area.
• 161,649 square feet of social housing, 126,524 square feet of market residential rental, and 606,329 square feet of market strata residential.
• Enough residential space to generate about 1,050 homes.
• 25,671 square feet of commercial space on Granville and Pacific frontages and an approximately 5,000 square foot, 37-space childcare centre.
• Removal and construction of new roads and replacement of bridge deck as road (Neon to Pacific Street).

The residential redevelopment around the Granville Bridge aligns with the Granville Street Plan, introducing new streets, residential towers, and a mix of social and market housing to support residential and community growth around the Bridgehead sub-area.

Public Input & Next Steps

The City of Vancouver is actively seeking public feedback on the Granville Street master plan before finalizing the proposal. 

• Online public survey: recently completed February 23, 2025 – LINK 

• Final master plan review by City Council: June 2025 

Residents, business owners, and developers can submit their feedback now to help shape the future of Granville Street. 

At Floorspace, we specialize in helping businesses navigate Vancouver’s evolving commercial real estate market. Whether you’re looking for office space, retail opportunities, or investment properties along Granville Street, we’re here to help.