Real Estate News 
Great West Life Realty advisors (GWLRA) and Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan’s (HOOPP) design of VCII caters to tenant needs along with COVID-19 considerations.
Construction is well advanced at Vancouver Centre II (VCII) located at 733 Seymour Street. Developed in partnership with GWLRA and HOOPP, VCII is more than 50% leased to companies that include Kabam Games, B2 Gold and PI Financial.
The tower rising 33 storeys with ~371,000 of leasable office square footage, is expected to be completed by Ledcor as early as Q4 2021. The design of the tower from MCMP Architects complements the existing Scotia Bank tower (Vancouver Centre – 650 West Georgia) with a voluminous glass atrium to form a single expansive, open and light-filled lobby.
Outdoor Accessibility and Amenities at Vancouver Centre II
As we’ve seen a significant focus on outdoor space, VCII provides multiple points of access to the outdoors. On the 4th floor, an extensive deck connects to the fitness centre and yoga studio. With an extensive array of cardio and weight machines, free weights and areas for yoga, the bright modern facility will aid in attracting and retaining quality employees. On the North side of the 7th floor, typically seen in new residential buildings and uncommon for office towers, is a deck dedicated to a fully equipped dog run. The Skyview rooftop deck, accessible to all tenants, offers sweeping views of the surrounding city. A great place for employees to take a break, have lunch or hold a meeting in open air.
Underground Access to Transit, Retail and Parking
VCII, once complete, will be the newest office building in Vancouver with underground access to transit via way of the City Centre Skytrain Station and the Granville Skytrain Station. Allowing commuters on rainy Vancouver days to stay dry on their way to and from the office. The underground access will also allow easy entry to Vancouver’s best retail stores and services via way of Pacific Centre.
In addition to the 27 levels of Class AA office space, VCII includes a ground floor amenity, 7 levels of underground parking and 4 levels of above-grade parking. The site was previously occupied by a 4 level above ground parking garage owned by GWLRA/HOOP.
Radiant Ceiling Panels
VCII is designed with the use of radiant ceiling panels (Giacomini) instead of T-Bar. There are multiple benefits including energy savings and that they are not very bulky – each component of the system isa incorporated into the ceiling. The key benefit to highlight here in relation to COVID-19 is the fact that they eliminate problems like the recirculation of dust and pollutants by avoiding the spread of particulate – common with forced air systems.
Wired Score – Future Proof VCII Office Space
Thought has been given at VCII to ensure that proper infrastructure has been put in place allowing for future proofed office space. VCII aims to achieve a high Wired Score – wired certification upon completion. Wired certification considers aspects such as digital connectivity, flexibility, resiliency, redundancy and pathway planning. For example, if the needs of the tenant regarding Wifi in the future increases, they may not require such an extensive improvement to the space given the existing infrastructure/spine in place.
GWLRA is also developing False Creek Station at 1296 Station Street. False Creek station is a 13-storey, diamond-shaped landmark that will be home to 262,800 square feet of office space.
Follow along with us as we keep you updated of the status at VCII, including on-site photos and video as the project nears completion.
