Author: Kenneth Chan

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    Nearly 4,300 properties in Broadway Plan and Cambie Plan areas to be proactively rezoned by the City of Vancouver

    ByKenneth Chan

    The City of Vancouver is moving forward with a sweeping proposal to proactively rezone thousands of properties in the Broadway Plan and Cambie Corridor Plan areas, as part of an ambitious effort to streamline the development process and boost housing supply near existing and future SkyTrain stations. In next Tuesday’s public meeting, City Council is expected to endorse City staff’s recommendation to refer bylaw amendments to a future public hearing for deliberation and final decision, which would likely be held in September or October — after the forthcoming summer break. This follows City staff’s public consultation beginning in March 2025, when they first announced the proposal. In an interview with Daily Hive Urbanized early this year, Josh White, the City of Vancouver’s general manager of planning, urban design, and sustainability and director of planning, also outlined many of these forthcoming changes. More details have now been released. If approved by City Council later this year, this would introduce standardized zoning for low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise residential buildings — generally aligning with the existing prescriptions and stipulations of the property’s location under the Broadway Plan or Cambie Corridor Plan, while also considering more recent economic and financial viability factors. Generally, R3 zones would allow low-rise apartments up to six storeys — or eight storeys with affordable housing, and a floor area ratio (FAR) density of a floor area up to three times the size of the lot. R4 zones would support mid-rise buildings, typically around 12 storeys and a FAR density of up to 4.0. R5 zones would permit high-rise towers up to 22 storeys and a FAR density of up to 6.5, depending on the proximity to SkyTrain stations and affordability requirements. It is noted that FAR densities will be retained, but a more generous maximum building height will be considered to accommodate a greater range of design approaches due to varying site conditions and on-site public spaces and landscaping. Through such City-initiated rezoning over large swaths of neighbourhoods, this eliminates the need for property owners, developers, and builders to submit an individual rezoning application for their project. Instead, such projects on a City-initiated rezoned site can go straight to the development permit application, which will save applicants costs related to City fees and hiring architects and consultants to achieve the rezoning regulatory step, as well as reducing opportunity costs and added construction costs from inflation as a result of a longer timeline. City staff estimate that these blanket zoning reforms over the qualifying properties will shave 12 to 15 months off the overall development timeline. As well, this will reduce City staff’s time set aside for reports and public hearings with City Council, enabling them to reallocate resources to other tasks and priorities. So far in 2025, rezoning applications in the Broadway Plan and Cambie Corridor Plan account for about 40 per cent of all public hearings. In sites where a tower form is permitted and complex site conditions also exist — such as tower per block limit policies, building shadowing considerations, and contaminated soils, a “rezoning-to-district” process would still be required. This rezoning-to-district process would be streamlined and shorter than the standard rezoning process. The overwhelming majority of these properties are located within the Broadway Plan area, specifically sites closest to the Millennium Line’s future stations on the Broadway extension, as well as southern areas within the area plan. For the Cambie Corridor Plan area, the properties are clustered near the Canada Line’s Oakridge-41st Avenue Station. In total, the City-initiated rezoning would apply to 4,294 parcels across the Broadway Plan and Cambie Corridor Plan areas. City of Vancouver City of Vancouver City of Vancouver Over the last few years, the municipal government performed some notable City-initiated rezonings of large single-family neighbourhood areas in the Cambie Corridor Plan, enabling more expedited townhouse developments as already prescribed by the area plan. However, the forthcoming changes are the largest standardized rezoning in Vancouver’s history, and align with the Government of British Columbia’s legislated requirements for the City and other municipal governments. This specifically aligns with provincial legislation relating to transit-oriented development at designated Transit-Oriented Areas and other regulatory changes. As well, through these changes, the City will standardize affordable housing requirements using newly enabled provincial inclusionary zoning powers. Additionally, the real estate industry and provincial officials have called individual site-specific rezoning applications as redundant if the proposed uses and built form are already enabled by an area plan. In addition to aligning with the Broadway Plan and Cambie Corridor Plan, the changes also follow the City’s 2022-approved Vancouver Plan. While there was strong support for the initiative during the public consultation earlier this year — especially for its potential to speed up much-needed housing — concerns were raised about neighbourhood character, infrastructure capacity, and construction impacts. City staff responded by noting that all developments will still undergo design review, and there will still be an opportunity for public input at the development permit application stage. Enhanced tenant protections will remain in place for areas with existing rental housing. A time-limited approach will allow current rezoning applicants to transition into the new zoning framework without redoing tenant relocation plans, as long as they submit development permits within one year of bylaw enactment. Currently, there are about 40 in-stream rezoning applications involving Tenant Relocation Plans within the proposed City-initiated rezoning areas. It is noted that some of these project applicants may withdraw their

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    Vancouver mayor seeks to unlock development potential of five ‘exceptional’ sites

    ByKenneth Chan

    Mayor Ken Sim is calling on City of Vancouver staff to explore new planning approaches for five strategically located industrial areas that could play a pivotal role in delivering both jobs and housing — particularly near existing and future SkyTrain stations. In a member motion expected to be approved by Vancouver City Council next week, Sim is calling on City staff to process without delay existing and new rezoning applications at what he describes as five “exceptional sites” across the city. Furthermore, City staff will perform a deep dive on the technical and policy implications of the redevelopment potential of each site. One of the biggest hurdles is the designation of these sites as protected industrial lands by Metro Vancouver Regional District. The regional district is generally very cautious with removing industrial land designations, as the region is experiencing a growing industrial land shortage, which is having major economic implications. At the same time, some of the protected industrial lands across the region are no longer suitable for traditional industrial uses for reasons such as site-specific issues, the location adjacent to emerging residential areas, and accessibility to major roads required for truck traffic, as well as the opportunity costs of not optimizing transit-oriented development sites near SkyTrain stations. The five sites identified by Mayor Sim are the former Molson Brewery at the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge, the former industrial sites owned by the municipal government at the southeast corner of the intersection of Main Street and Terminal Avenue next to SkyTrain’s Main Street-Science World Station, the Marine Gateway area next to SkyTrain’s Marine Drive Station, and the Mount Pleasant Industrial Area. Concord Pacific owns the 7.6-acre former Molson Brewery site. Prior to the pandemic, the developer unveiled its “Quantum Park” concept of redeveloping the under-utilized property into towers up to 25 storeys, with 1.8 million sq. ft. of building floor area providing 300,000 sq. ft. of creative industrial, office, and retail/restaurant space and 3,000 homes. The brewery was built at a time when False Creek saw heavy industrial uses. As well, the site’s freight needs were previously served by Canadian Pacific’s Arbutus railway corridor, which has since been dismantled, sold to the City, and converted into its current uses as an active transportation greenway. Moreover, the adjacent built form of the Senakw’s high-density grove of towers up to 58 storeys likely sets some new precedent for what is possible for Concord’s brewery site. Previous 2019 artistic rendering of Quantum Park, the redevelopment of the old Molson Coors brewery in Vancouver, conceived before the Senakw project. (Concord Pacific) Previous 2019 artistic rendering of Quantum Park, the redevelopment of the old Molson Coors brewery in Vancouver, conceived before the Senakw project. (Concord Pacific) Previous 2019 artistic rendering of Quantum Park, the redevelopment of the old Molson Coors brewery in Vancouver. (Concord Pacific) PCI Developments has also been looking to build a second phase of Marine Gateway on a five-acre site, replacing car dealerships immediately south of the 2015-completed first phase. Marine Gateway’s second phase would feature more high-rise towers — providing significant secured rental housing and affordable home ownership units on top of substantial creative/light industrial uses and some additional retail/restaurant space. The City of Vancouver also has a major works yard immediately east of this site. Previous 2021 artistic rendering of Marine Gateway Phase 2 at 8530 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/PCI Developments) Previous 2021 artistic rendering of Marine Gateway Phase 2 at 8530 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/PCI Developments) The Mount Pleasant Industrial Area is the largest of the five sites, spanning the general area framed by Cambie Street to the west, 2nd Avenue to the north, Main Street to the east, and Broadway to the south. Within the City’s Broadway Plan area, Sim states this is a centrally-located employment district with sites within the provincial government’s legislated Transit-Oriented Areas, specifically around SkyTrain’s Broadway-City Hall and Olympic Village stations and the future Mount Pleasant Station. He suggests there is a need for “modernized policy guidance” to “support innovative tech clusters, light industry, and creative economy uses while carefully considering residential uses.” Currently, existing policies allow for a broader range of uses only along the perimeter of the Mount Pleasant Industrial Area. This has enabled high-density, mixed-use residential and office developments along the west side of Main Street, including projects such as the Main Alley tech campus and the City Centre Motel redevelopment. Sim’s motion suggests he wants to go even further than the current allowances. Mount Pleasant Industrial Area. (City of Vancouver/Google Maps) October 2022 artistic rendering of Prototype/M5 at 2015 Main St., Vancouver. (Henriquez Partners Architects/Westbank) Artistic rendering of the City Centre Motel redevelopment at 2111 Main St., Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership/Nicola Wealth Real Estate) The fourth site at the southeast corner of Main Street and Terminal Avenue has been planned as an “Innovative Hub” under the City’s False Creek Flats Plan. A mix of innovation economy uses are envisioned, including laboratories, research and development, creative/light industrial, tech offices, arts and cultural facilities, local food economy spaces, some residential uses, and the active ground-level uses of retail and restaurants. Recently, the City conducted a procurement process seeking a contractor to conduct a detailed technical feasibility study identifying redevelopment options for this 11.5-acre City-owned property next to Main Street-Science World Station. The fifth exceptional site identified by Sim is the 11-acre Railtown district spanning about six city blocks

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    Two rental housing towers up to 29 storeys, featuring a grocery store, approved for Robson Street

    ByKenneth Chan

    The 1500 block of Robson Street in downtown Vancouver’s West End neighbourhood will see a substantial uplift through a new mixed-use rental housing project with substantial commercial retail uses. The City of Vancouver’s Development Permit Board recently approved GWL Realty Advisors’ (GWLRA) application to redevelop 1525-1555 Robson St. — nearly the entirely city block at the northeast corner of the intersection of Robson and Cardero streets. Building Permit Applications were subsequently submitted in May 2025 to demolish the 1949-built, two-storey commercial building on the west side (1525 Robson St.) of the development site — formerly home to Jang Mo Jib Restaurant. The development site also includes the 1965-built, six-storey office and retail building mid-block, on the east side (1555 Robson St.) of the site. Designed by architectural firm Arcadis, there will be two high-rise towers reaching 324 ft. with 28 storeys and 318 ft. with 29 storeys, generating 393 secured purpose-built market rental homes — including 100 studio units, 179 one-bedroom units, 101 two-bedroom units, and 13 three-bedroom units. The two-storey base podium would be dedicated to commercial uses totalling about 41,000 sq. ft. including a 24,400 sq. ft. grocery store — largely located on the second level, with entrance located at the intersection corner — and about 16,600 sq. ft. of smaller commercial retail/restaurant units, which would activate the building’s ground level with Robson Street. Site of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Google Maps) Site of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) During the Development Permit Board meeting, Matt Shillito, the City of Vancouver’s director of special projects, called this project “much needed” for its significant infusion of rental housing, and highlighted the new major retail uses “along a stretch of Robson that’s looking pretty tired.” “I think it achieves a lot on a relatively tight site. In terms of the architectural approach, I think it’s very thoughtful. I like the nice kind of compact tower floor plates. I like the way the podium has been kept low profile, nice clean lines, and it manages the slope very efficiently, very effectively,” said Shillito. “I like the way the podium has been kept low profile, nice clean lines, and it manages the slope very efficiently, very effectively. With the CRUs at the ground level and then the grocery store above, it’s all neatly housed.” Lon LaClaire, general manager of engineering services for the City of Vancouver, added, “These services are going to be welcome in the area, and I think that the new building is going to be a really great addition to the area.” But Shillito, while also acknowledging that this is a subjective matter, suggested that the development team should consider the possibility of providing the facade design with a lighter tone, as opposed to the current concept using “very dark” materials, which creates a look that is “a little heavier than it otherwise could be.” The development permit application was the project’s first and primary approval, as a rezoning application was not necessary, given that the project aligns with existing policies for the site. October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) Most of the discussion over this application during the meeting focused on the dedicated freight/truck loading space required for the commercial uses, particularly the grocery store. The panel ultimately agreed that the larger and more intensive requirement of Class C loading — creating designated loading space for a large semi-trailer — would not only be unnecessary for a mid-size grocery store, but also challenging given the tight urban environment. Furthermore, similarly-sized grocery stores integrated into high-density, mixed-use developments in and around downtown Vancouver only have Class B loading spaces, which accommodate smaller single-unit trucks and other medium-sized vehicles. For this reason, the panel agreed to only require a small increase in Class B loading capacity. With the existing Safeway and Whole Foods Market situated on the city blocks just to the west, this would be the third grocery store in Lower Robson. Four underground levels would contain over 250 vehicle parking stalls, including 198 stalls for rental housing residents, 20 stalls for residential visitors, and 33 stalls for commercial uses. This is in addition to over 600 secured bike parking spaces. The total building floor area is pegged at about 324,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 9.6 times larger than the size of the 33,600 sq. ft. development site. This project falls under the City’s West End Community Plan. 2024 preliminary conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment with two towers at the combined site of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (GWL Realty Advisors) October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) October 2024 artistic rendering of 1525-1555 Robson St., Vancouver. (Arcadis/GWL Realty Advisors) GWLRA is the real estate investment subsidiary of the Great-West Life Assurance Company, which is one of Canada’s largest private insurance firms. In March 2024, GWLRA acquired the 16,400 sq. ft. site of 1555 Robson Street from VivaGrand Developments in a deal worth $58 million, according to records. This purchase enabled GWLRA to form a land assembly with its September 2022 acquisition of the similarly sized adjacent site at 1525 Robson St.

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    Two rental housing towers eyed for Kingsway near Fraser Street in Vancouver

    ByKenneth Chan

    Nearly four years ago, a rezoning application was approved to redevelop the southeast corner of the intersection of Kingsway and Carolina Street — situated on the southernmost border of the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of Vancouver — into a six-storey, mixed-use building with 80 secured purpose-built market rental homes. But the project — which was one of the larger rental housing proposals in Metro Vancouver at the time, prior to the current wave of proposals — did not proceed as planned. As it turns out, this is because the project was being redesigned for a much larger mixed-use rental housing concept under the prescriptions and stipulations of the City’s Broadway Plan. A new rezoning application has been submitted to redevelop 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., which entails a larger development site than the original concept — growing the available footprint by 50 per cent to over 30,000 sq. ft. The project is just west of the prominent intersection of Kingsway and Fraser Street. The original north site entails old low-rise commercial buildings, including a former funeral home building, while the addition of a south site includes a surface vehicle parking lot and low-rise residential and commercial buildings. Site of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) Site of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Google Maps) Site of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) Cancelled 2020/2021 concept: Current condition (top) and 2020/2021 cancelled concept (bottom) of 602-644 Kingsway, Vancouver. (Studio One Architecture) 2025 revised concept: 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) Under the new application, local developer Bonnis Properties has partnered with architectural firm Perkins&Will to pursue a 167-ft-tall, 14-storey north tower and a 276-ft-tall, 25-storey south tower. The proponents are pursuing a new concept with two high-rise towers, after determining that a project with three towers would not meet the minimum tower separation requirements from an adjacent lot on Kingsway. There will be a total of 327 secured purpose-built rental homes, including 120 units in the north tower and 207 units in the south tower. Based on the Broadway Plan’s requirement of setting aside at least 20 per cent of the residential rental floor area for below-market units, there will be 66 below-market rental homes and 261 market rental homes. The unit size mix is established as 152 studios, 47 one-bedroom units, 105 two-bedroom units, and 23 three-bedroom units. 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) The north and south towers will be physically connected on the second level by a pedestrian bridge over the laneway that separates the two sites, enabling continuous shared amenity spaces between both buildings. Expansive indoor and outdoor amenity spaces will be found on the second level — including landscaped outdoor areas on the base podium rooftops — along with outdoor amenity spaces on the rooftops of both towers. The rooftop of the north tower’s podium also features a 2,900 sq. ft. childcare facility for up to 20 kids, plus outdoor play space. Down below, about 19,400 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space spread across the ground levels of both buildings will activate the street frontages and a new public plaza. This triangular-shaped plaza space — a public space element passed down from the original concept — will be achieved by repurposing a 70-ft-long segment of East 15th Avenue and median that parallels Kingsway. 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) 2025 concept of 602-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave., Vancouver. (Perkins&Will/Bonnis Properties) The floor plates of both towers rising above the podium are curved to strategically place the structural columns along the perimeter of the floor plates, which serves to optimize the views from the residential units and enable a more efficient unit layout. The exterior design is defined by a 40-60 window-to-wall ratio, with protruding balconies protected by steel picket guard railings. Four underground levels at the north tower site will accommodate 141 vehicle parking stalls, while two underground levels at the south tower site will provide over 600 secured bike parking spaces. Altogether, the project will generate a total floor building floor area of over 257,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 8.5 times larger than the size of the lot. The site is well served by frequent bus routes along Kingsway, Fraser Street, and Main Street, and about a 15-minute walk from SkyTrain’s future Mount Pleasant Station (intersection of Main Street and East Broadway). Under the Broadway Plan, high-rise tower developments are generally

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    This is how Canada’s new GST cuts on home sales up to $1.5 million for first-time buyers will work

    ByKenneth Chan

    Prime Minister Mark Carney is fulfilling one of the key promises the Liberal party made during the recent federal election campaign, specifically relating to eliminating the federal five per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on home prices for first-time homebuyers. “My government has a mandate to bring down costs. We are delivering this mandate by cutting taxes — so Canadians keep more of their paycheques to spend where it matters most,” said the prime minister, with the specific plans for the GST cuts now released following King Charles III’s speech from the throne on Tuesday. This will be applied as a rebate — the First-Time Home Buyers’ GST Rebate. For first-time buyers only, there will be zero GST applied on new homes sold at up to $1 million. For new properties bought at a price of between $1 million and $1.5 million, there will be a reduced GST for first-time buyers and their new homes. This means that for homes priced at up to $1 million, first-time buyers will save up to $50,000 by not having to pay the GST. Buyers with new, more expensive homes will be eligible for a reduced GST rebate, which falls incrementally from home prices of $1 million to $1.5 million. For example, a home price of $1.1 million would be eligible for a 20 per cent rebate of $40,000, a home price of $1.25 million would be eligible for a rebate of $25,000, and a home price of $1.4 million would be eligible for a rebate of $10,000. A “new home” purchase is defined as property bought from a new home by a builder, a self-built home or a self-contracted new home, or an acquisition of shares of a co-operative housing corporation. Individuals are eligible for the rebate if they are adults and Canadian citizens or permanent residents. As well, they must not have lived in a home that they owned or that their spouse or common-law partner owned in the calendar year or in the four preceding calendar years. This existing ownership status consideration exists both within and outside Canada. At least one of the purchasers in a sale must be a first-time buyer for use as their primary residence, with this individual required to occupy the home following the sale. The sale agreement must be made between May 27, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2030. Homes that have yet to be built under the agreement must begin construction before 2021, with substantial completion by no later than the end of 2035. For rebates for owner-built homes, an eligible individual — at least one of the owner-builders who qualify as a first-time homebuyer — can recover up to $50,000 of the GST or the federal part of the rebate. Construction on the property must begin on or after May 27, 2025, with substantial completion by the end of 2036. And as for the rebate through the co-operative housing corporation share acquisition, an individual can similarly claim up to $50,000. The acquisition and construction timelines are the same for this option. This amounts to an adjustment, expansion, and refinement of Carney’s promise made during the election campaign to eliminate the GST on “new and substantially renovated” home sales up to $1 million for first-time buyers. Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre vowed to axe the GST for new homes up to $1.3 million, accounting for the higher home prices in markets such as Metro Vancouver and Greater Toronto. Carney’s policy move is endorsed by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA), which states that they have been advocating for such changes for a long while, and that these regulations have not changed since the introduction of GST in 1991. They say the federal government at the time originally committed to adjusting the GST New Housing Rebate thresholds every two years to reflect changes in housing prices and protect housing affordability over time. But these thresholds have not been changed for about 35 years now. Prior to this week’s policy details announcement, the federal government offered a smaller rebate amount of up to $6,300 or 36 per cent of the GST payment that would be required for a home that costs $350,000 or less. If the home costs more than $350,000, the rebate is gradually reduced, with the rebate reaching zero for a home price of $450,000 and over. “For years, CHBA has been advocating for a change to the GST thresholds on new construction homes to help address housing affordability challenges in regions across the country, and this measure is a very positive step forward for Canadians,” said Kevin Lee, CEO of CHBA, in a statement. “Previously, without details around the implementation of this measure, Canadians wishing to enter the housing market were holding out on buying a new construction home, which results in fewer home starts, so it is encouraging that today first-time buyers can have the confidence to move forward.” But Lee suggests the rebate thresholds should be more expansive to provide a greater number of homeowners with relief. CHBA wants to see the zero GST threshold increased to new home prices of $1.5 million, with the gradual reduction kicking in for prices between $1.5 million and $2 million, which would expand the eligibility for first-time homebuyers in Metro Vancouver and Greater Toronto, where there are higher home prices. They are also urging the federal government to expand the rebate to all new homes

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    TransLink to extend North Shore RapidBus route to Metrotown starting in 2027

    ByKenneth Chan

    Currently, the R2 Marine Drive RapidBus is a west-east route serving the North Shore, running between Park Royal in West Vancouver and Phibbs bus exchange in the District of North Vancouver, with a key connection to the SeaBus terminal and Lonsdale bus exchange. Starting in 2027, TransLink will extend the R2 RapidBus from its existing easternmost terminus of Phibbs bus exchange to Burnaby. Its route will be extended southward, across the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge to provide transfer opportunities with two SkyTrain stations — Brentwood Town Centre Station on the Millennium Line and Metrotown Station, the RapidBus route’s new southern terminus, on the Expo Line. It will also connect with the R5 Hastings Street RapidBus, and provide a new way to reach the BCIT Burnaby campus. This expansion of the R2 service was made possible by a key decision earlier this month, following the endorsement by TransLink’s board and the Mayors’ Council of new measures to increase fares, parking taxes, and property taxes. These changes aim not only to avoid service cuts — offering an interim solution to the transit authority’s fiscal cliff — but also to expand and enhance transit services. In addition to the new revenue raised by TransLink, the provincial government has also committed to providing new interim operating funding of $312 million through 2027. Based on TransLink’s newly released ridership statistics, the existing R2 running between Park Royal and Phibbs bus exchange recorded 1.944 million boardings in 2024, with averages of 5,700 per weekday, 5,000 per Saturday, and 4,000 per Sunday/holiday. This is slightly down from 1.965 million in 2023, with averages of 5,800 per weekday, 5,050 per Saturday, and 4,100 per Sunday/holiday. Currently, the R2 is TransLink’s 42nd busiest bus route out of 195 across Metro Vancouver, and ranks fifth out of the six RapidBus routes. While the precise extended R2 route has yet to be finalized, after making its bridge crossing, the extended RapidBus is expected to run along Hastings Street to reach Willingdon Avenue for the remaining journey to Metrotown. There is already strong ridership demand on the corridor between Phibbs bus exchange and Metrotown via Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, Hastings Street, and Willingdon Avenue. In 2024, the No. 130 Metrotown Station/Phibbs Exchange bus route was TransLink’s 20th busiest, with 3.256 million annual boardings — averaging 10,200 on weekdays, 7,000 on Saturdays, and 5,200 on Sundays/holidays. This is up from 2023, when the route saw 3.181 million boardings, with daily averages of 10,000 on weekdays, 7,100 on Saturdays, and 5,300 on Sundays/holidays. The No. 222 Metrotown Station/Phibbs Exchange — the express bus equivalent of the No. 130, running on the same route with limited stops during peak hours only — recorded about 950,000 annual boardings in 2024, with averages of 3,800 per weekday. This is up from 912,000 in 2023 and 668,000 in 2022. Currently, it is TransLink’s 80th busiest bus route. During optimal traffic conditions without any issues on the bridge crossing, the end-to-end travel times for the No. 130 and No. 222 are currently about 35 minutes and 45 minutes, respectively, during peak hours. Similarly, the end-to-end travel time on the existing R2 within the North Shore is roughly 40 minutes. The funding decision earlier this month also enables TransLink to conduct detailed design and planning work to launch three new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines. An initial public consultation for the King George Boulevard BRT and Langley-Haney Place BRT was conducted in early 2025. In Summer 2025, TransLink will launch a separate initial public consultation on upgrading the R2 RapidBus to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) standard, including an opportunity for input for the interim move of extending this RapidBus route to Metrotown. The proposed BRT standard includes dedicated bus-only lanes, traffic signal priority, and other transit-priority measures, along with enhanced passenger amenities such as specialized shelters resembling those found at Light Rail Transit stations. Another public consultation in Fall 2025 will focus on the road design changes to support the King George Boulevard BRT and Langley-Haney Place BRT. TransLink is also expected to consider longer-term rapid transit solutions such as Light Rail Transit and SkyTrain for the route between the North Shore and Metrotown. To better support the R2 RapidBus/BRT and other new and improved bus services, TransLink is also in the process of considering a major expansion and redesign of the bus exchange at Metrotown Station to “potentially increase bus service capacity as our system expands in the coming years.”

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    Bidding process to begin to build a new superport in Metro Vancouver

    ByKenneth Chan

    The multi-billion-dollar project to build a major new container terminal in Metro Vancouver is now preparing to enter the construction phase. Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has announced it will begin the bidding process in July 2025 seeking a major construction contractor for the superport project of building Roberts Bank Terminal 2. The project received key approvals from the federal and provincial governments in 2023, with the federal approval of the environmental assessment outlining 370 legally binding conditions. In 2024, the port authority also submitted an application to the federal government’s Fisheries and Oceans Canada related to fish species at risk compliance, with regulators committed to making a decision by no later than October 2026. The port authority calls this superport a “transformational, nation building project that will support Canada’s economic security and trade reliance.” When operational, it will have the capacity to trade over $100 billion worth in goods each year. The new superport capacity provided by Roberts Bank Terminal 2 will boost Metro Vancouver’s overall container handling capacity by an additional 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year. This also doubles the immediate area’s existing container terminal capacity; Deltaport, the first terminal at Roberts Bank, currently has a capacity to handle 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) per year, following a recent expansion of the intermodal railyard. For further contrast, the Centerm container terminal, immediately north of the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver, currently has a capacity for 1.5 million TEUs — up from 900,000 TEUs prior to the full completion of its expansion in 2023. Preliminary artistic rendering of Roberts Bank Terminal 2. (Port of Vancouver) Preliminary artistic rendering of Roberts Bank Terminal 2. (Port of Vancouver) Preliminary artistic rendering of Roberts Bank Terminal 2. (Port of Vancouver) Preliminary artistic rendering of Roberts Bank Terminal 2. (Port of Vancouver) When operational, the new superport will generate over 17,000 well-paying, long-term jobs, and add over $3 billion in GDP annually. This is in addition to over 18,000 jobs during construction. The procurement process starting this summer will begin with the Request For Qualifications (RFQ) for a contractor to achieve the land reclamation component — the creation of about 450 acres of new land, equivalent to nearly half the size of Vancouver’s Stanley Park. This is an expansion of the existing manmade peninsula, where Deltaport, separately operated by Global Containers Terminal, is also located. But it will be a completely different facility under a separate ownership and operation group. Through the RFQ, the port authority will create a shortlist of three qualified construction proponents, inviting them to participate in the Request For Proposals (RFP) process of submitting a detailed bid proposal. Preliminary artistic rendering of Roberts Bank Terminal 2. (Port of Vancouver) Preliminary artistic rendering of Roberts Bank Terminal 2. (Port of Vancouver) Preliminary artistic rendering of Roberts Bank Terminal 2. (Port of Vancouver) Preliminary artistic rendering of Roberts Bank Terminal 2. (Port of Vancouver) Under a progressive design-build contract, the contractor will be responsible for building the marine terminal landmass, wharf structure, berth pocket, widened causeway, expanded tug basin, and environmental mitigation and offsetting projects. At a later date, the port authority will conduct separate bidding processes for other components of the superport, such as the equipment for the container terminal and the ground transportation access infrastructure. During the federal government’s previous environmental assessment process, the port authority estimated the project could carry a total cost of over $2 billion. Following significant market inflation in the cost of construction materials, equipment, and labour since the pandemic, the cost is now likely significantly higher. If all goes as planned with the procurement process and fisheries application, construction mobilization and early works would occur in 2027, with major land reclamation work beginning in 2028. The terminal would begin its operations in the mid-2030s. New cranes arrive at GCT Deltaport container terminal on April 20, 2025. (GCT) New cranes arrive at GCT Deltaport container terminal on April 20, 2025. (GCT)