Six years after the YMCA of Greater Vancouver first indicated its intention to redevelop its aging Langara Family YMCA facility, a brand new rezoning application set to be submitted to the City of Vancouver outlines a substantially revised mixed-use concept with more housing. Langara Family YMCA at 282 West 49th Avenue is located just one block east of SkyTrain Langara-49th Avenue Station, and immediately west of Langara College and north of Langara Golf Course. With the area increasingly being densified through redevelopment, Langara Family YMCA will serve an important role in filling the community service needs demanded by the growing residential population. “The current YMCA facility is in advanced stages of disrepair and is at the end of its useful life. Renovations will not be cost-effective, and the facility needs to be reconfigured to meet the needs of the Marpole and Oakridge communities,” states the YMCA in its new rezoning application. The 1978-built, two-storey YMCA facility spans 44,000 sq ft and features an indoor aquatic centre, a fitness gym, a gymnasium, multi-purpose rooms, and programming such as physical wellness and the South Vancouver Food Hub. As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized, the original 2018-submitted rezoning application called for a new two-building complex with an 11-storey building — containing 71 units of social housing above a 60,000 sq ft replacement and expanded YMCA facility — and a 20-storey tower with 157 strata market ownership condominium homes. The previous 2018 concept’s new YMCA facility entailed a new six-lane swimming pool, warm water leisure pool, a hot tub, a gymnasium, a cycling studio, a 12,300 sq ft fitness gym, an indoor walking track, multi-purpose rooms, a family centre, and a 9,000 sq ft childcare facility for up to 75 kids. As the five-storey base podium of the 11-storey social housing building, the YMCA facility was also designed in a way to enable a two-storey, 15,000 sq ft future expansion. Existing condition: Location of Langara Family YMCA at 282 West 49th Avenue, Vancouver. (Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects/Musqueam Capital Corporation/YMCA BC Properties Foundation) Location of Langara Family YMCA at 282 West 49th Avenue, Vancouver, in relation to the walking distance from SkyTrain Langara-49th Avenue Station. (Google Maps) Existing site of Langara Family YMCA. (YMCA of Greater Vancouver Properties Foundation) Existing site of Langara Family YMCA. (Google Maps) Cancelled 2018 redevelopment concept: Artistic rendering of the new Langara Family YMCA. (Endall Elliot Associates/YMCA of Greater Vancouver Properties Foundation) Revised 2024 redevelopment concept: 2024 redevelopment concept of Langara Family YMCA at 282 West 49th Avenue, Vancouver. (Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects/Musqueam Capital Corporation/YMCA BC Properties Foundation) In contrast, the newly submitted 2024 rezoning application for the project recalibrates the project to focus on generating more housing through significantly added density and height, with a comparatively smaller replacement YMCA facility. There would be a 407-ft-tall, 37-storey condominium tower at the southwest corner of the site, fronting Alberta Street, as well as a 252-ft-tall, 22-storey market rental housing tower at the northwest corner of the site, fronting West 49th Avenue. The 37-storey and 22-storey towers would be linked together at the second level by a “bowtie” outdoor bridge that links the shared common outdoor amenity space of both towers. Under the 2024 concept revisions, the eastern half of the site would be occupied by a third building — a nine-storey building with 73 units of social housing within five upper levels directly beneath the two-storey replacement YMCA facility spanning 32,300 sq ft. There would be 269 strata market ownership condominium homes (28 studios, 98 one-bedroom units, 116 two-bedroom units, and 27 three-bedroom units), 206 secured purpose-built market rental homes (40 studios, 86 one-bedroom units, and 80 two-bedroom units), and 73 social housing units (15 studios, 20 one-bedroom units, 24 two-bedroom units, and 14 three-bedroom units). With a combined total of 458 homes in the 2024 concept, this represents a doubling of the 2018 concept’s tally of 228 homes. No aquatic centre in new Langara YMCA Another key difference is the 2024 concept does not include a replacement aquatic centre, which departs from the existing Langara YMCA’s focus on general community recreation uses. The City’s Cambie Corridor Plan designates the Langara YMCA property as a “unique site” redevelopment opportunity, with specific mention that the project should “consider building a partnership between City and YMCA to gain access for public use of new YMCA aquatic facility.” Instead, according to the new application, the new 32,300 sq ft YMCA would have a “community hub” focus with services for chronic disease, health and fitness, physical wellness facilities, youth mental health, newcomers, and employment. The new YMCA’s ground level would feature three larger multi-purpose rooms and three smaller meeting rooms. The second level would feature 6,500 sq ft of space for YMCA programming and a 7,700 sq ft YMCA childcare facility for 49 kids, which opens up to outdoor play space. 2024 redevelopment concept of Langara Family YMCA at 282 West 49th Avenue, Vancouver. (Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects/Musqueam Capital Corporation/YMCA BC Properties Foundation) 2024 redevelopment concept of Langara Family YMCA at 282 West 49th Avenue, Vancouver. (Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects/Musqueam Capital Corporation/YMCA BC Properties Foundation) 2024 redevelopment concept of Langara Family YMCA at 282 West 49th Avenue, Vancouver. (Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects/Musqueam Capital Corporation/YMCA BC Properties Foundation) “Revitalizing the YMCA and renewing the community facility is central to the social component of the redevelopment. The YMCA’s longstanding presence on this site is honoured through
