Five years after the iconic Army & Navy department store shut down, a bold and controversial plan to transform its historic Downtown Eastside site is moving forward. Vancouver city planners are now backing a proposal for two highrise towers, a project that would add hundreds of new rental homes but openly defies several of the city's own development guidelines.
Breaking the Rules for Rental Housing
In a staff report headed to council, planners recommend sending two rezoning applications to a public hearing. The proposal, from Army & Navy Properties in partnership with developer Bosa Properties, envisions a 39-storey rental tower on West Hastings Street and a 20-storey mixed-use hotel tower on West Cordova Street. Combined, the towers would introduce 738 rental homes to the neighbourhood, with hundreds designated as below-market units.
This marks a significant shift for the area. The Downtown Eastside Plan typically limits new buildings to 10 storeys, making the proposed 39-storey Hastings tower a major departure. The staff report acknowledges the project's scale could set a precedent for future highrise rezonings in a district long protected from such intensive development.
Heritage Facades and Community Concerns
The project has stirred complex feelings within the community. On Cordova Street, the plan involves preserving the historic street-front facades of three Gastown buildings, including the Dunn-Miller Block built in 1888. This structure, home to Vancouver's first synagogue, is protected by a heritage bylaw. The new tower would rise behind these preserved facades, containing 219 rental homes, a 179-room boutique hotel, shops, and a public atrium.
Brian Davie, president of the Gastown Residents Association, noted that while many welcome the Cordova Street tower and its heritage approach, opinions are split on the Hastings building's height. "A lot of people would prefer the Hastings tower to be lower because of the view that will be lost," Davie said. However, he added the community's pragmatic view: "We'd rather have the building taller than not at all."
A Landmark Project with Major Implications
The Hastings tower would loom over nearby Victory Square and include 519 rental homes. Of these, 108 below-market units will be operated by the B.C. Indigenous Housing Society. The project also promises ground-floor retail, discounted non-profit commercial space, rooftop amenities, and a skybridge connecting the two towers.
City staff admit the proposal breaks policies, such as the one discouraging facade-only heritage preservation on Cordova. However, they point to significant public benefits, including Bosa's estimated $11.4 million investment in restoring the historic facades and the critical injection of rental housing. The final decision now rests with city council and the upcoming public hearing, setting the stage for a transformative change to a cornerstone of Vancouver's urban landscape.
