Vancouver Council Returns Stanley Park Hotel Proposal for Further Study
Vancouver city council has taken the significant step of referring a contentious rezoning application for a 25-storey hotel development near Stanley Park back to city planning staff. The directive includes a specific request for both municipal staff and the project developer to thoroughly examine options for incorporating rental housing into the proposal.
Details of the Proposed Development
The rezoning application sought permission to construct a tower featuring a three-level podium that would house 183 serviced hotel rooms alongside 65 short-term rental units. This proposed development would replace the existing four-storey, 27-room boutique hotel at 2030 Barclay Street, which was originally constructed in 1959. The site is located in Vancouver's West End, close to the iconic Stanley Park.
Community Opposition and Council's Directive
The proposal has faced substantial opposition from community members, culminating in a third public hearing last week. Following this hearing, council made the decision to send the plan back for further refinement. The official motion instructed staff "to study options and considerations related to retention of the existing number of hotel rooms, plus one in accordance of the hotel policy, in addition to market and below market rental housing."
Council specifically added the requirement for one additional hotel room to ensure the project would fall under the city's 2025 Hotel Development Policy. This policy is designed to actively increase the overall inventory of hotel rooms within Vancouver. Council also directed staff to collaborate with the project developer, Marcon, on preparing a revised rezoning application that addresses these new considerations.
Councilor's Conditional Support
During the March 18 public hearing, Councillor Peter Meiszner expressed his general support for the city's hotel policy and indicated he had no inherent objection to increased height and density for appropriate projects. However, he raised specific concerns about this particular proposal.
"The policy was never envisioned to support a hotel of this scale or size west of Denman on a mid-block site," Meiszner stated. He clarified that he would "enthusiastically" support a project of similar scale if it were located on major arteries like Denman, Robson, or Davie streets. Furthermore, he noted he would support the current proposal at its intended height and density if it were revised to include a meaningful component of rental housing units.
Developer's Response and Project History
Nic Paolella, Executive Vice-President of Marcon, acknowledged the community's passionate engagement throughout the rezoning process. "We respect council’s decision to refine the project further with city staff," Paolella said. "Our goal remains the same, to renew this site in a way that contributes positively to the neighbourhood and West End. We will continue working with city staff to achieve that."
This is not the first attempt to redevelop the Barclay Street site. In 2018, Marcon received city approval for a 10-storey residential tower containing 19 family-sized suites, but that project did not proceed to construction. The company's first hotel rezoning submission came in July 2024, proposing a 29-storey tower. This was subsequently amended to 27 storeys in May 2025, and the most recent submission presented a 25-storey design.
The council's decision underscores the ongoing balancing act in Vancouver between encouraging hotel development to support tourism and addressing the critical need for more rental housing within established neighbourhoods. The next phase will involve detailed studies by city planners in consultation with Marcon to determine if a viable hybrid model can be crafted for this prime location near Stanley Park.
