A redevelopment slated for Vancouver’s downtown core will add hundreds of rental units and hotel rooms while preserving the historic Commodore Ballroom. Vancouver city council unanimously approved the proposal for the 800 block of Granville Street last Tuesday, Feb. 10, giving Bonnis Properties permission to proceed with a mixed‑use project that would significantly reshape one of the busiest stretches of the Granville Entertainment District. The plan includes 523 rental homes, 73 of which will be secured at below‑market rates and would replace the long‑vacant SRO rooms in the State Hotel. The project will also add 100 hotel rooms and multiple levels of new retail, dining and entertainment space, all aimed at re‑energizing the Granville Entertainment District. Heritage preservation is a defining feature of the redevelopment. Bonnis Properties says it intends to maintain the cultural and architectural character of Granville Street by fully preserving the Commodore building, including the ballroom, street‑level commercial units and the underground bowling lanes. Several neighbouring heritage buildings, including the Service Building, Cameron Block, Clancy Building and the State Hotel, will see their street‑fronts restored and incorporated into the new development as part of the broader heritage strategy. The site falls within the “City Centre” area of the City of Vancouver’s Granville Street Plan, which calls for more cultural activity, new public spaces and increased pedestrian traffic. City staff say the redevelopment is expected to animate the Granville–Robson intersection and support a future public plaza envisioned for the block. The design also incorporates large video screens at the corner of the building, reflecting the strip’s decades‑old identity as one of Vancouver’s brightest neon corridors. Bonnis Properties says the combination of new housing, hotel rooms and expanded entertainment space will bring more people into the area throughout the day and evening, helping support surrounding businesses and nightlife. The company spent several years revising the proposal to balance heritage retention with new density after earlier concepts faced planning challenges. Downtown Van (DVBIA), which represents hundreds of businesses in the core, also backed the plan during the Feb. 10 public hearing. “Granville Street is one of Vancouver’s significant entertainment and cultural corridors, but it continues to face challenges related to public safety, storefront vacancy, under‑investment and declining confidence,” Jane Talbot of DVBIA told councillors. “Projects like 800 Granville are an essential catalyst to drive momentum forward.” The developer is also working on a nearby project at 1105 Granville Street, which includes 112 hotel rooms, 176 rental homes and a restaurant terrace above a restored heritage façade. Together, the two developments represent a broader effort to increase foot traffic and strengthen the entertainment corridor. The approval comes as renewed investment returns to the downtown core, including the forthcoming Aritzia flagship in the former Nordstrom building and a recently approved hotel redevelopment at Granville and Davie streets. With council’s decision, Bonnis Properties can now begin permitting and detailed design work. While the company has not released a formal construction timeline, it told council that the build is expected to take roughly three years, with some flexibility depending on site conditions.
