Public Hearing — February 10, 2026

← February 2026

February 10, 2026 · 06:00 pm–10:18 pm

Summary

Vancouver City Council public hearing, Tuesday February 10, 2026, chaired by Councillor Lisa Dominato (acting mayor). Four councillors attended in person; three joined electronically. The meeting covered five substantive items before adjourning.

Child care zoning flexibility – Council unanimously approved bylaw amendments allowing a licensed child care facility (9+ children) and one dwelling unit to coexist on the same residential property, including laneway house scenarios.
828 Cambie Street (AMACON hotel/residential tower) text amendment – Council approved a modest increase in floor area and building height to accommodate additional hotel space in an existing approved mixed-use tower near BC Place.
800–876 Granville Street (Commodore Ballroom block) rezoning – Council approved rezoning for a major mixed-use redevelopment including two towers, 523 rental units, heritage retention of the Commodore Ballroom and four other facades, and a boutique hotel.
Meeting extension past 10 p.m. – Council voted to continue in order to complete the final agenda item.
1527 West Hastings / 836 West Cordova (Cohen Block / former Army & Navy site) rezoning – Council approved rezoning for two connected mixed-use towers totalling 738 rental units (20% below market), a 179-room hotel, nonprofit retail space, and heritage facade retention.
Adjournment – Meeting concluded after all items were completed.

Attendance

Present: Lisa Dominato, Brian Montague, Peter Meiszner, Lenny Zhou, Lucy Maloney, Sarah Kirby-Yung, Pete Fry, Rebecca Bligh, Ken Sim

Absent: Mike Klassen, Sean Orr

Partial attendance:

Ken Sim : absent leave of absence for civic business all day (chair initially absent, present later)
Pete Fry : absent leave of absence for civic business this evening (present online later)
Mike Klassen : absent leave of absence for personal reasons all day
Sean Orr : absent leave of absence for civic business this evening
Sarah Kirby-Yung : absent noted absent at roll call, present later
Rebecca Bligh : absent noted absent at roll call, present later

Motions

Enabling Greater Flexibility for Child Care in Residential Zones – Amendments to the Zoning and Development Bylaw

Carried

Vote 6 – 0 ▶ Watch Details →

Staff proposed amending the Zoning and Development Bylaw to allow a child daycare facility (9 or more children) and one dwelling unit to coexist on a single residential property — something previously prohibited in most residential zones.
New options introduced: a dwelling unit sharing a house with a child care facility (e.g. upper/lower split), or a full house conversion to child care while a laneway house serves as the residential unit; only conversions of existing buildings are permitted under the amendment, not new builds.
Supporters argued the change addresses a shortage of 6,700 child care spaces in Vancouver, reduces barriers for providers who currently must choose between living on-site or expanding capacity, and keeps child care accessible within neighbourhoods.
Vancouver Coastal Health's medical health officer spoke in support, noting child care near home reduces commute burdens and that licensing requirements will still apply through the province.
One walk-in speaker raised concerns that the change could incentivise converting houses to commercial child care businesses primarily for financial gain, without sufficient economic analysis.
Council approved unanimously; councillors noted the shortage of child care, benefits for working families (especially women), and the value of smaller-scale neighbourhood-based care options.

Summary and Recommendation Referral Report dated January 6, 2026 Draft By-law to amend the Zoning and Development By-law re: Enabling Child Day Care Facilities in Residential Zones Staff Presentation Correspondence – Support: 4 (February 6, 2026, up to 10 am)Correspondence – Oppose: (February 6, 2026, up to 10 am)Correspondence – Support: 1 (February 9, 2026, up to 4 pm)Correspondence – Support: 3 (February 10, 2026, to to 5 pm)Correspondence – Support: 5 (February 10, 2026, after 5 pm)

CD-1-776 Text Amendment – 118-150 Robson Street (now 828 Cambie Street) – AMACON Development

Carried

Moved by Sarah Kirby-Yung Vote 6 – 0 ▶ Watch Details →

AMACON applied to increase the permitted floor space ratio and building height of an already-approved 30-storey mixed-use tower at 828 Cambie Street, to add hotel floor area in the podium and allow slightly taller floor-to-floor heights.
The increase adds approximately 1,620 square metres of hotel space and raises the tower height by about 2.5 metres; the number of hotel rooms is expected to increase by roughly 25 (from 138), to be confirmed at the development permit stage.
One phone-in speaker opposed the amendment, citing concerns about increased traffic congestion on Robson Street and impacts on neighbouring residents already dealing with ongoing construction.
A second walk-in speaker raised broader concerns about cumulative density in the area and the number of absent councillors, but was reminded to focus comments on the application.
Staff confirmed the height and density remain consistent with the Downtown rezoning policy and that view and shadow studies showed no conflicts with city policy.
Council approved the amendment; Councillor Meiszner noted the site's proximity to BC Place makes it a strong location for hotel rooms, and highlighted the restoration of the heritage Northern Electric building as a further positive.

Summary and Recommendation Referral Report dated January 6, 2026 Draft By-law to amend CD-1 (776) By-law No. 12996 Yellow Memorandum from the General Manager, Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability dated February 10, 2026 Staff Presentation Correspondence – Support: 1 (February 6, 2026, up to 10 am)Correspondence – Support: 1 (February 9, 2026, up to 4 pm)

CD-1 Rezoning – 800-876 Granville Street – Perkins+Will / Bonnis Properties

Carried

Moved by Sarah Kirby-Yung Vote 8 – 0 ▶ Watch Details →

Bonnis Properties and Perkins+Will applied to rezone the majority of the 800-block east side of Granville Street for a 42-storey and 38-storey mixed-use development with 523 rental units (73 secured at 25% below citywide average market rents), a boutique hotel, ground-floor retail, and retention and heritage designation of the Commodore Ballroom and four other heritage facades.
The project was enabled by the Granville Street Plan adopted in 2025; it also addresses the Single Room Accommodation bylaw by replacing 73 vacant SRO units with 73 below-market rental units.
Supporters — including the Downtown Vancouver BIA, Destination Vancouver, a Vancouver historian, and several members of the public — emphasised the project's role in revitalising a declining entertainment corridor, preserving the Commodore Ballroom, adding needed hotel capacity, and creating purpose-built rental housing.
Concerns raised in public consultation included building height and massing, loss of heritage character along Granville Street, and compatibility between residential and entertainment uses; staff noted the proposal meets policy direction and urban design guidelines.
The applicant confirmed back-of-house improvements (new loading dock, covered load-in) will significantly improve the Commodore's operational capacity, potentially enabling more events; the Commodore sign is planned to be restored.
Council approved unanimously; members praised the long-awaited revitalisation of Granville Street, the heritage retention approach, the below-market rental component, and the hotel supply contribution ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Summary and Recommendation Referral Report dated January 6, 2026 Draft By-law to Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 to rezone an area to CD-1 Draft By-law to amend Sign By-law No.11879 Draft By-law to designate certain real property as protected heritage property Renderings Staff Presentation Correspondence – Support: 7 (February 6, 2026, up to 10 am)Correspondence – Oppose: 10 (February 6, 2026, up to 10 am)Correspondence – Other: 3 (February 6, 2026, up to 10 am)Correspondence – Support: 5 (Februray 9, 2026, up to 4 pm)Correspondence – Oppose: 1 (Februray 9, 2026, up to 4 pm)Correspondence – Support: 8 (February 10, 2026, up to 5 pm)Correspondence – Oppose: 1 (February 10, 2026, up to 5 pm)Correspondence – Support: 1 (February 10, 2026, after 5 pm)Correspondence – Oppose: 1 (February 10, 2026, after 5 pm)

Motion to Extend Meeting Past 10 p.m. to Complete Item 4

Carried

Moved by Sarah Kirby-Yung Vote 8 – 0 ▶ Watch Details →

A procedural motion to extend the council meeting past 10 p.m. in order to complete the final agenda item (Cohen Block rezoning).
Moved and seconded without debate; passed unanimously.

CD-1 Rezoning – 1527 West Hastings Street and 836 West Cordova Street (Cohen Block / Army and Navy Site) – Michael Green Architecture

Carried

Vote 8 – 0 ▶ Watch Details →

Michael Green Architecture applied to rezone two non-contiguous former Army & Navy department store sites — a 39-storey tower on West Hastings (519 rental units) and a 20-storey tower on West Cordova (219 rental units, 179-room hotel) — connected by a pedestrian skybridge; 20% of residential floor area across both sites is secured at below-market rents, with a deeper affordability split (70% at 20% below CMHC average, 30% at 50% below).
BC Indigenous Housing Society is the intended operator of the 108 below-market units on the Hastings site; a 2,500 sq ft ground-floor retail space on Hastings will be offered at below-market rent to a nonprofit social enterprise for a minimum of 10 years; the laneway between the two sites will be activated with retail and public throughway.
Staff noted the applications do not fully comply with existing policy — Victory Square allows rezoning but the proposed height and density exceed guidelines, and there is no rezoning enabling policy for the Gastown Historic Area; heritage conservation is limited to facade retention only. Staff nonetheless recommended approval on the basis that public benefits and the redevelopment opportunity outweigh the policy departures.
Speakers in support (majority) included BC Indigenous Housing Society CEO, Gastown and Hastings Crossing BIAs, Destination Vancouver, neighbouring residents and businesses, and community service organisations, who emphasised housing need, neighborhood revitalisation, heritage respect, and the Cohen family's century-long community legacy.
Two speakers raised concerns: one unhoused resident worried about displacement of Osborne shelter residents and called for a higher proportion of deeply affordable units; another nearby resident opposed the project unless non-market housing percentages were increased to include shelter-rate units, and questioned whether retail would be accessible to low-income residents.
Council approved; members acknowledged the policy departures but supported the balance of benefits — below-market housing at deeper-than-typical affordability, indigenous housing partnership, heritage facade retention, hotel and retail activation, and the significance of the Cohen family's stewardship of the site for over a century. Councillors also noted the need to address what will happen to current Osborne shelter occupants when construction begins.

Motion to Adjourn

Carried

Vote 9 – 0 ▶ Watch Details →

A motion to adjourn the meeting, moved and seconded without discussion.
Passed unanimously; meeting concluded.

Source

Watch on Sliq

View agenda

ROLL CALL

1. Enabling Greater Flexibility for Childcare in Residential Zones: Amendments to the Zoning and Development By-law

2. CD-1 (776) Text Amendment: 118-150 Robson Street (Now 828 Cambie Street)

3. CD-1 Rezoning: 800-876 Granville Street

4. CD-1 Rezonings: (i) 15-27 West Hastings Street and (ii) 8-36 West Cordova Street