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Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Transformation of former post office into The Post by QuadReal well underway

Mixed-use development will be home to Amazon’s largest Vancouver office, retail, grocery store and high-end food hall

The redevelopment of the old downtown Vancouver post office into a large, mixed-use development called The Post is well underway, with the building’s façade on West Georgia completely opened with walls removed.

The Post construction update: June 2019

Post Office construction progress June 2019
The lower level of the former Canada Post Office has been opened to the street.
Post Office construction progress June 2019
The lower level of the former Canada Post Office has been opened to the street.
Post Office construction progress June 2019
The lower level of the former Canada Post Office has been opened to the street.
Post Office construction progress June 2019
The lower level of the former Canada Post Office has been opened to the street.

Two new office towers to be partially occupied by Amazon are part of the development. The towers will be constructed to a LEED Gold standard and will contain 1.13 million square feet of office space.

A 200,000 sq. ft. retail podium is also part of the development and it’s not unreasonable to expect the space to occupied by Amazon-owned retailers such as Whole Foods, Amazon Go, or Amazon Books.

The Post QuadReal retail spaces
Rendering of retail space at The Post development. Credit: QuadReal
The Post QuadReal rendering
Rendering of the Homer Street frontage of The Post, showing large blade signage for the retail tenants. Credit: QuadReal
The Post QuadReal retail rendering
Rendering of seating and steps on the West Georgia frontage. The ground floor will house retail including a food hall and fresh grocer. Credit: QuadReal

QuadReal says retail amenities will include “a food hall to fine dining options, farm-to-table to globally inspired cuisine, as well as fresh grocer, gym, pharmacy, and more.”

The heritage component to the redevelopment is significant, and the majority of the façade of the former Canada Post office will be restored.

Crews have demolished the annex atop the building, which is located where one of the new office towers will stand.

Construction progress The Post January 2019
Construction progress on the former post office in downtown Vancouver, January 2019.
Construction progress The Post January 2019
Construction progress on the former post office in downtown Vancouver, January 2019.
Construction progress The Post January 2019
Construction progress on the former post office in downtown Vancouver, January 2019.
Downtown Vancouver post office 1960
Downtown Vancouver post office, 1960. Credit: Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia

A bas relief sculpture of a post man by the Homer Street entrance has been cut into pieces and removed. It will be restored and reinstalled on the Hamilton Street frontage.

The distinctive crests on the West Georgia frontage of the building will also remain.

Construction progress The Post January 2019
The distinctive metal crests will be restored and remain on the West Georgia façade.

Amenities for office tenants will include a basketball court and two tennis courts, plus dog-walking areas on the rooftop of the podium. Cyclists will have access to an automated, secure, cartridge bicycle storage system, as well as end-of-trip facilities including showers and lockers.

The Post QuadReal rooftop amenity
Rooftop amenity area at The Post. Credit: QuadReal

The development is expected to be completed by mid-2023. It will house more workers than any other office building in Vancouver’s history — up to 7,000 office workers once complete.

Architects on the project are MCM Partnership, with construction managed by PCL. The redevelopment will create up to 4,000 local construction jobs.

Cross-section
Cross-section of The Post development. Credit: QuadReal
The Post QuadReal parking entrance
The Post development as viewed from Queen Elizabeth Plaza. Note the parking garage entrances on Hamilton Street. Credit: QuadReal
The Post QuadReal rendering
Rendering of The Post in downtown Vancouver, once complete. Credit: QuadReal

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Peter Meiszner
Peter Meiszner
Peter Meiszner is an experienced journalist and media relations professional, based in Vancouver. As founder of urbanYVR.com, he has been reporting on urban development across the Lower Mainland since 2016, and has also served as vice-chair of the Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee. In October 2022, he was elected to Vancouver city council and is no longer actively reporting for urbanYVR.

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