7.8 C
Vancouver
Saturday, March 9, 2024

Downtown Vancouver post office to be redeveloped into retail, offices, condos

Redevelopment could bring new retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue, Uniqlo and Loblaw CityMarket to downtown

Exciting redevelopment plans for the biggest vacant building in downtown Vancouver — the old post office — have been unveiled.

The project is still years away, and a rezoning application is not expected to be submitted until later this year, but the developer, Bentall Kennedy, plans to convert the massive old building into a mix of retail, offices and residential with four new towers built on top.

The project will consist of:

  • 300,000 sq ft of retail space, including space for large format retailers. Large retailers looking for space in downtown Vancouver include Simons, Saks Fifth Avenue, Uniqlo and Whole Foods.
  • One 19 storey building with 500,000 sq ft of office space on the Georgia St. side
  • 850 units of rental and market condos in three towers between 12 and 16 storeys on the northern/Dunsmuir St. side of the post office
  • Additional levels of vehicle parking and over 1,000 bicycle parking spaces
  • Preservation of the existing Canada Post building, considered one of the finest examples of the “international style” of architecture
Vancouver post office
Historic photo of the Canada Post building in downtown Vancouver, widely considered to be an excellent example of the International Style of architecture popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

The redevelopment doesn’t have a name yet, but if approved, is expected to be completed by 2021. The area around the post office is undergoing huge changes with the recent opening of the Telus Garden office and condo development, as well as the Vancouver Art Gallery’s plan to move to a new building a block away at Cambie and West Georgia St.

The project will be the largest heritage revitalization in the city’s history and will continue downtown Vancouver’s expansion eastward.

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news.

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.

Related Articles

1 COMMENT

Stay Connected

872FansLike
4,971FollowersFollow
4,165FollowersFollow
Snaile Smart Parcel Lockers

Latest Articles

Urban Planning

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news.