888-896 Cambie St rezoning application

Thank you for your comments about the building design and impacts to public realm. Staff are reviewing the proposal in accordance with City policies and urban design guidelines, including considerations related to heritage retention, podium height, setbacks, ground-floor activation, weather protection, materiality, and the public realm interface. These elements are intended to support a comfortable, safe, and inviting pedestrian experience. Public input will be considered as part of staff’s ongoing evaluation of the application. Additional refinements may be required through the Development Permit process should the rezoning application be approved.

The applicant has provided the following comments on the building design and public interface:
Thank you for your query, we appreciate and share the concern for a high quality, pedestrian friendly public realm and have endeavored to design a building that supports this goal. The key objectives that drove the design of the project were to create street-level activation and visual transparency on Cambie and Smithe streets including the laneway. Simultaneously, the design needed to integrate the heritage components of the existing 888 Cambie facade and the overall heritage context of the block.

Balancing these key objectives, the design approach at the lower section of the building matches the 6-storey historic warehouse height of the neighboring buildings, to pay respect to Yaletown as a rail and warehouse district, and to acknowledge the existing warehouse street wall proportions.

To offset contextual height along the block, and to create liveliness and livability at the street level, the design lifts the building on the main floor to create as much window and transparency as possible into the building from the street. The hotel lobby will be located facing Smithe, wrapping onto Cambie and the lane. The provision for uninterrupted glass on those facades will create strong visual connections and activation from the lobby interior to enliven the street. The inclusion of a canopy and public artwork at the corner of Smithe and Cambie is intended to add a level of human comfort and protection from the elements in addition to urban beautification.

Thank you for your questions and for sharing your concerns regarding the construction impacts of this application. 

Prior to construction the applicant is required to coordinate construction and street use impacts with the engineering department to mitigate to secure street space and any closures must be permitted in advance with proper traffic management plans. Staff ensure safe vehicular, cycling, and pedestrian provisions during construction to provide access for the local residents and businesses. Construction street use requests with significant impacts are typically not permitted for long durations, especially if there are multiple projects competing for street use. 

No cumulative impact study is being undertaken at this time. Construction noise in Vancouver is regulated by the Noise Bylaw based on time and location, and is generally banned on Sundays/holidays and limited on weekdays/Saturdays with specific decibel levels for amplified sounds. You can submit a noise report through this 311 portal webpage. 

Thank you for your question. 

This project is currently in the rezoning phase. Rezoning applications take a minimum of 12 months from application submission to public hearing. Following approval by Council, the applicant must submit a Development Permit (DP) application which takes on average a year to process. Timelines can vary depending on project complexity and the applicants’ interest in advancing the process once approvals are given.