Thanks for your question. The proposed ODP amendment is focused on changing the former Molson Brewery site’s land use designation from Industrial to Mixed-Use, based on Council direction. At this stage the City is creating a set of high-level Guiding Principles for a mixed-use development on the site, which would inform the potential future rezoning of the site.

Details such as density, land use mix, and transportation changes are addressed at the rezoning stage. The rezoning process allows the City to evaluate a specific proposal and assess its impacts in detail, ensuring that it aligns with City policies and goals.

This is a standard approach for planning large sites at the City of Vancouver.

While City of Vancouver policies aim to protect industrial lands, the former Molson Brewery site is no longer suited to heavy industrial uses, which is why we are considering changing its land use designation.

The Molson Brewery was built in 1953 when False Creek was surrounded by heavy industry and connected to the region by CP Railway tracks that are no longer in use. Typical heavy industrial uses under the Molson site’s existing M-2 zoning (e.g. manufacturing, distribution and repair) generate air and noise contamination through combustion of fuel and metals, handling of solid bulk materials, and food and animal food processing. Considering the site’s proximity to residential uses, particularly the immediately adjacent Sen̓áḵw development, and its lack of connectivity to key trucking routes or rail network critical for goods movement, the site is no longer suitable for standalone heavy industrial uses. 

In addition to potential residential, there is an opportunity to deliver new and diverse employment spaces on this site that are more suitable to the surrounding context. These uses could include office, retail, hotel, service, tech and light industrial.

You are correct that an amendment to the Metro 2050: Regional Growth Strategy would be required for this site to be developed into a mixed-use community. If the amendment to the Vancouver ODP and Regional Context Statement is approved by Vancouver City Council, the City would then apply to Metro Vancouver to re-designate the site from Industrial to General Urban in the Metro 2050: Regional Growth Strategy.

Thanks for your question. The engagement period for the former Molson Brewery ODP amendment will run for three weeks, from April 2 to April 23, 2026. This is a standard duration for public consultation at the City of Vancouver.

There will be an opportunity to speak to City Council about this application at a Public Hearing in July. There would also be opportunities for public feedback in the future, if the landowner submits a Rezoning Application for this site. 

To stay informed about this project, including future opportunities to share your feedback, you can sign up to receive email updates: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/molson-site/surveys/mailing-list 

The former Molson Brewery site is located in Vancouver’s Metro Core/Broadway area. The Council-approved Vancouver ODP directs that the Metro Core/Broadway area be reinforced as the principal centre of business, employment, cultural, and entertainment activity for the city and the region. The Metro Core/Broadway area will continue to be the urban heart of the city and region by providing a dense mix of housing and employment lands and uses, including most of the city’s office and hotel towers, large format cultural venues, and commercial uses.

While no specific designs or development plans have been prepared or submitted at this time, the “Mixed-Use High-Rise 2” designation that is currently being proposed would permit high-rise, commercial or mixed-use residential apartments above 26 storeys, and provides flexibility to plan and deliver a mixed-use development to achieve the City’s goals for housing and jobs.

The Sen̓áḵw development is located next to the former Molson Brewery site. While it is not setting a precedent in terms of building heights appropriate for the former Molson Brewery site, it does contribute to the rationale for a land use change. When the brewery was built, the area was largely industrial. Today, the site is surrounded by homes, parks and mixed-use neighbourhoods, including the future Sen̓áḵw development, making it no longer suited to heavy industrial uses.

The former Molson Brewery site is located in Vancouver’s Metro Core/Broadway area. The Metro Core/Broadway area will continue to be the urban heart of the city and region by providing a dense mix of housing and employment lands and uses, including most of the city’s office and hotel towers, large format cultural venues, and commercial uses. The “Mixed-Use High-Rise 2” designation that is currently being proposed for this site would permit high-rise, commercial or mixed-use residential apartments above 26 storeys.

Thank you for your question. A traffic analysis has not been completed at this stage as no specific designs or development plans have been proposed. This current step in the process is proposing to change the site’s land use designation.

If approved, a Rezoning Application could be submitted by the landowner at a future stage. As this is considered a large site per the City’s Rezoning Policy for Sustainable Large Developments, the Rezoning Application would require an assessment of the impact of the proposed development on existing transportation infrastructure and proposed mitigation measures. 

To learn more about the rezoning process, visit the City of Vancouver webpage or read through the rezoning guide applicable to this site.