GWL Realty Advisors (GWLRA) has submitted a rezoning application to the City of Vancouver to refocus its 1296 Station St. office development to construct two multifamily towers of up to 28 storeys over a podium containing retail and office space.

The mixed-use submission now focuses on a mix of approximately 400 secured market, below-market and furnished rental apartments. In addition to the lower-level retail space, the project also envisions office/commercial space for medical or lab uses due to its proximity to the new St. Paul’s Hospital site.

1296 Station St. is just a block from the hospital property. The site was already under construction as an office tower prior to planning changes by the city which expanded the types of uses which are permitted in the area. 

That 13-storey, 270,000-square-foot project, which also included retail at grade, was put on hold earlier this year. The city had relaxed “view cone” protection guidelines, which protect the city’s view of the surrounding mountains and the ocean, and the province had set new minimum height and residential density policies areas near transit nodes.

New plan supports nearby hospital

GWLRA is developing the site on behalf of the ownership group of the property.

“Our proposal supports the area’s future hospital community by providing much-needed rental accommodation for those who will work at or visit the hospital, as well as medical office space and retail services. The vision is to complement St. Paul’s and its diverse population and needs,” Geoff Heu, vice-president, development, GWLRA, said in the announcement released this morning. 

The two towers of up to 28 storeys would sit above the commercial podium, which would target a needs-based retailer such as a grocery store. The apartments would range from studios to four-bedroom units.

The 1296 Station St. site is bound by Terminal Avenue to the south and Pacific Central Station to the north.

“Located immediately adjacent to the Main Street-Science World SkyTrain Station, this project will offer a tremendous opportunity to support the emerging healthcare district with several complementary uses, and it will play an important role in the revitalization of the area. We look forward to working with the City of Vancouver to bring this forward,” Heu said in the announcement.

Main Street-Science World is the main public transit node for the city’s new healthcare district

The new St. Paul’s hospital campus is slated to open in 2027.