Great Northern Way proposals invite the latest transformation in False Creek Flats

A flurry of rezoning applications and new developments around Broadway Subway stations in False Creek Flats promise to bring more housing, office and retail space, childcare, and expanded school facilities to the growing area around Great Northern Way. 

In total, Vancity Lookout was able to identify ten projects in the area, most of which are either nearing completion or still in the permitting stage. 

The various projects propose over 3,250 units of housing, about two-thirds of which would come by way of three multi-tower developments positioned directly beside and on top of SkyTrain stations at either end of the area. 

On the Clark Street side, there’s a proposal to build two 35-storey rental towers and a 19-storey office tower directly between VCC-Clark Station and Vancouver Community College’s new eight-storey addition to its campus. A former parking lot, VCC’s new building is still in early stages of construction, having only recently completed excavation. 

There’s also a nearly completed 10-storey honeycomb-like office building nearby that sits in front of the East Van Cross. 

On the Main Street side, there are two major applications surrounding the future Emily Carr Station. A proposed development that would sit on top of the new station is very similar in specs to the one near Clark, with both having three towers of similar size and use, including commercial spaces, a childcare facility, and all rental housing with 20 per cent of unit space offered at below-market rents. 

But it’s the other proposal next door that’s a statistical showstopper. Tucked up against the train tracks beside Emily Carr is an open pit awaiting a building. Scratch that — four buildings, ranging in size from 35 to 40 storeys tall, with strata, rental, and hotel rooms, plus commercial and office space, built on top of a large publicly-accessible atrium. That’s all, according to a rezoning application filed in December 2024 but which was only shared publicly by the city this week.  

In 2019, the developer, Onni Group, was eyeing a four-tower development with heights between seven and 15 stories, according to Urbanized. Their ambitions have changed significantly with the introduction of the province’s new transit-oriented development area policies in Fall 2023. 

Each of the three major development sites, plus three other tower proposals around Main, was made after the new provincial laws were passed. None of this could have feasibly happened without government investments in high-quality transit. 

Of the over 3,000 new units being teased for the area, only 10 per cent – about 330 of them – have been built. It’s highly improbable all these get built, and housing delivery of that magnitude is highly reliant on a small handful of huge projects.  

The ‘Big Three’ are all still at the rezoning stage, and are likely to be subject to significant scrutiny from the public and City Hall.

For other rezoning proposals – which are for single 18-22 storey towers – there are concerns around tenant protection loopholes, at least at one of the sites which had its rezoning approved in March. 

Another of the proposed redevelopment sites at 1888 Main is currently home to The Narrow Lounge, a popular dive bar, and Skylight Warehouse, a community event space. Both are the type of gritty, character spots that get pushed out when old, cheaper buildings are redeveloped. 

The fundamental transformation of the area began in the early 2000s with a donation of 18 acres of land by the machinery company Finning International to four major universities (UBC, SFU, BCIT, and Emily Carr), which led to the creation of the Centre for Digital Media, and the new Emily Carr campus, according to BC Business. Walk down the street today and you’ll encounter flagship offices for companies like EA Sports, Tesla, MEC, and Nature’s Path. 

In 2017, the city created and approved an area plan that focused on creating new employment opportunities, particularly in the “innovation economy.” 

It remains to be seen how much of this comes to pass, but it’s not an overstatement to say these proposed projects – especially the big ones – have the potential to capitalize on the confluence of academics, industry, transit, and political will that’s been brewing in False Creek Flats for over 20 years. Over time, it might just turn into the city’s newest complete neighbourhood.