Approve Item 5 – 2538-2550 Birch Street
Motion 9 · Public Hearing, July 23, 2026
Summary
- Approved a CD-1 text amendment converting 202 near-complete market rental units to hotel rooms at 2538–2550 Birch Street, retaining 56 below-market rental units.
- The building received $156 million in BC Housing low-interest financing and a $3.1 million DCL waiver under the previous rental approval; the hotel portion now triggers approximately $2.7 million in DCLs.
- Enactment is conditional on BC Housing agreeing to discharge its Section 219 covenant requiring the building operate as rental; BC Housing has asked to meet with the applicant after council's decision.
- Multiple public speakers opposed the change as a bait-and-switch, arguing the extraordinary height and density of the 2020 rezoning were justified solely by the promise of rental housing now being removed.
- A representative of Danae House of Healing Society testified that their Indigenous-led medical accommodation project had been displaced from the site after the developer demanded terms the society found unacceptable.
- Supporters on council noted the project would comply with the Broadway Plan as a standalone hotel, the BMR units are being retained and the unit mix improved, and the location suits extended-stay medical accommodation.
- Councillors Fry and Orr abstained; Councillors Bligh and Zhou were absent.
Vote
Transcript
28 segments
Speaker 188, Queenie Chu.
188 is not on the line speaker 189 Aldo's a sorry Speaker 189 is not on the line Speaker 190, Lily Wilson.
Speaker 190 is not on the line. Speaker 191, Brendan Barber.
Your 191 is not on the line.
Speaker 192 Pastor Ryan Johnson Your 192 is not on the line speaker 193 Parker McClellan Speaker 193 is not on the line Speaker 194, Mike Tudor.
Speaker 194 is not on the line. Speaker 195, Rafael Santa Anna.
Speaker 195 is not on the line.
Speaker 196, Oscar Murillo.
Speaker 196 is not on the line.
Speaker 197, Jade Periwinka.
197 is not on the line.
Speaker 201, Bruce Cullen.
Speaker 201 is not on the line.
Speaker 202, Jason Balance.
Speaker 202 is not on the line.
Speaker 203, Sean Curtis.
Speaker 203 is not on the line.
Speaker 206.
204 uh that's a uh sorry i believe that's an arizona area code uh it's arizona area code so we're okay all right sure yeah i'm here uh for vance milo speaker 204
Yes, I'm a resident. I just have a U.S. phone number. I live in Coal Harbor.
Okay. Go ahead.
Cool. Thanks. Yep. So thanks for your time. I appreciate it. I'll try to make it quick. I understand it's late. So it's definitely a conflicting point. I think that Vancouver needs more housing. I don't think anybody disagrees with that. It's not whether we build or who we're really building it for. Or, sorry, it's not whether that we build, but really who it's being built for. I think that the proposal has positive elements, you know, including commitment to non-market housing, childcare, public spaces. And then there's other community amenities that would also be worthwhile. But I think that there are some instances in the past that are definitely showing that promises have not been followed through. We're definitely in a housing crisis, which has been mentioned before. And I think that this proposal does add housing, but it's focused more or less on luxury homes rather than affordable housing. seems which is a big complaint that a lot of Vancouver residents definitely need. I think that this property is also a new height that we really haven't seen before and density. And I think it's also fair to consider the record from 2008 with the little mountain site that it hasn't been followed through yet. And rather than saying that this is a full objection, I just think that it should definitely be required from council to see an enforceable commitment with clear timelines and accountability from Holborn rather than just public good intentions that are being said. We need certainty that there's going to be affordable and social housing that are delivered. And after this close to 17 years, we're still waiting to see that from Little Mountain. I think that this is a great opportunity for the Council to show that we have learned from this, that Vancouver has learned that there's an experience by ensuring that projects of this scale deliver lasting public benefits and binding agreements and binding commitments, rather than just ambitious proposals. I think that there's definitely a great opportunity here for Holborn to fix all of that and to amend some of those promises that haven't been followed through. But it's going to need some support from council first. I hope that we can kind of see that happen. And I definitely have had some friends that have been forced out and chose to go back either home, whether to the States, Europe, Australia, because they felt like they can't afford it here. I'm fortunate that I have been able to afford my time here for a bit, but I hope to see that that is able to stay. And hopefully I can place down my own roots in the city, in this country. But at this point in time, it does feel like I'm better suited to go somewhere else. And I would hope that that doesn't maintain the case. But thank you for your time. I appreciate it.
Speaker 206 is not on the line.
Speaker 207 is not on the line.
Speaker 208 is not on the line.
Speaker 209 is not on the line.
One moment.
Speaker 210 is not on the line. Okay, Speaker 211, Edna Nantino.
Speaker 211 is not on the line. speaker 212 Emmy and Ocampo speaker 212 is not on the line speaker 213 Brittany Bethinger your 213 is not on the line speaker 214 Sonia Chua