Vancouver city council approves Granville Street revitalization plan

The revitalization of Vancouver’s Granville Street is going ahead as city council approved a motion on Wednesday that hopes to address the area’s current challenges.

City councillors approved the staff report titled the ‘Granville Street Plan.’

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In early 2023, the city approved a motion that staff research the downtown entertainment district for a project with a focus on pedestrian activity, increasing density, and improving safety.

The proposal agreed upon Wednesday looked at how to lift the neighbourhood out of dealing with street disorder and empty storefronts and replace it with more “vibrancy.”

The plan includes everything from a public plaza at Granville and Robson streets to a shore-to-shore pedestrian zone that would stretch from False Creek to Coal Harbour.

Critics have raised concerns about the loss of transit service along the busy strip and the prioritization of commercial use over residential developments.

Staff say the plan was “developed with input from businesses, residents, cultural institutions, and community partners.”

Granville Street in decay, city councillor says

Speaking with 1130 NewsRadio Wednesday, Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung says it’s about time the city took action to revitalize the area, which she describes as being in decay.

“It has some of the highest retail vacancy rates in the city in the entire city,” said Kirby-Yung.

“So, what I like about this plan is that it’s opening up development. The rest of the city has grown dramatically around Granville Street, but they haven’t been permitted the same opportunities to grow,” she explained.

One of the biggest changes to come to the area will be bus service moving away from Granville Street, and onto Seymour Street for northbound traffic and Howe Street for southbound buses.

Buses already take these routes on Friday and Saturday nights when there is more foot traffic on the Granville strip.

Kirby-Yung says one of the biggest things she believes the neighbourhood has lost is many of the historic neon signs that no longer work.

“We’ve lost a lot of those over time,” said Kirby-Yung. “A lot of businesses would love to bring them back, and that’s one new thing that this plan would allow is to have neon signs again on both sides of the street from Robson all the way down to Davie [Street].”

Kirby-Yung says throughout this process, city staff have heard from many businesses in the area that changes were needed in order for them to stay open.

“We heard from a lot of local businesses, the pubs and the hospitality venues, the nightlife today, that they are hanging on by a thread and without changes we’re going to lose a lot of those businesses,” she explained.

The planned framework will be delivered through a 20-year phased process.

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With files from Charlie Carey.