Bollards, stationary bollards, and retractable bollards, oh my!Vancouver city council has unanimously approved the Granville Street Plan, thus breathing new life into the barely-beating heart of the tourism and entertainment district. There was widespread agreement among councillors and speakers that while there are still a number of details in the plan that need to be ironed out, it nonetheless marks a step in the right direction.The plan proposes a complete revitalization of Granville St. between Georgia St. to the north and Drake St. to the south that would likely see the entire thoroughfare made pedestrian-only. It would divide the street into three "distinct character areas," the city centre between Georgia St. and Smithe St., an entertainment core between Smithe St. and Davie St., and the "bridgehead" between Davie St. and Drake St.. In the entertainment district, increased height and density allowances would be put in place to facilitate the construction of new hotels and commercial spaces. New and more elaborate neon signs, which have long been central to Granville St.'s character, would be permitted again, putting an end to decades of limitation..Residential development would occur in the city centre and bridgehead, with a focus on mixed-use buildings. Noise concerns would be mitigated via mandatory measures in rezoning policy such as thicker windows and restricting residential units to higher floors..Over the years, a number of hotels and residential buildings on Granville St. have been turned into Single Room Occupancy accommodation. As of 2025, nearly a third of the 600 SRO rooms are vacant. The plan would essentially remove all such dwellings along the aforementioned portion of the street.A number of councillors questioned whether enough had been done to ensure those who rely on the SROs wouldn't simply be forced back onto the streets. Councillor Sean Orr asked whether the plan was in alignment with Vancouver's commitment to the United Nations' Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, pointing out that indigenous people make up 48% of SRO tenants and 39% of the city's homeless population.Planners assured him that the proposal was drafted in consultation with the city's Indigenous Relations Team and First Nations in the area, and that SRO tenants themselves — many of them indigenous — were engaged with at the beginning of the process.Council voted in favour of an amendment moved by Councillor Peter Meiszner requiring city staff to work with BC Housing and the province to offer the use of city-owned sites to replace the SROs on Granville St. with "modern, dignified, self-contained housing."Also passed were amendments from Councillor Orr requiring staff to "consider further recommendations for [SRO]-designated buildings" and expand consultation with SRO tenants and from Councillor Rebecca Bligh requiring staff to report back on options to offset lost SRO units with increases in non-market housing projects..Granville St. is currently the second-busiest bus corridor in Vancouver, with 21,000 people and 1,100 buses travelling through per day. Under the plan, however, all buses would be re-routed up and down Seymour St. and Howe St., respectively.Among those who voiced their concerns were transit advocacy group MovementYVR, and TransLink. The latter's vice president of customer communications and public affairs, Steve Vanagas, made it clear that while a revamp of Granville St. was beyond overdue, "public transit is not separate from that vision; it's essential to it."Councillor Lucy Maloney also drew attention to the impact the plan would have on cycling and accessibility, spearheading an amendment calling for more work to be done to explore available options..Speakers in favour of the motion included representatives from the Hospitality Vancouver Association, Destination Vancouver, and the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, as well as club owners and property developers. They all lamented the exodus of businesses from the strip, and the impact that's had on the character of the neighbourhood at large."We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to change the course and the fate of Granville St.," HVA's Laura Ballance said. "I believe, without this plan, we won't see the development Granville requires, and we will continue to only see the decay that we are experiencing today. So despite the challenges in our city centre, our members hold firm in the belief that Granville St. has the potential to one day, become a music and cultural gathering point for residents and visitors from around the world."Her sentiments were echoed by the other aforementioned speakers, all of whom made it clear that in its current state, Granville St. has no hope of living up to its potential as Vancouver's main drag..The plan will be implemented in three phases over a period of 20 years, with development really kicking off in the latter half of that timeframe..Renewal of existing infrastructure and amenities and new or expanded development has been projected to cost between $90 and $140 million.
