Vancouver’s city council has given the green light to the Georgia + Abbott development, marking a significant step for what will be the tallest tower in Western Canada. This mixed-use project, developed by Holborn and designed by Henriquez Partners Architects, will feature a supertall skyscraper, surpassing the 300-meter mark (984 feet), and will stretch over three million square feet across interconnected sites in downtown Vancouver.
Project Highlights
The centerpiece of the development will be a 1,033-foot hotel tower. This ambitious structure will include a unique ‘forest in the sky’ feature. Holborn spokesperson confirmed that the project is expected to undergo about five years of preparation before construction begins, involving design development, technical studies, permitting, and other necessary approvals.
The approval was granted after a public hearing in July, with the council considering an addendum that consolidated the development sites. Part of the approval includes rezoning a parking lot owned by Holborn into a social housing tower that will also house a child-care facility and an Indigenous art gallery. Vancouver councilor Sarah Kirby-Yung expressed the importance of maximizing the public benefit of the site.
Cultural and Economic Impact
The Georgia + Abbott development promises to create new public spaces, strengthen transit connections, boost tourism, and generate employment and investment. New renderings display an updated public plaza design featuring Indigenous art, gathering spaces, and active programming, with strong Indigenous representation.
Holborn aims to use this project to enhance Vancouver’s central business district, connecting it to Gastown, Chinatown, and the Downtown Eastside for a revitalized downtown area. The project sets goals for net-zero operational carbon and a significant reduction in embodied carbon compared to municipal standards, according to Henriquez Partners architects.
Architectural Inspiration
The 920-room hotel will include an observation deck and landscaped green space at the top, designed for panoramic views of the city, mountains, and ocean. The development’s architecture is inspired by British Columbia’s glass-sea-sponge reefs, influencing the tower’s exoskeleton and residential balconies.
Housing and Public Benefits
The Georgia + Abbott project will add 1,783 homes, including market, rental, and non-market housing. This includes 237 social housing units as part of its Community Amenity Contribution package. There are currently no residential tenants on the project sites, which are used as a dirt parking lot and a surface parkade. Upon completion, the site, including social housing and commercial space for an Indigenous art gallery, will be transferred to the city.
Holborn stresses that the development’s benefits go beyond housing, promising to replace underutilized downtown spaces with vibrant mixed-use areas and internationally significant architecture, while conserving heritage and improving public spaces.