Bonnis Development Corporation has submitted an application to the City of Vancouver to rezone 728-796 Main Street from HA-1A (Chinatown Historic Area) District to a CD-1 (Comprehensive Development). The proposed building is designed by Studio One Architecture and will be 15 storeys, rising up to 45.7 metres in height. The application calls for 99 market residential units on levels three to 15, and over 7,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground and mezzanine levels. The mezzanine and second levels will also contain 19 social housing units, to replace existing Single Room Accommodation (SRA) units, which will be owned by the City of Vancouver. The marketing name for the project is Main & Union.

Rendering for Main & Union, image via Bonnis Development

Currently, the site is occupied by a three-storey SRA hotel, a vacant lot facing Main Street, a small vacant lot at 209 Union Street, and a one-storey brick building at 207 Union Street. The two addresses on Union Street have a strong connection to Vancouver's black heritage. 209 Union Street was once the home to Vie's Chicken and Steak House, where it was said that Jimi Hendrix's grandmother Nora Hendrix worked, and Jimi played. 207 Union Street currently houses the Jimi Hendrix shrine, and will be retained and incorporated into the proposal.

Main & Union site context, image via City of Vancouver

Residential units include a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The building will offer four levels of underground parking, including 78 car parking spaces and 150 bicycle parking spaces. The proposed building will also be well-served by transit, with easy access to the Main Street bus or a five-minute walk to Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station.

Main & Union scale model, image by Alissa Reed

The application was filed on May 1st of this year, and a community open house took place on September 26th, with City staff and the applicant team available to answer questions.

Buildings on Union Street, image by Alissa Reed

We will keep you updated as more details on this project emerge. In the meantime, you can review project facts and renderings by visiting our Database file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.