Vancouver metropolis council has voted to approve main coverage adjustments geared toward dashing up new lodge development.
The transfer comes amid rising concern concerning the metropolis’s lodge capability because the clock ticks down on Vancouver’s flip as host metropolis for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
“We now have the identical quantity of rooms as we speak as we did in 2002,” Vacation spot Vancouver CEO Royce Chwin stated.
“We have to do one thing about it, we’re a decade and a half behind, and if we don’t, we’ll lose this vital enterprise that’s a part of a $9-billion customer financial system to different jurisdictions.”
A metropolis workers report concluded Vancouver at the moment has 13,000 rooms in 78 resorts. There are one other 4,200 within the growth pipeline, however simply 1,300 of these are beneath development or absolutely permitted.
In the meantime, Vacation spot Vancouver estimates town wants so as to add 10,000 lodge rooms by 2050 or threat dropping out as a lot as $30 billion in misplaced financial alternative.
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Tuesday’s vote gave the inexperienced mild to a brand new metropolis lodge growth coverage that goals to extend the alternatives to construct new resorts.
It additionally permitted workers suggestions to amend town’s rezoning coverage for the downtown core to permit for mixed-use hotel-residential tasks, and to amend the Broadway Plan to permit resorts on sure websites.
“The report as we speak was a extremely good step ahead — it introduced ahead plenty of constructive adjustments, similar to permitting resorts in numerous neighbourhoods throughout town. So seeing extra alternative, for instance, within the industrial areas within the Broadway plan, alongside West Second in Mount Nice at the side of industrial, and easily opening up websites downtown that had beforehand been restricted from constructing new resorts,” Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung stated.
“We’re nonetheless listening to it is rather tough to finance and get a lodge venture constructed and throughout the end line.”
Not everyone seems to be supportive of the coverage adjustments.
Critics and lodge union staff rallied outdoors Vancouver Metropolis Corridor on Monday, calling the lodge coverage a “giveaway to builders,” and arguing town must be prioritizing efforts to construct extra reasonably priced housing.
“They discuss within the coverage about there being a labour scarcity of lodge staff, and the one motive there’s a perceived labour scarcity is due to a whole lack of reasonably priced housing within the metropolis, most of our members need to commute one, two hours every approach,” stated Unite Right here Native 40 campaigner Nate Holers.
“You aren’t going to have the ability to really workers these resorts and have these jobs if there isn’t any place for the employees to dwell.”
There are a number of new resorts slated to come back on-line within the coming years, together with 331 rooms in an enlargement on the Mariott/Parq, 137 rooms in The Publish on West Georgia and 49 rooms at The Butterfly on Burrard Avenue.
Whereas different tasks stay much less sure at this stage, Chwin gave “kudos” to councillors for indicating they have been severe about supporting the sector.
“It actually comes all the way down to the coverage suggestions that might velocity up or allow the event of those properties,” he stated.
“We actually must ship a sign to builders that Vancouver is open for enterprise, that council acknowledges the significance of resorts to the broader financial system, and right here’s what we will do to help it, or that capital leaves and it goes some place else.”
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