Vancouver council backs land-use shift for former Molson brewery site

Vancouver City Council has unanimously approved initial land-use policy changes for the former Molson Coors brewery site at the south end of Burrard Street Bridge, opening a path toward a high-density mixed-use neighbourhood. The nearly eight-acre property has been redesignated from industrial and employment uses to “Mixed Use High-Rise 2” in the city’s new Official Development Plan.

Council also endorsed changing the site’s regional designation from Industrial to General Urban. That amendment still requires approval from the Metro Vancouver Regional District board, which is expected to consider first reading July 24 and final approval in late September. If approved, the amended city plan is expected to return to council for enactment in October 2026.

The decision does not approve a specific development. The property will retain its industrial zoning until owner Concord Pacific submits a detailed rezoning application, which could follow the October enactment. The developer has referred to the prospective project as Quantum Park.

City staff say the former brewery is an isolated industrial parcel no longer suited to heavy industry. The brewery, built in 1953, closed in 2019 after operations moved to the Fraser Valley. The approved principles call for at least one-for-one replacement of existing industrial floor area with employment space that could include light industry, technology, labs, offices, retail, hotels and creative production.

Staff estimate redevelopment could support 700 to 800 jobs, compared with a former brewery peak of 200 to 250. The site could also include market strata homes, secured purpose-built rentals and social housing. City policy provides targets of 20 per cent social housing and 10 per cent secured rental housing for large sites, with a quarter of rental units below market, but staff said those figures are not guaranteed requirements.

Building heights, density, transit provisions and integration with the adjacent Senakw development will be addressed through rezoning. The Department of National Defence has also raised security issues linked to the neighbouring Seaforth and Colonel Sherman armouries, which may affect building placement and access.