Developer applies to raise Kitsilano rental tower to 26 storeys and add 99 hotel rooms
A development team that received City approval for a 20-storey mixed-use rental building in Kitsilano has applied to amend the proposal, adding six storeys and 99 hotel rooms while keeping 121 rental units on site.
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A development team that received City of Vancouver approval for a 20-storey rental building in Kitsilano has applied to raise the building to 26 storeys and add 99 hotel rooms, Business in Vancouver reported October 29.
The site is at 2158-2170 West First Avenue, near Kitsilano Beach. Chris Dikeakos Architects Inc., on behalf of Jacqueline Ward and Millennium Kitsilano Nominee Ltd., submitted the amendment application. City council approved the original 20-storey, 185-unit rental proposal in June 2025.
What the amended proposal includes
The revised application calls for 121 market rental units, with 24 units at below-market rates. The 99 hotel rooms would occupy 11 floors, with rental units on the upper floors of the building, according to Business in Vancouver's report.
Total building height would be 301 feet, up from 212 feet in the approved design. Commercial space would remain on the ground floor.
"The project does not trade housing for hotel space," the development team's application booklet states, according to Business in Vancouver. "It delivers secured market and below-market rental housing while simultaneously addressing the city's documented hotel shortage."
Hotel policy context
City council adopted a hotel policy in 2025 with a goal of adding 10,000 new hotel rooms in Vancouver by 2050. Business in Vancouver reported in January 2026 that the city had 29 hotel projects with 5,800 rooms in the development pipeline.
The site falls within the Broadway plan area, 750 metres from the future Arbutus subway station.
Tenant protections
Two rental buildings were built on the site in 1964 and 1955. A staff report from the original 2025 application said the site contained 34 units of existing primary rental housing, with 27 of 33 residential tenancies eligible for protections under the city's tenant relocation and protection policy. The developer must submit a tenant relocation plan for all eligible tenants before the city can issue a development permit.
Next steps
The amendment application must go through the City of Vancouver's planning review process before any council decision is made. Residents can follow the application through the City's development tracker at vancouver.ca/home-property-development/development-applications.aspx and can submit comments when the application reaches a public hearing.
Questions this story answers
Where is the Kitsilano tower project located?
The project is at 2158-2170 West First Avenue, near Kitsilano Beach. Business in Vancouver reported October 29 that the eight-parcel site sits in the Broadway plan area, 750 metres from the future Arbutus subway station. Two rental buildings were built on the site in 1964 and 1955.
What is the developer applying to change?
Business in Vancouver reported October 29 that the development team, Chris Dikeakos Architects Inc. on behalf of Jacqueline Ward and Millennium Kitsilano Nominee Ltd., is applying to increase the building from 20 to 26 storeys and add 99 hotel rooms. The original proposal, approved by City council in June 2025, called for a 20-storey mixed-use rental building with 185 rental units.
How many rental units would the amended project include?
The revised application calls for 121 market rental units, with 24 units at below-market rates, according to Business in Vancouver's October 29 report. That is fewer rental units than the 185 in the original approved proposal. The 99 hotel rooms would occupy 11 floors of the 26-storey building.
How tall would the building be under the amended proposal?
The amended application puts the total height at 301 feet, plus additional height for rooftop amenities and mechanical use, Business in Vancouver reported October 29. The original approved building was designed to reach 212 feet. Commercial space would be on the ground floor.
What does the developer say about the hotel rooms and rental housing?
The development team's application booklet says the project 'does not trade housing for hotel space' and 'delivers secured market and below-market rental housing while simultaneously addressing the city's documented hotel shortage,' according to Business in Vancouver's October 29 report. The team calls the result 'a complete, transit-oriented development.'
What was the public response to the original proposal?
Business in Vancouver reported October 29 that public feedback gathered before City council approved the original proposal was mixed. Supportive comments focused on housing supply, density, mixed uses and retail. Concerns raised in the staff report included building height described as 'excessively tall and large,' neighbourhood impact, traffic congestion and limited parking.
What is Vancouver's hotel policy and how does this project relate to it?
City council adopted a hotel policy in 2025 with the goal of adding 10,000 new hotel rooms in Vancouver by 2050 to support tourism, film, tech and life sciences, according to Business in Vancouver's October 29 report. Business in Vancouver also reported in January 2026 that Vancouver had 29 hotel projects with 5,800 rooms in the development pipeline at that time.
What protections apply to existing tenants on the site?
Business in Vancouver reported October 29 that a staff report from the original application said the site contained 34 units of existing primary rental housing. At the time of the 2025 approval, 27 out of 33 residential tenancies were eligible for provisions under the city's tenant relocation and protection policy for the Broadway plan area. The developer is required to submit a tenant relocation plan for all eligible tenants before the city can issue a development permit.
Has the City approved the amended proposal?
The City of Vancouver has not yet approved the amended proposal. Business in Vancouver reported October 29 that the development team has applied to amend the original 2025 approval. The application must go through the City's planning review process before any decision is made.
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