Vancouver receives first rezoning application under its new single-staircase building rules
A developer has applied to replace a house in Arbutus Ridge with a 6-storey rental building, the first application under a framework Vancouver City Council approved in December 2025.
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A developer has submitted a rezoning application at 2150 West 16th Avenue in Vancouver's Arbutus Ridge neighbourhood, proposing to replace a single-family house with a 6-storey, 24-unit rental building. Daily Hive Urbanized reported on October 22 that the City of Vancouver confirmed the application is the first filed under Vancouver's single-egress staircase residential building design framework.
Vancouver City Council approved that framework in December 2025. It lets small residential buildings up to six storeys use one exit staircase rather than two, which reduces construction costs and allows larger apartments on individual lots without buying neighbouring properties.
The proposal
Developer PCube and design firm B Squared Architecture are proposing a 60-foot, six-storey wood-frame building with 24 secured purpose-built market rental homes. Daily Hive Urbanized reports no below-market rental housing is proposed. The design places a single outdoor staircase on the east side of the building, with open-air walkways connecting units to the staircase and a central elevator.
The mid-block lot is located just west of the corner of Arbutus Street and West 16th Avenue, near the Loblaws City Market Arbutus grocery store. Daily Hive Urbanized reports the site is within the Transit Oriented Area for the future Arbutus SkyTrain station, about a 12-minute walk north at West Broadway and Arbutus Street.
Why this rule exists
Vancouver's standard rules require buildings three storeys and higher to have at least two separate exit staircases. Those staircases and their connecting hallways take up floor area. The single-staircase framework, which builds on a BC Building Code change from 2024, replaces the second staircase with enhanced fire safety requirements. Under the framework, buildings can reach up to six storeys, with up to six suites per floor on levels one to three and up to four suites per floor on levels four to six.
What happens next
A rezoning application in Vancouver goes through a public process that ends in a City Council vote. Residents can submit written comments or speak at the public hearing before Council decides. The City of Vancouver posts rezoning applications and hearing dates at shapeyourcity.ca.
Questions this story answers
What is the single-staircase building framework?
Vancouver City Council approved a framework in December 2025 that lets small residential buildings up to six storeys use a single exit staircase, rather than the two separate staircases that existing rules required for buildings three storeys and higher. The framework is a Vancouver version of a change the provincial government made to the BC Building Code in 2024. Using one staircase instead of two reduces construction costs and frees up more floor area for the units themselves, making it more practical to build apartments on individual single-family lots without buying adjacent properties to assemble a larger site.
Where is the proposed building?
The application is for 2150 West 16th Avenue in the Arbutus Ridge neighbourhood on Vancouver's west side, on a mid-block single-family lot just west of the corner of Arbutus Street and West 16th Avenue. Daily Hive Urbanized reports the site is within the Transit Oriented Area for the future Arbutus SkyTrain station, which will be about a 12-minute walk to the north at the intersection of West Broadway and Arbutus Street.
How many homes would the building have?
The proposal by developer PCube and design firm B Squared Architecture calls for 24 secured purpose-built market rental homes. Daily Hive Urbanized, which confirmed the application with the City of Vancouver, reports that no below-market rental housing is proposed in this application.
How tall would the building be?
The proposed building would be six storeys and 60 feet tall, built in wood-frame construction. Under the single-staircase framework, buildings can reach up to six storeys, with up to six suites per floor on levels one to three and up to four suites per floor on levels four to six, with a limit of 24 residents per floor.
How is this different from a normal apartment building?
A standard Vancouver apartment building three storeys or taller needs at least two separate staircases and the connecting hallways that link them. Those elements take up space that would otherwise go to units. The single-staircase framework replaces the second staircase with enhanced fire safety measures, freeing that space for larger apartments and more windows. The proposed Arbutus Ridge building places one outdoor staircase on the east side of the building, with open-air walkways connecting the units to the staircase and a central elevator.
When did City Council approve the single-staircase framework?
According to Daily Hive Urbanized, Vancouver City Council approved the single-egress staircase residential building design framework in December 2025. The framework builds on a BC Building Code change the provincial government approved in 2024 for buildings up to six storeys.
Can the public comment on this rezoning application?
A rezoning application in Vancouver goes through a public process that includes a public hearing before City Council votes. Residents can submit written comments or speak at the public hearing. The City of Vancouver publishes rezoning applications and hearing dates on its development applications page at shapeyourcity.ca.
Why does this matter for housing in Vancouver?
The application at 2150 West 16th Ave. is the first to test the single-staircase framework in a real rezoning. If it proceeds, it shows how individual single-family lots can be converted to rental housing without the land assembly that larger developments require. The developer and architect describe it as a model that could be replicated on similar lots across the city, as Vancouver works to increase rental housing supply.
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