Safeway Megatowers Decision Surprises Nobody

Majority of councillors deaf to residents, as usual

A rezoning hearing that began May 15 and concluded June 10 was the subject of over 1100 written submissions (619 opposed to megatowers on the Safeway site near the Broadway Skytrain station). 144 people registered to speak to City Council.  One of them raised some important points - solutions - in his presentation:

I want to thank the Council for not cutting the length from five minutes to three minutes even though you’re very likely to rubberstamp this after you’re through with the speakers.

I’m a resident of Vancouver but you probably wish I weren’t. I have many close friends here fearing this rezoning will destroy their community and serve nothing but a gold-rush quota for “dog-crate” tower developers.

I’m well aware the provincial TOA [Transit-Oriented Area] sets a minimum of 20 storeys near SkyTrain. This application’s ask nearly doubles both TOA and our 12–24-storey Grandview-Woodland Plan limit, while exempting 90% of units from any affordability beyond average rent.

Spot Rezoning & Misusing TOA:

This is the very definition of a spot rezoning—one site, one developer (a publicly traded REIT), one massive carve-out from the rules you passed. They seek 37–44 storeys here—almost double our Plan’s ceiling—and want to waive the City’s 20% below-market rental rule, offering only 10% of units at average rent. That’s not a housing solution—it’s a developer giveaway.

Trojan Horse for Speculation, Demovictions & Tax Spikes:

These luxury towers will spike land values block-wide, triggering renovictions and demolitions of existing rentals. It’s a Trojan Horse that shreds our height limits and invites a speculator gold rush—devouring every modest rental, displacing families, and flattening East Van’s character. By pumping land values through the roof, it also opens the floodgates to predatory property-tax hikes on every homeowner, senior, and small landlord.

Councillors, Whose “Free Lunch” Are You Serving?

It feels like you’re serving your dog-crate developer bosses’ gold-rush quota—fast-tracking tower after tower—while clutching your pet community plans at home. Perhaps you’d prefer no more public hearings once you’ve rubber-stamped every rezoning.

Mid-Construction Blight Risk

In today’s volatile market, high-interest rates and stalled pre-sales routinely force developers to pull financing mid-build. We’ve seen sites abandoned as giant craters—unsafe, unscreened, and crammed with idle cranes for years. Without binding completion bonds or phased-build guarantees, 1780 East Broadway could become that eyesore for half a decade.

Human Toll & Infrastructure Burden:

Seniors, service workers, and families can’t afford these “average” rents—this plan worsens displacement. And only 438 parking stalls for 1,044 units—yet 89% of East Van households own cars. Broadway & Commercial is already gridlocked; buses and SkyTrains are bursting at the seams; city taxpayers will shoulder the bill.

What Real Growth Should Look Like:

Please send this rezoning application back with firm directions to:

• Cap heights at the Grandview-Woodland Plan’s 24-storey maximum.

• Require ≥ 20% of floor area as below-market rental—20% below average rent, including 3-bed family units.

• Deliver a genuine sunny, central public plaza plus childcare, green space, and small-biz-friendly retail.

• Impose binding completion bonds or phased-occupancy covenants to prevent mid-build abandonment.

A publicly traded landowner who has held this site for decades does not need another “free lunch” here. Please reject this rezoning as drafted, uphold provincial TOA objectives and our City’s affordability and community-plan safeguards, and insist on real public benefits—not a corporate windfall.

Thank you.

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And then this happened:

Please see the article on CityHallWatch for in-depth analysis.