Westbank increases heights of contentious tower proposal next to Vancouver’s Commercial Drive SkyTrain station

The developer behind a proposal to build three residential towers along Vancouver’s Broadway corridor near Commercial Drive have submitted yet another version of their plans with even higher towers – but this time composed entirely of rental units rather than condos.

The proposed site, on what is now a Safeway grocery store that would also be redeveloped, is important because it is next to the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain station, which connects two of Vancouver’s rapid-transit lines. It’s also in the heart of the Commercial Drive neighbourhood on the city’s east side and has the potential to transform it. The question is how it will transform the area.