Construction starts on two social housing towers next to Cambie Bridge's north end

On Friday, the City of Vancouver officially began construction on a new 28-storey, mixed-use tower in Northeast False Creek in downtown Vancouver, containing social housing, a childcare facility, and a new replacement and expanded firehall.

The project is being built on the large vacant site of 95 Nelson St. (formerly addressed as 990 Beatty St.) at the southeast corner of the intersection of Beatty Street and Nelson Street — immediately adjacent to the Cambie Street Bridge’s southbound on-ramp from Nelson Street.

This 95 Nelson St. project — which will have 283 social housing units — is one of three development sites previously included in a broader land transfer agreement with local developer Concord Pacific that will create a combined total of 673 social housing units across three new buildings in the False Creek North area.

Most of these units will be rented out at subsidized rents for incomes at or below the BC Housing threshold, as well as below-market rents, with a smaller proportion at shelter rate.

Earlier this year, construction also began on the other two project sites of 1050 Expo Blvd. and 450 Pacific St.

The site of 1050 Expo Blvd. — previously a triangular-shaped surface parking lot near the southwest corner of the intersection of Nelson St. and Expo Blvd., immediately west of the Cambie Street Bridge — will be a 29-storey tower with 299 social housing units.

Further to the west at the smaller vacant site of 450 Pacific St., near the southwest corner of the intersection of Homer Street and Pacific Street, a seven-storey building with 91 social housing units is being built.

990 beatty street vancouver 8

Site of 95 Nelson St. (990 Beatty St.), Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Existing condition:

990 beatty street vancouver

Site of 95 Nelson St. (990 Beatty St.), Vancouver. (Google Maps)

990 beatty street vancouver 7

Site of 95 Nelson St. (990 Beatty St.), Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

2025 concept for 95 Nelson St., Vancouver. (Francl Architecture/City of Vancouver)

In July 2023, Vancouver City Council approved bylaw changes enabling social housing and other uses for all three sites. The development permit applications were subsequently approved in October 2024 for 450 Pacific St., February 2025 for 1050 Expo Blvd., and July 2025 for 95 Nelson Street.

Construction at the mid-rise building of 450 Pacific St. is expected to finish in 2028, while the two high-rise tower projects of 95 Nelson St. and 1010 Expo Blvd. are scheduled for completion in 2029.

“This project is a big win for Vancouverites. We’re delivering hundreds of new non-market homes, a much-needed childcare centre, and a modern firehall — all in the heart of a growing neighbourhood. It’s partnerships like this that turn great ideas into real results for families, workers and residents across our city,” said Vancouver mayor Ken Sim in a statement.

The project of 95 Nelson St. is a partnership between the City of Vancouver, Government of British Columbia through BC Housing, and non-profit housing operator Brightside Community Homes Foundation, with support from M’akola Development Services.

To cover the construction and other capital costs, the municipal government is providing $47.2 million in funding, building development fee waivers, and in-kind land value, and the provincial government is providing $44.8 million. Additionally, the provincial government is providing $5 million annually as an operating subsidy for the building.

Nearly 40 per cent or 117 units will be larger, each with multiple bedrooms for families. At its other properties in the region, Brightside is particularly known for providing affordable housing for low-income seniors, as well as families and people with disabilities.

December 2025 construction groundbreaking for 95 Nelson St., Vancouver. (City of Vancouver)

“This project is a tremendous opportunity for Brightside to bring a significant amount of truly affordable homes for families, seniors, and individuals to the False Creek neighbourhood. We look forward to working with the City of Vancouver and BC Housing to deliver these much-needed homes and community infrastructure improvements,” said William Azaroff, CEO of Brightside, in a statement. Azaroff also recently announced that he will seek the OneCity Vancouver party’s mayoral nomination for the October 2026 civic election.

Additionally, this tower will have a childcare facility for 44 kids, operated by the Vancouver Society of Children’s Centres.

Another significant use in the building is its provision of a new replacement and expanded facility for Firehall 8. This will replace Vancouver Fire Rescue Services’ small and outdated facility, located nearby at 895 Hamilton St. The new facility will have modern training areas and four fire truck bays fronting Beatty Street.

2025 concept for 95 Nelson St., Vancouver. (Francl Architecture/City of Vancouver)

The City also recently issued a call for First Nations artists to contribute to the the exterior building design for 95 Nelson St.

Three artists — each representing the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations — will be selected to create unique ground-surface designs for each of the building’s three main entrances: the social housing entrance (100 sq. ft.), the firehall entrance (90 sq. ft.), and the childcare entrance (80 sq. ft.).

Their final artwork will be produced as graphic tiles and permanently integrated into the exterior of the building. The deadline for application submissions is Jan. 4, 2026, with an adjudication panel selecting the artists in early February 2026.

Selected artists will work with technical advisors from the City’s project team.

The designs for the entrance artworks are expected to be finalized by Summer 2026. Each artist will receive a $10,000 fee for their contribution, with all fabrication and installation costs covered by the project team.

2025 concept for 95 Nelson St., Vancouver. (Francl Architecture/City of Vancouver)

As for the 29-storey tower at 1050 Expo Blvd., the design firm is Public Architecture and the operator upon completion will be B.C. Indigenous Housing Society. This project includes a reconfiguration of the road design of Pacific Boulevard and Expo Boulevard immediately west of the property, with a segment of the existing wide median replaced by a new traffic-signal controlled intersection.

Public Architecture is also the designer of 450 Pacific St., while Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society — a housing operator that primarily serves low-income and vulnerable women and their families — will be responsible for this building’s operations.

These projects are financed by a combination of direct funding from senior governments, low-cost loans from the government, and municipal fee waivers and in-kind land value contributions.