2 days Ago By CBC
The building that once housed Vancouver's Four Seasons Hotel on West Georgia is set to be demolished, according to the property owner. Cadillac Fairview (CF), the real estate company behind some of Canada's most popular shopping centres, including Pacific Centre in downtown Vancouver and Toronto's Eaton Centre, confirmed plans to replace the 370-room structure on West Georgia Street with a "new, modern, and efficient" multi-use tower. In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for the company said the redevelopment is part of broader changes to CF Pacific Centre, which also includes transforming the former Nordstrom store.
While details are scarce, CF says the new tower will "continue to include a hospitality offering." The Four Seasons in downtown Vancouver, which operated there for more than 40 years, was one of only three Canadian locations for the global luxury chain before it shut its doors in January 2020. Its closure followed a 2018 lawsuit by Cadillac Fairview, its landlord, alleging that the hotel looked "tired" and outdated, not in keeping "with typical first-class luxury hotels.
" Four Seasons rejected those claims, but its lease was not renewed when it came to an end. Cadillac Fairview, the property’s owner, initially considered renovating the building for another luxury hotel operator. But now, the company plans to replace it entirely with a modern, multi-use tower.
(Maggie MacPherson/CBC) Once home to more than 370 hotel rooms and the acclaimed Yew restaurant, the hotel played a central role in the city's luxury tourism and business market . The 25-storey tower has sat empty since the hotel's closure, with the property owner initially exploring options to renovate the building for another luxury hotel operator. The City of Vancouver confirmed to CBC News that a development permit application submitted by Cadillac Fairview in 2022 for a major renovation of the building that was under review has been withdrawn.
"The applicant has made the decision to change their scope of work, and rather than renovate the building, they will be demolishing the structure," the city said. A new application was created in December 2024 for the building's deconstruction, which, according to the city, will involve removing the concrete façade, columns, slabs, and asbestos abatement. This new permit is currently under review.
The city says the owner will need to submit a new application for any new construction before moving forward with the next phase. The timeline for demolition and construction has not yet been announced..
