Vancouver motel to be demolished for highrise apartments

The City Centre Motor Hotel in Vancouver, known for its 1950s design, will be demolished to make way for two highrise apartments. City council approved the rezoning, allowing the construction of a 22-storey and a 24-storey building. The new development will include 20% of units rented below market rates and over 5,000 square feet of cultural space for artists. The developers plan to preserve the motel's iconic signage in some form. Artists currently using the motel for studios express concern over losing affordable workspaces in a city with rising rents. The city aims to create more cultural spaces, having reached 70% of its goal to add 800,000 square feet by 2029.