Vancouver city council approves proposal for waterfront 'floatel'
Vancouver city council has approved a plan to construct a private 250-room floating hotel on the waterfront.
Despite backlash from some who suggested the boat-shaped structure would obstruct views of the harbour and North Shore, the decision was almost unanimous. Only Councillor Sean Orr voted against it.
The proposal was set forth by Sunborn International Holding, a Finnish hospitality company specializing in "floatels." They constructed their first yacht hotel in London in 2003, and have since expanded to Gibraltar.
Vancouver is their first foray into the non-European market.
The 136 metre-long hotel will be built right in front of the Convention Centre, and sit at an angle in the harbour. While the accommodations and associated amenities will be private, the plan does include portions accessible to all.
Among them are restaurants, shops, a spa, and a dock flanking the starboard side. The latter will be open from 6am to 10pm daily and connect directly to the existing SeaWall.
As a result of its marine location, Sunborn's hotel falls under the temporary designation, thus the company is not required to pay $3.6 million in development cost levies typical for a structure of that size. Instead, they will pay the city $220,000 in CDLs for the dock and an additional $290,000 for public art.
Construction is slated to begin shortly, with the first guests checking in by 2028.
During a public hearing on April 14, numerous Vancouver residents voiced their concerns over the proposal, with most questioning why a private entity was being given the rights to take away a public view.
Shortly before the vote, Councillor Pete Fry pointed out that the area of the SeaWall the floatel would cover is already "totally shady."
"I like the fact that this western dock that's gonna be accessible to the public with a spa and a cafe is actually gonna have sunshine," he said. "Right now, if you wanna look at the view from that spot, it's almost always in shade, as far as I can tell, but this new dock will add a new sunny vista for folks to really enjoy and get closer to the water."
Also in attendance was local marina mogul Graham Clarke, who pointed out that if the floatel was not approved, he would consider resurrecting plans to turn the area into an aquatic parking lot.
“We have the rights to that water lot," he warned critics. "I had a development permit in 2010 to make it a mega yacht marina, which had no access for the public whatsoever ... Those yachts might actually be bigger than this hotel, but you couldn’t go there. It would be behind a gate."
The approval came just days after the Board of Parks and Recreation opened the door for a new electric passenger ferry from Coal Harbour to Bowen Island and the Sunshine Coast.
Jarryd Jäger
Needing little convincing, commissioners voted unanimously to support city staff to negotiate a deal with CIRQL Ferries Inc. that would allow the private entity to operate at the site of the current Harbour Green Dock.
If the city responds with the same enthusiasm as their Park Board colleagues, the first ship could set sail as early as 2028.
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