Dunbar News asked the city how we can ensure future streetscapes look friendlier and livelier than this section of Dunbar Street between 39th and 40th, but got a vague response to its question. Full Q&A with the city below.
By Carol Volkart
Residents must get involved early if they want any influence over the type, size and look of retail in new developments in Dunbar, says the City of Vancouver. And they’ll have to accept higher density if they want their local stores to prosper.
Those are a couple of the main takeaways from a list of questions Dunbar News sent to the city after a July Neighbourhood Café about Dunbar Street’s declining retail sector. The questions were based on suggestions and concerns raised by residents at the meeting.
The answers, received Oct. 28 from the city’s business and economy office, gave some insights into the city’s thinking. But they were vague on some key questions, such as a vacancy tax on commercial properties or improving the streetfront design of new developments.
Dunbar News has asked for more details and clarifications, which will be added when they arrive. In the meantime, here are the questions (in boldface) sent to the city, and its responses:
Q1. How could residents become involved in ensuring a broader variety of useful businesses in the new developments going up in our area? At present, occupancy of the retail component is kept as a surprise and a secret until the end of the building process. By the time residents are told what’s going in, it’s way too late for them to have any input.
A: Residents can play a meaningful role in shaping the types of businesses that open in new developments. Input is most effective when shared early in the development review process, particularly during rezoning or development permit applications. This is when decisions about the size and layout of commercial retail units (CRUs) are being made, which directly influences the kinds of businesses that can be accommodated.
Attending public hearings, open houses, or community consultation sessions for proposed developments allows residents to express interest in the types of businesses they’d like to see—whether that’s grocery stores, childcare, health services, or other community-serving retail.
It’s also important to note that broader planning frameworks—such as area-specific Official Development Plans, and the Vancouver Plan—help guide what types of uses are permitted in specific areas. These plans are shaped by public engagement, and residents are encouraged to participate in those processes to help influence long-term outcomes. Area Plans are also a critical component that guide decision-making on land use and commercial opportunities.
In addition, residents can liaise with their local BIA [Business Improvement Association] to provide input related to attracting businesses that align with community needs, and in turn the BIA can liaise with the City of Vancouver’s Business and Economy Office.
Q2. Could the city use its leverage to improve the size, variety and usefulness of the retail component of the new buildings coming to a street like Dunbar? Since the city must issue development permits for these buildings, could it require smaller retail spaces that would be more affordable to smaller businesses? Could it require some degree of affordability in the retail part, just as it requires many residential buildings to provide a certain percentage of lower-cost housing? Could it require some consultation between the community and the developer?
A: The City regulates mixed-use developments by requiring retail space on the ground floor, maintaining retail frontage continuity, and incorporating specific design elements. New developments are reviewed to ensure retail spaces remain functional for a variety of businesses throughout the building’s lifespan. Approximately 80% of storefront businesses in Vancouver are independently owned. The City continues to refine its design guidance to industry through the City-wide Design Guidelines.
The Vancouver Charter limits the City’s ability to provide direct subsidies to private businesses. To support small businesses, the City has developed resource materials to assist with commercial lease negotiations, available through the Commercial Tenant Assistance Program (CTAP).
Q3. What concrete action is the city taking to reduce retail vacancies on streets like Dunbar?
A: The City has taken several actions to support storefront occupancy in Dunbar, including:
- Reducing regulatory requirements through the Permitting Improvement Program;
- Creating multilingual resources to help businesses relocate into new spaces
- Supporting improved conditions in retail districts through actions such as the provision of Graffiti Abatement Grant to the Dunbar BIA
- Introduced the development potential relief program (DPRP) to mitigate higher property tax costs for buildings with high development potential.
Q4. What potential incentives are there to ensure properties are rented out instead of allowed to stay empty and deteriorate for decades, as the old Dunbar Produce has since 2018? Could the city bring in a vacancy tax for businesses, just as it taxes vacant residences? Residents have suggested an escalating vacancy tax would be a way of pressuring landlords to fill empty properties faster. Is this a feasibility?
A: Typically, a retail vacancy tax is designed to address systemic, persistent vacancies. Vancouver’s storefront vacancies are mostly cyclical with the market filling vacancies. Persistent vacancies account for about 2.8% of all storefront vacancies, or a third of all vacancies. The City continues to explore approaches to reducing persistent vacancy.
Q5: What incentives could be used to encourage development on either deteriorating or empty blocks and lots along Dunbar?
A: Increasing housing density leads to a larger population and greater demand for local businesses. Targeted, area-specific policies are one way to support this growth and help revitalize underused storefronts. The upcoming adoption of the City-wide Official Development Plan, based on the Vancouver Plan, will offer expanded options for guiding development. In the meantime, the City’s existing Secured Rental Policy, which has facilitated recent development in Dunbar Village, remains a viable tool.
Q6: Many smaller businesses are struggling to survive because of high rents and taxation, especially when they are being taxed for unused air space above them. What possible measures can the city take to relieve the financial pressures on these businesses?
A: The City has responded to the issue of the taxation on unused airspace above businesses with the Development Potential Relief Program (DPRP), the first pilot of its kind in BC, which provides tax relief for eligible businesses. Business can also take advantage of the 5-year land assessment averaging program. Please note, they can only opt in to one program at a time.
Q7. What is the city doing to ensure retail streetscapes like Dunbar Street are friendly, welcoming and interesting? There have been numerous complaints both from residents and professionals about the quality of the design of the retail component of the new buildings. One of our vision-impaired residents says his guide dogs can’t find the doors to the new businesses because of the flat-fronted design. Other residents can’t find a little shop they know exists because there’s nothing to mark it out from the rest of the glass-fronted building. What measures can the city take to ensure better designs in future? Is there a possibility of community involvement?
A: Please see response to question 2.
Somewhere along this row of storefronts in the 5500 block of Dunbar Street hides a little bakery that’s hard to find unless its sandwich board is out front.
Q8. Overall, the impression residents have is that developers have full control over the retail component of the new buildings along Dunbar. There is no effort to work with residents about the type of shops they want and need, or how those shops will look. There’s not much indication that the city intervenes to require anything either. Could the current process be changed to allow more input from both the residents and the city to ensure better outcomes?
A: Early phases of consultation (see Q1) influence the size and layout of Commercial Retail Units (CRUs), which in turn determine what kinds of businesses can be accommodated. Once these design elements are finalized, options for retail tenancy become more limited. The area-specific Official Development Plans and Vancouver Plan help guide permitted uses in each area while the zoning determines what uses are permitted on each site.
Focusing on the elements within the area plan that represent Dunbar’s community vision is what guides the City in shaping retail outcomes in a more tailored way to better reflect the needs and character of the community. Also, when developers have a deeper understanding of the local context, they are more likely to design developments to attract businesses that align with community priorities.
The City ‘s responses are not helpful. The best i can say is that they are annoying!!