Retail building proposed to replace Pacific Centre rotunda in downtown Vancouver

A plan to redevelop a popular landmark in downtown Vancouver is up for review.

Included in the agenda Wednesday (July 27) of the city’s urban design panel is an application to replace the glass atrium of the Pacific Centre mall with a three-storey retail building.

The rotunda is in a public square at the northeast corner of West Georgia and Howe streets, a spot where many downtown visitors usually stop to take a breather.

There are benches at the site, plus a number of cherry blossom trees.

Pacific Centre is an office, retail, and hotel complex.

As of this posting, city hall has not put online details about the development application filed by the Perkins+Will architectural firm. A call to a representative of Perkins+Will wasn’t returned immediately.

In March this year, a downtown Vancouver plaza on Alberni Street was demolished to give way to a two-storey retail building for luxury products.

A citizens' petition failed to save this space then called at the time as the Grosvenor Building plaza. Pink cherry blossom trees were removed from the site.