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Source: Stir Magazine; published January 2, 2026;
“As we head into 2026, developments continue to unfold on projects-in-progress. Here are five important stories to watch for over the next year.
#1: An arts and innovation hub on Granville Island:
A historic Granville Island building will soon be transformed into an “arts and innovation hub”, and a decision is imminent as to which organization will spearhead the project.
The site at 1399 Johnston Street was home to Emily Carr University of Art + Design’s main campus from 1980 until 2017, when it relocated to a new facility on Great Northern Way. The property, which occupies more than 20 percent of the built area on Granville Island, has sat empty since then. Like all buildings on Granville Island, it’s owned by the Government of Canada and managed by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which is now seeking a new tenant to lease it.
Last year, we reported on two prospective tenants that made the shortlist: one is nonprofit organization 221A, while the other is a joint venture between the Narrow Group and ECUAD….
#2: Pacific Theatre’s programming pause:
Pacific Theatre has now left its long-time home in the former Chalmers Presbyterian Church basement, owing to a need for more than $500,000 worth of major structural upgrades
Pacific Theatre has now officially paused all programming and has delved head-on into planning. Its scaled-down staff of artistic director Kaitlin Williams and executive director Jennie George are engaging in internal strategic planning with its board of directors to decide on a sustainable operation model for the future….
#3: A new Vancouver Art Gallery design, and a possible cultural precinct
After scrapping previous design plans for a new building, the Vancouver Art Gallery announced last fall that a different team of architects would envision its Larwill Park structure.
While it has yet to be decided whether that will happen at the Larwill Park site, it’s expected that Formline Architecture + Urbanism and KPMB Architects will formalize a conceptual design for the new gallery this year after a public input process…
#4: Updates on a fresh facility for the West Vancouver Art Museum
A plan for the West Vancouver Art Museum to move to a waterfront building at Sewell’s Landing in Horseshoe Bay has officially been scrapped, and now the search is on in the New Year for a different site.
Expect more plans to unfold this year for a new purpose-built arts facility that will encompass the West Vancouver Art Museum, the Music Box, and the Silk Purse…
#5: Arts budget news ahead of 2026 municipal election
Late in 2025, the City of Vancouver passed a “back-to-basics” operating budget that will see a reduction of 12 percent, or $6 million, in funding for arts, culture, and community services. Staff will be reporting back on where those cuts will be made in early 2026—and though council members have pledged not to reduce operating grants, the arts community is awaiting details.
With a municipal election coming up October 17, expect to see more coverage on the Stir site throughout the year…”
