CMHC-Granville Island has issued a “call for ideas” for the redevelopment of the former Emily Carr University of Art and Design north building into a new Arts and Innovation Hub. With this initiative, they are hoping to receive input from specialists in the arts, cultural, creative and business sectors about how the 120,000-square-foot space should be used.

The call for ideas is part of a multi-phase redevelopment plan with an EOI process scheduled for 2019 and the opening of the Hub slated for 2021.

“This is the most significant redevelopment project on Granville Island in decades and an extraordinary opportunity for new organizations to establish a presence on the island,” says Lisa Ono, manager, Public Affairs & Programming for CMHC-Granville Island. “By participating in the Call for Ideas, individuals and organizations will be able to help shape this new space on Granville Island”.

The creation of the Hub, which will house a mix of arts-focused and innovative organizations as well as restaurants and services, is part of the Granville Island 2040 vision that outlines future development on the island over the next two decades.

The purpose of the call for ideas process is to identify what types of organizations, businesses and activities should be included in the Hub and gauge demand from prospective tenants. The findings from this process will then be used to further refine the vision for this building as well as to help shape the criteria for the subsequent EOI.

A series of building visits and information sessions will be held over the summer to help participants prepare their ideas in advance of the submission period, which will run from September 1 to 30.

Individuals and organizations interested in participating in the Call for Ideas
process are invited to register at: artsandinnovation.com