VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vancouver City Council has approved JWest’s rezoning application following the July 16 public hearing, marking a major next development milestone for one of the most significant community-led developments in the city’s history. The decision paves the way for the transformation of the 3.3-acre site at Oak Street and 41st Avenue into an integrated community campus in the heart of Vancouver’s Oakridge neighbourhood, with construction set to begin later this year.
Council first approved a redevelopment plan for the site in 2018. The updated plan approved last week reconfigures the campus so that the new community centre can be built first on the site’s existing surface parking lot without interrupting current programs and services. The campus will deliver an expanded Jewish Community Centre (JCC) of Greater Vancouver, a new King David High School, and 630 secured rental homes, with 20 per cent of the residential units operated by a not-for-profit, for the Oakridge neighbourhood. 40 per cent of the homes will be family-sized two- and three-bedroom units.
The fully publicly accessible community centre will feature an aquatic centre, a 415-seat theatre, a new home for the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, a fitness centre, a 60+ space childcare facility, seniors’ daycare, a youth centre, arts and cultural spaces, and offices for more than 20 non-profit community organizations.
“The Jewish community has been raising money, rallying support and building the vision of JWest brick by brick since 2018, and Council’s approval is the moment our vision now becomes a construction site,” said David Porte, Co-Chair of JWest Corp. “We are grateful to Mayor Sim, Council and City staff for their thoughtful work through this process. Now we get to deliver on our promise: a campus built by the community, governed by the community, and open to all.”
JWest is a partnership between the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the JCC and King David High School, made possible through more than $200 million raised by the community alongside funding from the provincial and federal governments.
The project builds on nearly a century of Jewish community life in Vancouver: the first Jewish Community Centre opened its doors in 1928 at Oak Street and 11th Avenue, and the current JCC has anchored the corner of Oak Street and 41st Avenue for more than 60 years.
For generations, the site has been a gathering place for recreation, arts and culture, early childhood education and seniors’ programming, serving Jewish families and neighbours of every background across the city. The community began rallying around the JWest vision in 2018, and this milestone follows the JCC’s recent gift of the 3.3-acre property to JWest Foundation, placing the land under independent community governance for generations to come.
“Last month, we gifted this land to JWest Foundation. This week, Vancouver City Council affirmed the vision behind that gift,” said Eldad Goldfarb, Executive Director of the JCC. “This property has been at the heart of Jewish life in Vancouver for more than 60 years, a place where people of every background come to learn, connect, and spend time with one another. Council’s approval means we can now build a home to take us into the next 60 years and beyond.”
“Families will live here, children will learn here, seniors will gather here, and communities will connect here for generations to come,” said Ezra Shanken, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. “That is the legacy of JWest. In a time when it’s easier to divide than to unite, we chose to invest in Vancouver, strengthen Vancouver, and help build Vancouver’s future.”
“For our students, this campus means learning at the centre of community life,” said Seth Goldsweig, Head of School, King David High School. “Co-locating the school with the new Jewish Community Centre creates opportunities for Jewish connection and education that simply don’t exist anywhere else in the city.”
With the application approved in principle, JWest will now work with the City of Vancouver to satisfy the conditions of approval, including an updated housing agreement securing the rental homes. Phase 1, which focuses on the development of the new six-storey community centre is advancing quickly: development and building permit applications have been submitted and are expected to be approved in the coming months, with construction expected to start by the end of 2026.
“Council’s approval is the result of years of work by our institutions, and by the Mayor, Council and City staff who took the time to understand what this project means for the community,” said Alex Cristall, Chair of the JWest Foundation. “We’re grateful, and we look forward to breaking ground on this project in the months ahead.”
Together, the recent land transfer, the community’s fundraising momentum and Council’s approval, all mark a pivotal moment for the project, and a tangible demonstration that JWest’s commitment to the community is being realized. The public phase of JWest’s capital campaign continues, inviting all Vancouverties to be part of what comes next.
About JWest
JWest is the most extensive project in the history of the Jewish community in Western Canada. Jewish at heart and open to all, the project will redevelop and transform the existing 3.3-acre property in Vancouver to further expand its impactful services to the community. The partnership between Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the Jewish Community Centre, and King David High School will address some of the concerns of the region including increased childcare spaces, expanded seniors’ services, and the delivery of hundreds of new rental homes—including 20 per cent of the residential units operated by a not-for-profit—for the Oakridge neighbourhood. The project has been made possible by the Jewish community, together with financing and support from multiple levels of government. JWest will reimagine the future for Vancouverites and the Jewish community by creating a thoughtful space that is a beacon of diversity and inclusion for people to connect, learn, grow and celebrate together.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0704a923-8643-489e-a776-e64fffe68e4a
