At their Workshop on March 17th, Council endorsed in principle key questions for the Lower Twelfth Street area study, and supported the completion of key current City studies and directed staff to report back on their implications for the area, prior to proceeding with next steps of the study. 

Council endorsed the following:  

1. THAT the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the updated Employment Strategy and exploration of potential institutional uses be completed, and staff report back to Council on the implications of this work to the Lower Twelfth Street Plan, prior to completing the Evaluation Framework necessary to begin processing the catalyst project applications, as recommended by the City’s Senior Management Team. 
2. THAT the Lower Twelfth Street work continue to prioritize spaces for users such as artists, crafts people, artisans, and other creators, recognizing the inclusion of these spaces likely requires trade-offs with other public benefits (e.g. amount of affordable housing), and higher residential densities to support project viability. 
3. THAT the preliminary Massing Principles and Massing Concept in Attachment 1 of the March 17, 2025 report titled “Lower Twelfth Street Area Study Update”, including building heights ranging from 6 to 15 storeys at the northern portions of the study area, and heights up to 40 storeys at the southern end of the study area, be used to guide planning for the Lower Twelfth Street area and the catalyst applications, recognizing these would exceed the legislated densities within Transit-Oriented Development Areas, but potentially reduce the proposed heights and densities being proposed by all the catalyst projects. 
4. THAT staff further explore changing the Official Community Plan designations of some properties on the outer edges of the study area to enable development of townhouses or multi-unit residential buildings to provide an appropriate transition between the study area and adjacent blocks. 

The next steps for this work is as follows:  

1. Completion of Additional Studies – These studies will result in plan refinements to be completed prior to public engagement. The work on additional studies will take place through Summer 2025.  
2. Public and Nations Engagement: Public engagement is anticipated in Fall 2025. Engagement opportunities would include: a dedicated Be Heard webpage, a public open house, meetings with key committees including the Advisory Planning Committee (APC) and Community Heritage Committee (CHC), and Nations referral or additional meetings subject to their level of interest. Feedback gathered during this step will be used to revise the Evaluation Framework (including guiding principles and illustrative plan) prior to Council consideration.  
3. Approval: Council endorsement of the Evaluation Framework, including principles and illustrative plan, will set expectations for projects in the area, and conclude the detailed review of the catalyst applications. Council consideration of the Evaluation Framework is anticipated for Winter 2025/2026. 

Once the Evaluation Framework is endorsed by Council, an implementation plan would be determined in order to complete the OCP amendments. Further engagement may be required to finalize the Lower Twelfth Master Plan. Implementation may also include adjustments to existing zoning, development of plans to deliver required amenities and infrastructure, transportation network improvements, and development of area-wide design guidelines.  

Additional information can be found in the  full report by City staff,  Urban Design Analysis and  Market Analysis and Feasibility Study.