JWest Receives Rezoning Approval from Vancouver City Council following Public Hearing at Vancouver City Hall
On July 16, Vancouver City Council approved JWest's rezoning application at a public hearing at City Hall. It's a milestone this community has worked years to reach, and it comes just weeks after the JCC transferred the site's land into the JWest Foundation's hands — Council's approval now moves us from vision to construction. That’s the result of a collaborative process years in the making.
We want to start by thanking Mayor Sim and Members of Council, along with City staff, for the care and diligence they brought in stewarding this application forward. And none of this would have happened without you — the donors whose generosity made this milestone possible.
A Process Built on Trust
Rezoning approval is the outcome of years of consultation with neighbours and close collaboration with City staff. The approved plan provides more options for JWest, including increasing the potential height of the towers and allowing King David High School the potential to expand. Council's approval reflects the strength of the plan and the years of work that shaped it. It gives everyone who has invested in this project, financially or personally, real clarity on what comes next.
There’s still work ahead as we continue to advance through the development and building permit process, but we remain on track to start construction of the new community centre by the end of this year.
"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,” says Alex Cristall, Chair of the JWest Foundation. “We're grateful, and we look forward to breaking ground on this project in the months ahead.”
Keeping the Momentum Going
To date, our JWest Community Campaign has just under $12 million left to raise toward our shared goal. Council's approval is the momentum we intend to carry forward, and every gift between now and the finish line helps ensure this campus opens on the timeline our community deserves.
This is a project built by the people who will use it: King David High School students and families, Jewish Community Centre members, and neighbours across Oakridge and beyond. We welcome you to join us in finishing what we started.
A Model for What's Possible Elsewhere
A recent op-ed in the Prince George Citizen by Eli Klasner, Executive Director of the Jewish Museum and Archives of BC, points to JWest as a case study in why community institutions are worth building. His core belief is that philanthropy is an act of stewardship. Donors invest in institutions that have been entrusted to their care, with the goal of leaving them stronger for the generations that follow. Klasner points to JWest's fundraising success as proof that communities elsewhere can take on similarly ambitious projects when they believe the institution is worth sustaining. It's a good reminder of what this campaign has always been about, and why it resonates well beyond Vancouver's Jewish community. You can read the full piece here.
To learn more about ways to give, contact info@jwestnow.com or call 604-808-2440.
The JWest project would not be possible without the generous funding from the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the Diamond Foundation, and the Ronald S. Roadburg and Al Roadburg Foundations, as well as the steadfast support of the Jewish community and its allies, and the valuable contributions of the Vancouver residents who use the current Jewish Community Centre.
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