Seaside Elementary School Set to Open in Downtown Vancouver

The Vancouver School Board has officially named its newest public school “Seaside Elementary School,” which is slated to open in September 2026. Located at 480 Broughton St. in downtown Vancouver, this facility will serve as a vital educational hub for the community, replacing the previously informal designation of Coal Harbour Elementary School. The school will be part of a mixed-use building that also includes social housing and childcare services.

Construction on the 11-storey building is nearing completion. The project began in Spring 2022, transforming a surface parking lot beside the Coal Harbour Community Centre into a modern educational space. The first three floors will house 43,000 sq. ft. dedicated to Seaside Elementary, accommodating 317 students. Features include a gymnasium, library, and access to an upgraded playground and grassy field located on the rooftop of the community centre.

In addition to the school, the facility will have a 9,600 sq. ft. childcare component for 64 children, along with outdoor play areas. Above these levels, the building will offer 60 social housing units. Both the childcare and housing components are expected to be ready by next year.

Boundary Changes to Support New School

In preparation for the school’s opening, the Vancouver School Board has revised the catchment boundaries for elementary schools in downtown Vancouver. Previously, the catchment for both Lord Roberts Elementary School and its annex covered the West End and Coal Harbour. Under the new arrangement, the catchment is split, assigning Coal Harbour and northern West End areas to Seaside Elementary. This change aims to balance school capacity and enhance accessibility for families.

Jessie Gresley-Jones, the executive director of facilities for the Vancouver School Board, stated, “We continue to see enrolment pressures in the downtown area. Updating these boundaries supports long-term planning and helps ensure students can attend a neighbourhood school close to home both now and in the years ahead.”

As Seaside Elementary opens, there will be temporary relocations. Lord Roberts Annex School will close to allow for the construction of a new underground substation by BC Hydro at Nelson Park. Students from the annex will be moved to Seaside Elementary until the substation is completed, after which a new Lord Roberts Elementary School will be built, expected to finish by 2032.

Meeting Growing Educational Demands

The need for new educational facilities in downtown Vancouver has become increasingly urgent due to rising residential developments attracting families. Currently, Elsie Roy, Crosstown, and Lord Roberts elementary schools are all operating at full capacity or beyond. Seaside Elementary represents downtown Vancouver’s first new public school since Crosstown Elementary opened in 2017.

Plans are also underway for another elementary school in the Olympic Village, which will have a capacity of up to 630 students along with a childcare facility for 60 children. This project, budgeted at $150 million from the provincial government, is expected to begin construction in 2027 and open in 2029.

Additionally, the Vancouver School Board and the City are in the planning stages for a mixed-use complex at the West End’s civic hub, which will include an expanded King George Secondary School, a new community centre, and a firehall. BC Hydro’s substation project in Nelson Park will address the increasing demand for electrical capacity stemming from ongoing urban development.

The municipal government previously approved a $71 million contract with Haebler Construction Projects for the construction of the mixed-use building in Coal Harbour, which includes $28.4 million for the school, $9.9 million for the childcare facility, and $32.3 million for social housing. This collaborative effort underscores a commitment to enhancing community infrastructure in response to the growing needs of residents in downtown Vancouver.