The Pennsylvania Hotel was designed in 1906 by William Tuff Whiteway, one of Vancouver’s leading and prolific architects of the period and possibly best remembered for his design of the Vancouver World Building aka the Sun Tower in 1912. Originally named the Woods Hotel and built for JS and Eliza Woods, the Pennsylvania was located along the vibrant commercial strip of Hastings Street in Vancouver’s downtown. The hotel was considered to be one of the more luxurious accommodations in the Pacific Coast and was designed to accommodate wealthy travelers and commercial businessmen as opposed to seasonal workers. It is marked by tiers of cantilevered bay windows above the ground floor - a strong San Francisco influence, and features an octagonal corner bay at the prominent corner of Hastings and Carrall Streets c/w a distinctive turret roof and spire. The main entrance to the building was located in the centre of the Carrall Street façade and was framed by a Romanesque Revival stone archway highlighted with elaborately carved detailing and fluted columns.

In 2005, Merrick Architecture – Borowski Lintott Sakumoto Fligg Ltd. was commissioned to seismically upgrade and rehabilitate the Class ‘B’ heritage structure to create a supervised housing facility comprised of 44 fully selfcontained SRO studio-type units c/w a living room, kitchenette, and private bathrooms that include a shower. Twelve (12) of the 44 units have now been designed with enhanced accessibility for handicapped or physically challenged occupants. Each of the four (4) upper levels include common laundry facilities and a lounge / elevator lobby space. The ground level offers a main entry lobby complete with a reception / office area and a separate TV lounge space. Commercial spaces have also been provided on the ground level for retail or restaurant opportunities. The existing and original areaway below the sidewalk along Carrall Street has been refurbished with new glass block light prisms, designed as originally intended to let natural light penetrate from street level through to the basement level. This feature is provided in the newly proposed 2 storey restaurant at the southernmost CRU space on the ground and basement levels. A striking new neon sign has also been designed and built to replicate the sign on the building as seen in photographs dating from the 1920’s. In November of 2008, The Pennsylvania Hotel opened its’ doors to welcome the first new tenants of the building. The project represents the successful rehabilitation that is possible for any existing vacant or derelict heritage building. Through a transformative and socially responsible process focused on adaptive re-use, a home for the disadvantaged has been created, a symbol of hope for the homeless. Commercial spaces at grade level will further animate and reinforce desirable social and retail activity along Hastings Street, recalling and memorializing a significant historic past, while achieving the objectives and intent of the project as a source of identity, opportunity, and community pride, thereby inspiring hope for a new beginning.