Vancouver city council has approved a proposal to replace the rotunda at Pacific Centre Mall with a new three-storey commercial building.

The November 15 vote means that the applicant, Perkins + Will Architects Canada, can proceed with designing 31,603 square feet of new retail space up to a height of 63.36 feet.

The approval comes with the proviso that the director of planning “may impose conditions and approve design changes which would not adversely affect either the development character of the site or adjacent properties”.

The proposed new commercial building includes canopies that will offer pedestrians improved protection from the rain along Georgia and Howe streets. It will replace a public plaza that takes up much of the space.

The mall is owned by Canadian real-estate giant Cadillac Fairview. It was built between 1971 and 1973 on land owned by the City of Vancouver.

The redesign of the mall entrance at Howe and West Georgia streets follows several other major changes to the mall in recent years, including new Nordstrom and Holt Renfrew stores and the addition of high-end shops as part of an underground expansion.