There are a lot of ideas about how Vancouver’s Granville Island should look in the future. Suggestions like a 24-hour public market have been taking shape this fall in advance of a renewal of the popular urban destination.

One of the emerging ideas listed in a discussion guide prepared by the team behind the Granville Island 2040 planning program is the inclusion of housing. The document notes that there are only a few families in float homes that reside in the area.

Although the original plan for the site called for 25,000 square feet of residential development, this didn’t happen.

Last October, the Georgia Straight asked the person leading the federal planning exercise about the prospects for future housing. Michael Stevenson indicated at the time that nobody has been pushing for residential development as part of the island’s planned revitalization.

However, the former SFU president offered his own “stargazing idea” of temporary housing for artists and workers in innovative industries.

The discussion guide explains why some housing makes sense:

“Bringing more people to live on Granville Island could keep the island more lively in evenings and off-peak seasons.”

Echoing Stevenson’s thoughts, the paper goes on to state: “In the future, Granville Island could be a place for short-term affordable housing, including places for temporary artist residences or even student housing.”

The document also raises the possibility of a “Granville Island Club”, which it describes as an “intentional community for artists”.

According to the guide, grants may be used to create studios and gallery spaces for rotating artists in residence, plus a communal kitchen and social hall to “allow for support and encourage collaborations”.

The paper goes on to state that the club “would be part of and physically linked to” a “creative exchange laboratory”, which is also one of the emerging ideas for a revitalized Granville Island.

The discussion guide describes the creative lab as a potential “centre for innovation across a variety of industries”.

“Spaces should be allocated for makers, including artists, designers and digital industries, recognizing that Granville Island has always been a place where things are made,” the paper notes.

It also notes that the Granville Island Club could be constructed out of shipping containers.

The 17-hectare Granville Island is a former industrial site that was transformed, starting in the 1970s, into a shopping and cultural destination in Vancouver.

An open house will be held on Saturday (December 3) about the evolving vision for the island, which is managed by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The event starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Revue Stage at the east side of the public market.