Vancouver city council has approved plans for what would become the city’s three tallest towers.

Council voted 7-3 on July 27 to approve Holborn Group’s proposal for one 79-storey tower and two 68-storey towers. The project spans the block bounded by Georgia, Seymour, Dunsmuir, and Richards streets in downtown Vancouver.

The tallest tower will house a 920-room hotel. It will feature a three-level public viewing deck and a rooftop garden. When complete, the hotel will become Western Canada’s tallest structure.

The two residential towers will add 1,546 homes. About 82 per cent of the units will be market strata housing.

Henriquez Partners, the project’s designers, said the architecture draws inspiration from ancient glass sea sponge reefs off the B.C. coast.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime project for our city,” councillor Peter Meiszner said in support of the rezoning, according to CBC.

Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung said the development will transform a site now used mainly for vehicle storage into a vibrant mixed-use destination.

Council also approved the rezoning of a Holborn-owned parking lot at Abbott Street and East Hastings Street. The site will become a 237-unit, city-owned social housing tower. The project will also include a childcare facility and an Indigenous art gallery.

Mayor Ken Sim and all six ABC Vancouver councillors voted in favour of the proposal. Supporters said the project would become “an iconic addition to the city’s skyline.”

CBC reported there is no timeline for construction. The current housing and economic climate could affect the project’s schedule. According to CBC, Nav Canada has also told the city that the towers may need to be shorter due to aviation safety concerns.