Modo Entertainment hopes The Pearl will add some shine to Vancouver’s Granville Strip

Closed off storefronts, disrepair, filth and issues around public disorder and safety are hardly ringing endorsements for an entertainment district.

As early as January of this year, a staff report went to Vancouver City Council noting challenges facing downtown Granville Street and how to improve the area to make it welcoming, both for daytime and nighttime activity. Obviously, one way to improve the negative perception of the area is to see plywood come down and marquees light up again.

The opening of The Pearl this weekend will hopefully shine some light on the beleaguered 800-block.

Previously operating as Venue, the location at 881 Granville went up for sale in 2021. In business since 2009, the 8,000-sq.-ft.  space had a 365-person capacity and filled a much-needed mid-size venue niche for live music in the city. Now, Toronto-based Modo Live is making the room its first brick-and-mortar location. Company president, Justin Kwan, is pumped about the potential for the place to establish itself as a go-to for concerts from artists who may not have had anywhere to perform the past few years.