Commercial zone · section 11.1 of Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007
C1: Downtown
C1 (Downtown) is a commercial zone for shops and services, schools and institutions, homes (row houses, stacked townhouses, apartments and congregate housing) and vehicle sales and service. Density is capped at about 280 homes per hectare. Buildings can be up to 55 m tall and cover the whole lot. New lots need at least 135 m² and 4.5 m of frontage.
Read section 11.1 of the bylaw (PDF, opens in a new tab)Look up an addressZoning map
From the bylaw consolidated to Oct 5, 2026 · .
Purpose
“The purpose of this zone is to provide for a mix of uses for the central business area of the city.”
Section 11.1.1 of the bylaw.
What you can build and run here
In short: row houses, stacked townhouses, apartments, congregate housing; shops and services; schools and institutions; vehicle sales and service; hotels; parks and recreation; entertainment; offices; farming.
Main uses
Allowed on their own (principal uses).
- apartment hotel
- auction, minor
- boarding or lodging house
- brewery & distillery, minor · only in C1l
- club
- community care facility, major
- community care facility, minor
- education
- education, commercial
- education, higher
- emergency service
- entertainment, adult-oriented
- entertainment, spectator
- exhibition & convention facility
- greenhouse & plant nursery
- health service, minor
- hotel
- housing, apartment
- housing, congregate
- housing, row
- housing, stacked row
- library & exhibit
- liquor primary establishment, major · only in C1l
- liquor primary establishment, minor · only in C1l
- motel
- office
- park
- parking, non-accessory
- recreation, indoor
- religious assembly
- restaurant
- retail, adult-oriented
- retail, cannabis · only in C1c
- retail, convenience
- retail, farmers market
- retail, flea market
- retail, general
- retail, liquor · only in C1l
- service, business support
- service, dating or escort
- service, financial
- service, funeral
- service, household repair
- service, massage
- service, massage therapy
- service, personal
- service, pet grooming & day care
- service station, minor
- temporary shelter services
- transportation depot
- utility, minor
- vehicle rental, minor
- vehicle repair, minoronly on lots abutting 1st Avenue (not including recreational vehicles)
- vehicle sale, minoronly on lots abutting 1st Avenue (not including manufactured housing or recreational vehicles)
- vehicle repair, minoronly on Lots 4-6, Block 21, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 1268
Variants of C1
- C1c: same as C1, and cannabis retail is also allowed.
- C1l: same as C1, and liquor retail, liquor primary establishments and a minor brewery or distillery are also allowed.
Limits
| Minimum lot width | 4.5 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum lot area | 135 m² |
| Site coverage | 100% |
| Height | 55 m |
| Density | 280 homes per hectare |
Density rule: “The maximum residential density is 280 dwellings/ha., except the maximum residential density is 80 dwelling units on the consolidation of Parcel A (N24555) of Lot 8 and Lots 9-10, Block 173, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 1268.”
These are the zone’s general limits for principal buildings. Accessory buildings, secondary dwellings, corner lots and parking have their own rules, and other sections of the bylaw (general rules, specific uses, landscaping, parking, development permit areas) also apply.
Where C1 applies
110 areas on the City’s zoning map, about 32 ha, covering 603 parcels.
Rezonings
From the bylaw’s list of amendments since 2011: 3 into C1, 3 out of it.
101 George Street
Jul 28, 2025 · Rezoned from P1 to C1
356 George Street
Mar 24, 2025 · Rezoned from C1 to C1c
145 Brunswick Street
May 27, 2024 · Rezoned from C1 to M1
409-445 George Str.
Dec 21, 2020 · Rezoned from C1 to C1c
1180 3rd Ave.
Nov 26, 2018 · Rezone from C1: Downtown to C1I: Downtown to facilitate a liquor primary license
725 Canada Games Way
Apr 16, 2018 · Rezone from C1: Downtown to C1 Downtown and C1l: Downtown
808 Canada Games Way
May 29, 2017 · Rezoned from C1 to C1l
1466 3rd Ave.
May 29, 2017 · Rezoned from C1 to C1l
This section was last changed by bylaws 8256, 8974, 9388, 9417.
A plain-language reading of the bylaw, not legal advice. Confirm with City of Prince George Planning and Development before you plan.
Source: Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, section 11.1 (uses, limits and purpose; quotes are short extracts), and City of Prince George open data for where the zone applies (Open Government Licence – City of Prince George). Summary written by PG Pulse. Data: JSON.
