750 Burrard Street (also known as 969 Robson Street, or "Robson Central") is a building in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at the northeast corner of Robson Street and Burrard Street.
The site was home of the main branch of the Vancouver Public Library from 1957 to 1995. In December 1996, Canada's first (and ultimately only) Virgin Megastore opened on the lower level; Virgin eventually decided to exit the Canadian market and sold the location to HMV in September 2005. In late 2011, HMV Canada, now separately owned by Hilco UK, announced plans to close the Burrard location in January 2012 as part of a corporate refocusing towards smaller locations. HMV closed at this location on January 23, 2012.
The southeast corner of the building was also the first Planet Hollywood in Vancouver opened on March 16, 1997. The main entrance was on 969 Robson Street. It was closed in October 1999 after bankruptcy.
The upper levels were taken over in fall 1997 as studios for the newly launched independent TV station VTV. VTV later became part of the CTV Television Network (now owned by Bell Media), and the site now serves as Bell Media's west coast headquarters. The site selection, and indeed much of the VTV format, had been inspired by Toronto station City and the iconic downtown studios that were at the time synonymous with the station. Incidentally, CTV would later acquire the Toronto building in question (but not City TV).
Burrard Street is a major thoroughfare in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the central street of Downtown Vancouver and the Financial District. The street is named for Burrard Inlet, located at its northern terminus, which in turn is named for Sir Harry Burrard-Neale.
The street starts at Canada Place near the Burrard Inlet, then runs southwest through downtown Vancouver. It crosses False Creek via the Burrard Bridge. South of False Creek, on what used to be called Cedar Street before the completion of the bridge in 1932, the street runs due south until the intersection with West 16th Avenue.
The intersection of Burrard Street and Georgia Street is considered to be the centrepoint of Downtown Vancouver, along with the more tourist-oriented and upscale shopping-spirited intersection of Burrard Street and Robson Street to the south. At and due northeast of the centre is the heart of the Financial District. Further down closer to Vancouver Harbour stands the historic Marine Building, an Art Deco masterpiece, opened in 1930, two years before the Art Deco pylons of the Burrard Bridge at the opposite end of the street. Finally at the Harbour lies Canada Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre.