The owner of Lansdowne Centre, Vanprop Investments, has submitted their formal OCP amendment application to the City of Richmond for the purpose of approving a Master Land Use Plan for the 50 acre site, located in the heart of Richmond’s City Centre at the centre of the Lansdowne Village. It is immediately adjacent to the Lansdowne Canada Line Station, and is bound by No.3 Road, Alderbridge Way, Kwantlen Street and Lansdowne Road. Initial plans to redevelop the mall were announced two years ago.

While the density for the site is already established in the City Centre Area Plan (“CCAP”), the Master Plan is required to organize the eventual phasing, massing and heights of the future mixed-use development, as well as the location of the 10 acre park planned for the site. City of Richmond council endorsement means that the proposal can now move toward a community consultation phase. 

The shopping centre on the site was built in 1977 and exemplifies the auto-oriented enclosed shopping centre design popular in the 60’s and 70’s. The arrival of the Canada Line in 2010 with a station right next door and the subsequent CCAP made this site a prime target for future redevelopment, particularly since the surface parking can accommodate immediate development without requiring demolition of the existing mall.

The site has a mix of zoning designations, including Urban Core T6 (up to 4.0 FAR) on the westerly 1/3 of the site, and Urban Centre T5 (up to 2.0 FAR) on the easterly 2/3 of the site. The CCAP also identified the site for a 10 acre linear park running east/west along the southern portion of the site fronting Lansdowne Road.

Here is a summary of some of the concepts identified in the proposed master plan which has already achieved support for moving through the next steps in the process:

• An overall density of 2.77 FAR (approx. 6,000,000 SF)
• 22 residential towers and 2 office towers
• 73% of the density within 400 metres of Lansdowne Station
• A 53,500 SF community amenity building at corner of No.3 Road & Lansdowne
• A new 10 acre park in the centre of the site (revised shape from CCAP)
• Retail/entertainment space with residential and office space above fronting Hazelbridge Way (high street)
• A new civic plaza near the Canada Line Station
• Building heights up to 47 metres
• New north/south extension of Hazelbridge Way and Cooney Road between Alderbridge Way and Lansdowne Road
• New east/west road to connect No. 3 Road and Kwantlen Street
• Target of 2035 for entire build out

Next Steps

The proposed OCP amendment process will require further consultation and refinement to the details in the master plan before final council approval and subsequent rezoning applications for individual phases. Consultation would take place in the spring 2018 with approval likely later next year. Below is the City’s flowchart outlining the process:

Proposed Master Land Use Plan

The architect for the master plan is Dialog.

Shape Properties has filed a rezoning application for their fourth and final tower of Phase 1 of The City of Lougheed, a massive 40-acre, 23-tower master planned site of the current/former Lougheed Mall. Phase 1 is the Southeast corner of the site, fronting North Road and Austin Road, and the first tower has sold out.

Overall City of Lougheed Site & Phase 1 Location

Tower 4 will be the shortest of the first four towers, and is located on the Northeast portion of the Phase 1 lands, which are now moving through site preparation. Details for this part of Phase 1 include:

• a 30-storey tower
• 237 rental apartment units
• 23 studios, 104 one-bedrooms, 110 two-bedrooms
• 2,777 SF of retail space at grade
• 114 parking spaces

Interestingly, the developer plans to stratify the units, but keep them as rental with a covenant protecting them as rental for a minimum 5 years.

Phase 1 Detail

Below is an update on the current rezoning applications currently heading to council for first reading.

6004-6018 Wilson Avenue

This 45,666 SF site in Metrotown is comprised of three properties at 6004, 6006 and 6018 Wilson Avenue, owned by Solterra Development. The site is currently comprised of three older residential buildings that are being proposed for rezoning under the Metrotown Downtown Plan for a new 36-storey highrise development with townhouses fronting Wilson Avenue. The proposed density is likely to be 5.0 FAR.

6438-6468 Mackay Avenue & 6443-6467 Silver Avenue

Intracorp is proposing a single highrise residential tower on this assembly of six lots totaling 32,438 SF. The site is designated within the Metrotown Downtown Plan for RM-4S. With a density transfer from adjacent lots at Maywood Avenue, the net proposed density is 7.1 FAR. This will be Intracorp’s eighth residential property in Burnaby.

4125 Hastings Street

The plan for this 8-lot, 51,8794 SF assembly of land in the Hastings Heights village area of North Burnaby is for redevelopment including a new 5-storey residential building with 3-storey ground oriented townhouses fronting Albert Street.

5977 Wilson Avenue

Another rezoning application in Metrotown for a highrise tower, this one is on Wilson Avenue, between Kingsway and Central Boulevard. The site is 54,015 SF and is comprised of two older apartment buildings totaling 63 units. The application is from Blue Sky Properties. The plan is for a 42-storey highrise tower with 3-storey townhouses fronting Wilson Avenue. The designation is RM-5S which permits a maximum density of 5.0 FAR.

6909-6949 Balmoral Street

This is a 4-lot land assembly in the Edmonds Town Centre Area being proposed for twenty-three 3-storey townhouses above one-level of underground parking based on an RM-3 designation. The proposed FAR would be in the range of 1.2-1.5.

4612-4650 Dawson Street

The plan for this 75,838 SF site in Brentwood is a highrise tower with townhouses fronting Dawson Street, retail uses and below ground parking. The rezoning will be based on RM4s in the Brentwood Town Centre Plan.

2152 & 2172 Douglas Road

This site, owned by Imani Development, is also located in the Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan and is designated RM5s, which allows a density up to 5.0 FAR. The 65,078 SF site is currently occupied by two older industrial buildings. The plan calls for a 482-foot residential tower with townhouses fronting Douglas Road.

8725 University Crescent

Here’s a site in the SFU Neighbourhood that is seeking approval for two new residential towers and 3-storey townhouses by Liberty Homes. This is in Phase 3 of the Univercity project. The proposal includes two terraced residential towers: one 14-storey tower and one 20-storey tower.

A full rundown of the reports going to council can be downloaded here: https://eagenda.burnaby.ca/sirepub/pubmtg.aspx?meetid=713&doctype=Agenda%20Packet%20–%20Compiled