The most expensive public school in BC history will be built in Burnaby

BC’s most expensive public school project to be a new elementary school in Burnaby's booming Brentwood district

Burnaby's Brentwood Town Centre skyline. (EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock)

A new additional elementary school will be built in the Brentwood Town Centre district of Burnaby, but the project’s precise timeline for implementation has not been determined.

The provincial government announced today it will begin planning work in collaboration with Burnaby School District on creating a business case for the new Brentwood Town Centre-East Elementary School.

“As more people choose to call BC home, our government is continuing to build, expand and upgrade schools across the province,” said Rachna Singh, BC minister of education and child care, in a statement.

“This project in Brentwood will provide more student space in Burnaby as part of our commitment to ensuring that students have access to safe, quality schools that are close to home.”

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After the business case for the new school is finalized, it will be brought forward to the provincial government for final funding approval. According to the provincial government, a finalized business case takes eight months on average, but this depends on the size of the school project. After funding approval, the project will enter the detailed design stage.

It should be noted that this project comes just months ahead of the scheduled October 2024 general provincial election.

As for the location, Burnaby School Board’s 2023 long-range facilities plan notes that it has selected the three-acre former industrial site of 4900 Dawson Street.

Furthermore, according to the school board’s June 2023 capital plan request to the provincial government, Brentwood Town Centre-East Elementary School could have a capacity for 800 students, making it one of the largest elementary schools in British Columbia, if not the largest.

The provincial government’s announcement today did not provide any cost estimate for the project, but it stated that Brentwood Town Centre-East Elementary School is “the largest school-capital budget in the province’s history.” This aligns with the school board’s requested super-large capacity size, and it means it would even exceed the construction cost of recently built secondary schools, which are far larger than the typical elementary school.

The relatively small lot size and high capacity suggest Brentwood Town Centre-East Elementary School could be taller with multiple floors.

Earlier this month, the provincial government announced it would commit $150 million to build the long-promised new elementary school at Vancouver Olympic Village. The four-storey school with a capacity for 630 kids — plus a neighbourhood learning centre featuring a childcare facility with a rooftop play area — will be one of the largest elementary schools in the province.

Brentwood Town Centre-East Elementary School’s vacant site with temporary grassy park uses is currently surrounded by traditional industrial uses. The Canadian National trunk railway borders the site to the south, and a Purolator delivery hub is just to the east. However, the area is experiencing immense changes that will diminish the industrial uses, with further phases of Concord Brentwood’s high-density residential tower developments moving forward to the north and west of the school site, as well as a future large major public park to the west.

4900 dawson street burnaby brentwood town centre east elementary school 1

Future location of Brentwood Town Centre-East Elementary School at 4900 Dawson Street. (Google Maps)

Artistic rendering of Concord Oasis at Concord Brentwood in Burnaby. (Concord Pacific)

It is also noted by the provincial government that design and planning are currently underway on a pre-fabricated addition to the nearby Kitchener Elementary School. This $23 million expansion will provide Kitchener Elementary School — within the Willingdon Heights neighbourhood, north of SkyTrain Gilmore Station — with 15 more classrooms for an additional capacity increase of 375 students.

As well, Brentwood Park Elementary — located northeast of The Amazing Brentwood mall — will receive a $39 million seismic upgrade and expansion that increases its capacity by 165 students. This includes a new childcare facility for 37 kids, plus a standalone before- and after-school childcare space.

Both projects at Kitchener and Brentwood Park elementary schools combined will increase the elementary school capacity in Brentwood Town Centre by 540 students — before accounting for the future new Brentwood Town Centre-East Elementary School.

In February 2024, the new $117 million Burnaby North Secondary School — a seismic redevelopment and expansion — opened. The high school redevelopment has 1,800 seats, making it one of the largest public schools in British Columbia. It also features a childcare facility for 54 kids.

“Our school district is facing rapid growth. This investment is a welcome and important next step toward adding a new school in the Brentwood area — one of the fastest-growing communities in the province,” said Bill Brassington, chair of Burnaby Board of Education. “A place to go to school is an integral part of any neighbourhood and ensuring children have safe places to learn is a priority we share with the Ministry of Education and Child Care.”

Skylines of downtown Vancouver (background) and Burnaby’s Brentwood Town Centre (foreground). (Shutterstock)

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August 2023 construction progress on the Concord Brentwood residential towers, as seen from Lougheed Highway. (Google Maps)

According to the school board’s long-range plan, the Brentwood North elementary school catchment zone — spanning all of North Burnaby, including the entire Brentwood Town Centre area, and Willingdon Heights, Capitol Hill, Lochdale, and Westridge neighbourhoods — will see the greatest elementary school capacity shortfall out of Burnaby’s total of four school catchment zones by 2032.

Based on forecasts, by 2032, the Brentwood North catchment zone will see an elementary school capacity shortfall of 1,685 seats — nearly four times higher than the second-highest deficit of the Central West zone, where there will be a capacity shortfall of 428 seats.

Currently, according to the school board, the area’s existing schools are already near, at, or over capacity.

“The Brentwood North Zone school-age population has experienced moderate growth over the past 10 school years… This growth has been managed through portable classrooms being installed at Kitchener and Brentwood Park Elementary schools,” reads the 2023 long-range facilities plan.

“Future [enrolment demand] growth is predicted to be more rapid [in Brentwood North] due to ongoing construction.”

The school board’s June 2023 capital plan request to the provincial government also seeks provincial funding for a new Brentwood Town Centre-West Elementary School with a capacity for 475 students and a new Bainbridge Village Elementary School, which would serve the future high residential density uses around SkyTrain Sperling-Burnaby Lake Station.

Over the coming years and decades, Brentwood Town Centre will see continued immense high-density residential developments that will add thousands of additional homes for tens of thousands of residents, with the largest projects closest to the three SkyTrain stations that anchor the area — Gilmore, Brentwood Town Centre, and Holdom.

Earlier this month, the provincial government also announced it will commit $150 million to build the long-promised new elementary school at Vancouver Olympic Village. The four-storey school with a capacity for 630 kids — plus a neighbourhood learning centre featuring a childcare facility with a rooftop play area — will be one of the largest elementary schools in the province.

brentwood block brentwood community centre grosvenor burnaby 2024

2024 artistic rendering of the towers of Brentwood Block in Burnaby. (Perkins&Will/Grosvenor)

Brentwood West 4430-4488 Halifax Street 1801 Willingdon Avenue Burnaby rezoning

2023 rezoning artistic rendering of 4430-4488 Halifax Street and 1801 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/Bosa Development)

Artistic rendering of Concord Oasis at Concord Brentwood in Burnaby. (Concord Pacific)

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