New tallest tower proposed for Brewery District in New Westminster

Artistic rendering of Building Seven at the Brewery District, located at 268 Nelson Street, New Westminster. (Chris Dikeakos Architects / Wesgroup)

Another tower at Brewery District next to SkyTrain’s Sapperton Station and Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster has entered the development application phase.

The municipal government is reviewing an application for ‘Building Seven’ of the eight-building, mixed-use redevelopment by local developer Wesgroup. This multi-building redevelopment spans a nine-acre site that was formerly home to Labatt’s Brewery.

Site of Building Seven at the Brewery District, located at 268 Nelson Street, New Westminster. (Chris Dikeakos Architects / Wesgroup)

According to the application for 268 Nelson’s Court, designed by Chris Dikeakos Architects, the proponents intend to build a 320-ft-tall, 32-storey tower on the northernmost tip of the residential parcel.

“The proposed Building 7 would be the tallest of the four residential buildings within the Brewery district,” reads a City staff report.

“The height of the building would create a gradual stepping of building forms from the south side of district which rises as the buildings move north from Building 4 to Building 7 in a manner which respects the planned street end view corridors, circulation patterns for streets and sidewalks, as well as roads and conceptual massing directions.”

Artistic rendering of Building Seven at the Brewery District, located at 268 Nelson Street, New Westminster. (Chris Dikeakos Architects / Wesgroup)

There will be 225 market residential strata homes, with the unit mix comprised of 24 studio units, 98 one-bedroom units, 71 two-bedroom units, and 32 three-bedroom units.

Additionally, the lower floors will have 53,000 sq. ft. of office space, 4,600-sq-ft of retail space, and a 9,500-sq-ft daycare.

Significant amenity spaces are planned for the tower’s office and residential tenants, including large roof terraces on levels two to four of the office section and a residential terrace on level five, the podium level.

Artistic rendering of Building Seven at the Brewery District, located at 268 Nelson Street, New Westminster. (Chris Dikeakos Architects / Wesgroup)

Building Seven will have 414 vehicle parking stalls, accounting for roughly one-fifth of the total number of vehicle parking stalls at the entire Brewery District.

A total floor area of 260,000 sq. ft. is being pursued for the tower’s 49,496-sq-ft development site, giving the building a floor space ratio density of 5.3 times the size of its lot.

Artistic rendering of Building Seven at the Brewery District, located at 268 Nelson Street, New Westminster. (Chris Dikeakos Architects / Wesgroup)

Additionally, the developer and the City intend on building a pedestrian-oriented transit plaza that provides a new enhanced entrance point into the SkyTrain station for both Brewery District and the rest of the area.

When fully complete, Brewery Distict will have over 1.4 million sq. ft. of floor area, including approximately 700 homes, more than 600,000 sq. ft. of office space, about 140,000 sq. ft. of retail space, and 65,000 sq. ft. of medical-oriented office space to supplement the activity of the adjacent hospital, which is currently undergoing a massive $1.35-billion renovation and expansion.

Major tenants within the three commercial buildings completed between 2010 and 2014 include Save-On-Foods and the headquarters of TransLink and Transit Police. Construction is well underway on the first residential towers.

Artistic rendering of Building Seven at the Brewery District, located at 268 Nelson Street, New Westminster. (Chris Dikeakos Architects / Wesgroup)

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