Tens of thousands of additional residents could be calling Bainbridge Urban Village, the area around SkyTrain’s Sperling-Burnaby Lake, home at some point in the future.

The City of Burnaby is in the process of creating a master plan for the new district, which is generally framed by Broadway to the north, Winston Street to the west and south, and Phillips Avenue to the east.

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There would be immense densification of the area with a mix of residential, commercial, and creative industrial uses.

Currently, the area has just 1,500 residents in 269 single-family homes and 275 townhomes. Nearly a third (30%) of the area is industrial, 21% is commercial, 13% is multi-family housing, and 33% is single-family housing.

But Bainbridge Urban Village is currently envisioned to have relatively moderate multi-family residential densities — both ownership and affordable rental housing — with neighbourhood-serving, smaller-scale retail and restaurants, as opposed to the regional-sized, high-density growth planned around SkyTrain’s Brentwood Town Centre and Lougheed Town Centre stations to the west and east.

Area of Bainbridge Urban Village, anchored by SkyTrain’s Sperling-Burnaby Lake Station. (City of Burnaby)

New sub-areas with unique different forms within Bainbridge Urban Village. (City of Burnaby)

The Village Centre is slated immediately around the SkyTrain station, located at the western edge of the Urban Village — encompassing the 19-acre Saputo dairy plant immediately south of the station, which was sold to Peterson Group in 2018 for $209 million — as well as an area north of Lougheed Highway. Tower heights of between 10 storeys and 25 storeys are proposed, including a single landmark tower of up to 25 storeys to frame a public plaza next to the station.

TransLink’s bus loop immediately south of the station could be redeveloped with commercial space, a public plaza, and transit amenities and services, while retaining and enhancing bus service connections.

Conceptual artistic rendering of the highest densities and heights at Bainbridge Urban Village in the Village Centre around SkyTrain’s Sperling-Burnaby Lake Station. (City of Burnaby)

Conceptual artistic rendering of the highest densities and heights at Bainbridge Urban Village in the Village Centre around SkyTrain’s Sperling-Burnaby Lake Station. (City of Burnaby)

An east-west high street would span the Urban Village, starting from south of the station to Bainbridge Avenue. This would be a pedestrian-focused street activated with restaurants, retail, amenities, and space for temporary markets and festivals.

To the north, Lougheed Highway would of course remain as a regional arterial route, but the plan calls for extensive landscaping, pedestrian and cycling pathways, and new intersections for connections to the new street network established by the Urban Village.

Conceptual artistic rendering of the pedestrian-focused high street in Bainbridge Urban Village. (City of Burnaby)

Improvements to Lougheed Highway within Bainbridge Urban Village, with landscaping, pedestrian and cycling routes, and activations by retail frontage. (City of Burnaby)

The terraced buildings along Lougheed Highway east of the Village Centre would generally be between 12 storeys and 16 storeys on the south side, and eight storeys to 12 storeys on the north side.

At the intersection of Lougheed Highway and Bainbridge Avenue, a Neighbourhood Square would serve as the area’s secondary commercial hub, with smaller-scale retail, restaurants, and community spaces. There would be mixed-use buildings between eight storeys and 10 storeys west of Bainsbridge Avenue, and between six storeys and eight storeys to the east.

Within the geographic core of the Urban Village, just southeast of the Village Centre, the Village Residential Core would have a large share of the area’s new multi-family homes, reaching between 10 storeys and 14 storeys.

Conceptual artistic rendering of the Neighbourhood Square at Bainbridge Urban Village. (City of Burnaby)

Conceptual artistic rendering of Bainbridge Urban Village. (City of Burnaby)

The sites generally south of Greenwood Street would accommodate low-to-mid-rise residential forms or stacked houses, with heights of up to eight storeys or up to 10 storeys along the street.

Transition areas along the south side of Ellerslie Avenue and Queensbridge Drive would be generally three to four storeys, and the area west of Bainbridge Avenue would be up to eight storeys.

For the large single-family neighbourhood areas between Broadway and Ellerslie Avenue, as well as east of Bainsbridge Avenue and south of Lougheed Highway, a relatively modest density uptick of three or four storeys is proposed.

Along Winston Street south of the Village Centre to the area east of Bainbridge Avenue, residential towers would range between 12 storeys and 18 storeys.

Conceptual artistic rendering of the Southern Gateway for Bainbridge Urban Village. (City of Burnaby)

Conceptual artistic rendering of the heights and densities along Winston Corridor in Bainbridge Urban Village. (City of Burnaby)

The city intends to preserve existing natural spaces in the area, while also creating new open public spaces, landscaped green corridors, plazas, paths, trails, and sports fields, plus potentially a new elementary school at the northwest corner of the intersection of Phillips Avenue and Buffalo Drive.

Connections to Burnaby Lake Regional Park and Burnaby Lake Sports Complex to the south of Bainbridge Urban Village would also be improved, such as a potential new pedestrian bridge over Winston Street and the rail corridor.

Most of the overall district is within a 10-minute walk of the SkyTrain station and Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.

The municipal government is currently conducting public consultation on the Bainbridge Urban Village; an online survey is open through September 5, 2021. A draft master plan for the area is expected to be ready by Fall 2021 or early 2022.

Example of a street with retail and restaurants in Bainbridge Urban Village. (City of Burnaby)

Road network within Bainbridge Urban Village. (City of Burnaby)

Pedestrian routes within Bainbridge Urban Village. (City of Burnaby)

Green spaces within Bainbridge Urban Village. (City of Burnaby)

• See also:
  • New renderings of Metro King: one of Metro Vancouver’s future tallest towers
  • Metropolis at Metrotown mall redevelopment envisions 15,000 new homes
  • City of Burnaby planning $460-million Metrotown events and convention centre
  • City Council approves renaming new Burnaby Lake community centre after Christine Sinclair
  • Burnaby City Council pours cold water on short, direct route for SFU Gondola