BC government to build rental housing complex at Moody Centre SkyTrain

Conceptual artistic rendering of Moody Centre Transit-Oriented Development in Port Moody. (Moody Centre TOD)

The provincial government has signalled it will redevelop a major property it owns near SkyTrain Moody Centre Station into a mixed-use project with secured purpose-built rental housing as a focus.

Few details are available at this time, but this will be a two-acre redevelopment with hundreds of rental homes, childcare spaces, healthcare services, educational opportunities, and retail spaces.

The site is within the 23-acre area of the Moody Centre TOD Area Master Planning Group (MCTOD), a consortium of nine separate entities that own the properties that surround the transit hub, including private developers, TransLink, and the provincial government. This group first revealed their early concept and entered the City of Port Moody’s official community plan amendment process in 2020.

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The provincial government’s project is made possible by legislation changes in 2022 that enable BC Transportation Financing Authority with the legal ability to buy land next to public transit hubs to build more housing and achieve community benefits. Previously, the provincial authority was only able to acquire the required land for transportation infrastructure projects, such as the land needed for SkyTrain stations, bus exchanges, the elevated guideway, and construction staging areas.

SkyTrain Moody Centre Station. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Today’s announcement coincides with the provincial government’s decision to buy an additional parcel of land — a small lot — next to the existing property it owns to expand the size of the redevelopment. The provincial government already owned excess lands in the area as part of the Millennium Line Evergreen Extension project.

This acquisition was funded by the $394 million set aside in the provincial budget to acquire transit-oriented development properties to build housing projects. The provincial government aims to build 10,000 homes on provincially owned lands near transit hubs over the coming decade.

“Building neighbourhoods next to transit makes sense,” said Rob Fleming, BC Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, in a statement.

“That’s why we are focused on creating more communities where people can go to work, school and access the services they need all close to transit. This is the first of many such projects across the province we will be supporting as part of our transit-oriented development initiative.”

Moody Centre TOD Area Master Planning Group Port Moody

Conceptual artistic rendering of Moody Centre Transit-Oriented Development in Port Moody. (Moody Centre TOD)

Conceptual form depiction of Moody Centre Transit-Oriented Development in Port Moody. (Moody Centre TOD)

The proposed development will also be supported by the provincial government’s new transit-oriented development legislation, which stipulates sites within a 400-metre radius of a SkyTrain station can see minimum residential building heights of 20 storeys. The transit-oriented development radius around SkyTrain stations extends to 800 metres, with buildings at least 12 storeys permitted from 201 metres to 400 metres from a station and at least eight storeys from 401 metres to 800 metres.

The provincial government states that the detailed design of their project will likely take at least one year, which includes public consultation.

“Port Moody council welcomes development applications within the Moody Centre transit-oriented development area,” said Meghan Lahti, mayor of Port Moody.

“The Province’s proposal, although it has not been submitted to the city yet for review, appears to be consistent with council’s strategic plan and would move the city toward the housing targets established by the province. Development in proximity to the Moody Centre SkyTrain Station is in keeping with council’s goals of encouraging greater use of public transit, climate resilience, increasing access to jobs and services, and more affordable housing options. We believe that this type of initiative would provide much-needed new housing and commercial development opportunities to serve the needs of existing and future residents.”

In July 2022, provincial leaders made a rare move in publicly expressing their opposition to the City of Port Moody’s previous political leadership over their consideration of reducing future density around Moody Centre Station.

Under the original concept, MCTOD could generate over 4,000 homes, plus retail/restaurant, office, post-secondary education, and creative industrial space, within over a dozen towers reaching up to 36 storeys.

Earlier this year, PCI Developments advanced their proposal for 3006-3020 Spring Street to the rezoning application stage, outlining their plan for two 39-storey towers with 857 rental homes, plus a 40,000 sq ft grocery store and a pedestrian bridge crossing over the SkyTrain and Canadian Pacific railway tracks.

Port Moody is amongst the provincial government’s list of the first 10 cities that must abide by the new Housing Supply Act.

60 Williams Street 3006-3020 Spring Street Vancouver SkyTrain Moody Centre Station PCI Developments

Artistic rendering of 60 Williams Street and 3006-3020 Spring Street, Port Moody. (Perkins&Will/PCI Developments)

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