First phase of Indigenous-led housing next to BCIT Burnaby moves forward

First phase of Indigenous-led housing project next to BCIT Burnaby moves forward

Artistic rendering of the first phase of development for the Willingdon Lands at 3405 Willingon Avenue, Burnaby. (Musqueam/Tsleil-Waututh/Aquilini Development)

A high-density, mixed-use residential neighbourhood is set to pop up immediately west of the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s (BCIT) campus in Burnaby.

This is the redevelopment of the 40-acre sprawling Willingdon Lands at 3405 Willingdon Avenue — the southwest corner of the intersection of Canada Way and Willingdon Avenue.

About a decade ago, the provincial government sold the property to the Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations for $58 million. This site was previously home to one of BC’s single largest clusters of major mental health and addictions treatment facilities.

Since then, the two First Nations have partnered with Aquilini Development to pursue the project, which includes 5,000 homes, with a mix of leasehold strata, market rental, moderate-income rental, affordable rental, and live-work units. Regular strata home ownership opportunities are not available to enable First Nation ownership of the land in perpetuity.

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The vast majority of the residential uses will be located on the northern half of the site, within mid-rise and high-rise tower forms. The southern half will be a major film and television production studio, with about 450,000 sq ft of purpose-built production space.

Other uses include some office and community-serving retail and restaurant uses, which will also benefit the area’s high concentration of post-secondary students.

In Summer 2022, the municipal government approved the Willingdon Lands master plan and associated Official Community Plan amendments to support the project.

3405 Willingdon Avenue Burnaby Willingdon Lands phase 1 rezoning

Site of the first phase of development for the Willingdon Lands at 3405 Willingon Avenue, Burnaby. (Google Maps)

Site of the first phase of development for the Willingdon Lands at 3405 Willingon Avenue, Burnaby. (Musqueam/Tsleil-Waututh/Aquilini Development)

Master plan for the redevelopment of the Willingdon Lands. (Musqueam/Tsleil-Waututh/Aquilini Development)

Site of the first phase of development for the Willingdon Lands at 3405 Willingon Avenue, Burnaby. (Musqueam/Tsleil-Waututh/Aquilini Development)

And now, the proponents are ready to move forward with the first of seven phases of the project, based on the master plan.

A new rezoning application calls for the development of a 2.5-acre, L-shaped parcel at the southwest corner of the intersection of Willingdon Avenue and Goard Way — just opposite the main entrance into the BCIT campus.

This initial phase will entail three buildings, including a 20-storey tower with leasehold strata residential uses, a 14-storey tower with market rental and non-market rental uses, and a six-storey building with non-market rental uses. These buildings will be immediately east of the future film studio.

Artistic rendering of the first phase of development for the Willingdon Lands at 3405 Willingon Avenue, Burnaby. (Musqueam/Tsleil-Waututh/Aquilini Development)

The first three buildings will contain a total of 622 homes, including 267 leasehold strata units, 51 market median rental units based on Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) rates, 213 market rental units, and 91 inclusionary rental units at 20% below CMHC market median rates for the area.

The strata leasehold unit size mix is 68 studios, 118 one-bedroom units, 57 two-bedroom units, and 24 three-bedroom units. The market rental unit size mix is 32 studios, 109 one-bedroom units, and 62 two-bedroom units, while the combined non-market rental unit size mix is 21 studios, 98 one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom units, and nine three-bedroom units.

Artistic rendering of the first phase of development for the Willingdon Lands at 3405 Willingon Avenue, Burnaby. (Musqueam/Tsleil-Waututh/Aquilini Development)

This phase does not contain any retail/restaurant uses; the ground level will be dedicated to residential units.

There will be up to five underground levels for 503 vehicle parking stalls and nearly 1,400 bike parking spaces.

The combined total building floor area of the first phase is 428,000 sq ft, representing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 3.93 times larger than the size of the parcel.

The first phase parcel is immediately adjacent to a major bus stop served by major north-south bus routes. This stop is expected to be upgraded over the coming years for TransLink’s future RapidBus or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service linking the North Shore, Brentwood, and Metrotown via the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge.

Through their wholly owned MST Development Corporation, the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations also have a partnership with Aquilini Development on the future redevelopment of the 10-acre warehouse site next to SkyTrain Rupert Station in East Vancouver, which was previously used as a BC Liquor distribution facility. It is expected to be redeveloped into a mixed-use project with high-rise residential towers on top of light industrial/commercial uses. Aquilini Development is owned by the same family that owns the Vancouver Canucks.

Artistic rendering of the first phase of development for the Willingdon Lands at 3405 Willingon Avenue, Burnaby. (Musqueam/Tsleil-Waututh/Aquilini Development)

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