Telus Boot in Burnaby approved for five new towers with 2,500 homes | Daily Hive

Telus Boot site in Burnaby approved for five new towers with over 2,500 homes

Artistic rendering of Central Park Commons at the Telus Boot at 3777-3791 Kingsway, Burnaby. (Arcadis/Anthem Properties/Crestpoint Real Estate Investments)

For nearly half a century, the Telus Boot office tower — formally known as the Telus Brian Canfield Centre, originally constructed for BC-Tel — has stood as a defining landmark along the Vancouver-Burnaby border.

Now, this property of 3777-3791 Kingsway, at the northeast corner of the intersection of Boundary Road and Kingsway, is poised for its most significant transformation since its construction in 1976.

Earlier this week, Burnaby City Council approved a major redevelopment plan that will enable a new infill high-density development called Central Park Commons.

This also follows the property’s transaction in 2024. The project was originally spearheaded by developer PC Urban, before it was taken over by developer Anthem Properties following H&R Real Estate Investment’s Trust’s sale of a 50 per cent ownership interest in the development to Crestpoint Real Estate Investments. The project’s architectural design firm is Arcadis.

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Dwarfing the 21-storey Boot tower and the recently completed towers on the Vancouver side of Boundary Road, five new additional towers will be built on the property’s surface vehicle parking lots and other vacant spaces to the east and north of the existing tower.

The new towers will reach 31, 38, 52, 60, and 64 storeys in height. To enable the footprint of one of the new towers, a portion of the base podium of the L-shaped Boot tower will be demolished, specifically the 10-storey base podium that fronts Boundary Road. This is expected to reduce the office tower’s floor area from 687,000 sq. ft. to 512,000 sq. ft.

Existing condition:

Telus Boot 3777-3791 Kingsway Burnaby 11

Existing condition of the Telus Boot at 3777-3791 Kingsway, Burnaby. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Central Park Commons Telus Boot 3777-3791 Kingsway Burnaby

Artistic rendering of Central Park Commons at the Telus Boot at 3777-3791 Kingsway, Burnaby. (Arcadis/Anthem Properties/Crestpoint Real Estate Investments)

Central Park Commons will bring a total of about 2,535 homes, including about 725 secured purpose-built market rental homes within the 31 storey and 38 storey towers at the southeast corner of the property fronting Kingsway, and over 1,800 homes — including about 1,559 strata market ownership condominium homes and about 252 secured purpose-built below-market rental homes — in the 52 storey, 60 storey, and 64 storey towers to the north of the existing tower.

There will also be about 43,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant uses within the lower levels of the new buildings, including space for a potential grocery store as an anchor retailer.

telus boot 3777-3791 kingsway burnaby central park commons

Two phases and uses of the Central Park Commons development at the Telus Boot at 3777-3791 Kingsway, Burnaby. (City of Burnaby)

Existing condition of the Telus Boot at 3777-3791 Kingsway, Burnaby. (Google Maps)

10-storey base podium to be demolished along Boundary Road; existing condition of the Telus Boot at 3777-3791 Kingsway, Burnaby. (Google Maps)

The project’s first phase will achieve the two market rental housing towers fronting Kingsway, and the partial demolition of the Boot’s base podium fronting Boundary Road, which includes the refurbishment of the building’s facade and other upgrades to ensure the retained office building is more closely aligned with modern building codes and safety standards.

The residential unit size mix for the first phase is 88 studios, 245 one-bedroom units, 125 one-bedroom units with a den, 132 two-bedroom units, 67 two-bedroom units with a den, and 67 three-bedroom units. The first phase will provide over 400 vehicle parking stalls, in addition to the existing 364 vehicle parking stalls that serve the needs of the office building, along with over 1,450 secured bike parking spaces.

The concept of the second phase is subject to change and depends on market conditions. The tallest tower of 64 storeys is incorporated into the second phase, and it is situated at the site’s lowest elevation next to the intersection of Boundary Road and Vanness Avenue. Most of the retail and restaurant uses will be achieved in the second phase.

Artistic rendering of Central Park Commons at the Telus Boot at 3777-3791 Kingsway, Burnaby. (Arcadis/Anthem Properties/Crestpoint Real Estate Investments)

Artistic rendering of Central Park Commons at the Telus Boot at 3777-3791 Kingsway, Burnaby. (Arcadis/Anthem Properties/Crestpoint Real Estate Investments)

Site plan of Central Park Commons at the Telus Boot at 3777-3791 Kingsway, Burnaby. (Arcadis/Crestpoint Real Estate Investments)

When both phases are fully complete, the site’s total building floor area could reach 2.55 million sq. ft., including 540,000 sq. ft. in the first phase, 1.5 million sq. ft. in the second phase, and the reduced size of the existing office building.

The Boot’s existing pedestrian overpass over Kingsway will be retained and upgraded. Using the pedestrian overpass and the BC Parkway pathway, the site is about a 13-minute walk to SkyTrain Patterson Station in the east. The City of Burnaby already has standalone plans to significantly improve the BC Parkway throughout the Metrotown area between Central Park’s Kingsway edge — where the Boot is located — and SkyTrain Royal Oak Station.

As well, SkyTrain Joyce-Collingwood Station is about a 15-minute walk to the west, and the development site is served by frequent bus routes.

Location of the potential future Boundary Road Station on the Expo Line, immediately north of the Telus “Boot” office tower, and the walking distance between the Central Commons development site and Patterson Station. (Google Maps/Daily Hive)

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