5 towers with 2,100 homes proposed for Metropolis at Metrotown mall

Aug 13 2022, 1:13 am

Concord Pacific is advancing its plan to build the western half of its Concord Metrotown redevelopment on the northeast corner of the Metropolis at Metrotown shopping mall site.

This represents the final three phases of Concord Metrotown, within a 5.3-acre parcel along Kingsway — replacing some of the existing surface and underground vehicle parking, and the former Sears department store building.

The new rezoning application outlines five additional towers, bringing Concord Metrotown’s future buildout to a total of eight towers. This includes the three towers currently under construction to the east as the first phase, which entails a 755-ft, 65-storey tower that will be one of Metro Vancouver’s new tallest buildings upon completion in 2025.

This redevelopment is located at Metropolis at Metrotown mall, which is largely owned by Ivanhoe Cambridge. In 2015, Concord Pacific acquired the nine-acre northeast parcel of the mall separately owned by the now-defunct Sears Canada chain.

concord metrotown map overlay

Approximate footprints of Concord Metrotown’s first phase (blue) and future phases (red) on the property formerly owned by Sears at Metropolis at Metrotown mall. (Daily Hive/Google Maps)

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Layout of Concord Metrotown, showing the first phase under construction on the east parcel (right) and the future phases on the west parcel (left). (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Artistic rendering of Concord Metrotown, showing the first phase on the east parcel currently under construction (left), and the future phases on the west parcel (right). (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Final phases on the west parcel of Concord Metrotown. (City of Burnaby)

The remaining three phases of Concord Metrotown, outlined in a single application, entail three towers with condominium uses above non-market rental housing and retail/restaurant uses — reaching 40 storeys, 49 storeys, and 58 storeys, up to 632 ft. These three towers will be on the footprint of existing parking, closest to Kingsway.

For the Sears store building footprint, there will be two towers on a shared commercial podium — a 644-ft, 60-storey tower with 100% market rental housing uses, and a 47-storey 100% office tower. The four-storey commercial podium will entail two upper levels of office space, while the lower two levels will be retail, effectively operating as part of the indoor mall, including a new mall entrance that directly leads to the rest of the Ivanhoe Cambridge property. Moreover, a portion of the office space on this parcel could potentially be a hotel, but the exact uses will be determined in the future.

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Artistic rendering of Concord Metrotown’s future phases on the west parcel. (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Artistic rendering of Concord Metrotown’s future phases on the west parcel, showing the new entrance into Metropolis at Metrotown mall. (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Ground-level floor plan of the Metropolis at Metrotown indoor mall expansion and new entrance at Concord Metrotown. (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

The final three phases will generate a combined total of about 2,100 homes, including 1,145 condominium units, 791 market rental homes, and 188 non-market rental homes. The 60-storey tower alone will have 660 market rental homes. These numbers also take into account the City’s inclusive rental housing requirements, which are aided by the policy that allocates additional density to help offset the costs. Significant indoor and outdoor amenity spaces will be offered to residents.

The podiums of all five towers will dedicate the first two levels for retail/restaurant uses — a total of 182,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant space, including 71,000 sq ft seamlessly integrated with the indoor mall. These ground-level retail/restaurant spaces will help activate the redevelopment’s frontages with Kingsway, and the new internal streets, including the pedestrian-friendly “Festival Walk.”

Above the indoor mall-integrated retail/restaurant space will be 459,000 sq ft of office space.

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Artistic rendering of Concord Metrotown’s future phases on the west parcel. (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Artistic rendering of Concord Metrotown’s future phases on the west parcel. (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Artistic rendering of Concord Metrotown’s future phases on the west parcel. (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

The total floor area of the final three phases of Concord Metrotown will reach 2.3 million sq ft, establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 10 times larger than the size of this west parcel lot.

Seven underground levels will accommodate 3,035 vehicle parking stalls — including 368 stalls for retail/restaurant/mall uses — and 4,500 secured bike parking spaces.

IBI Group is the architectural firm behind the design of all phases of Concord Metrotown. Like the first phase under construction, the future towers in the latter phases will feature sculpted tower tops and “embellished tree silhouettes” made evident by the unique design of the residential balcony enclosures.

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Artistic rendering of Concord Metrotown’s future phases on the west parcel. (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Artistic rendering of Concord Metrotown’s future phases on the west parcel. (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

concord pacific concord metrotown future phases west

Artistic rendering of Concord Metrotown’s future phases on the west parcel. (IBI Group/Concord Pacific)

Aside from Festival Walk’s activation with wide sidewalks to help establish a vibrant retail street, the redevelopment will also create a prominent public space at the southwest corner of the intersection of Kingsway and McMurray Avenue — the unique “Mountain Plaza” at the foot of the existing Kingsway pedestrian bridge.

Concord Metrotown forms just a small part of the overall eventual redevelopment of the entire Metropolis at Metrotown mall site into a mixed-use, high-density core for Burnaby’s Metrotown Downtown district. Aligned with the municipal government’s plans for the area, Ivanhoe Cambridge previously outlined its early concept for demolishing the indoor mall on its 47-acre property over the long term. New city streets will be established to carve out city blocks for towers containing up to 15,000 homes, and ample new office, retail, and restaurant spaces.

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