2,500 homes proposed for Coquitlam College site near Lougheed SkyTrain

Concept for the Coquitlam College redevelopment at 516-566 Brookmere Avenue, Coquitlam. (Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects/Onni Group)

The high-density, multi-tower, mixed-use redevelopment of the Coquitlam College campus could be the largest transit-oriented development within Coquitlam near SkyTrain Lougheed Town Centre Station.

On Monday, Coquitlam City Council provided an initial review of Onni Group’s preliminary concept to redevelop the 7.2-acre land assembly at 516-566 Brookmere Avenue, entailing the post-secondary institution campus and a row of single-family houses immediately to the north that front Brookmere Avenue.

This development site is located just beyond the east side of North Road — the municipal border between Burnaby and Coquitlam, about a 10-minute walk from the SkyTrain station and bus exchange via a mid-block pedestrian pathway of the 2019-built, 28-storey Brookmere condominium tower, which was also built by Onni Group.

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To date, most of the largest developments near this regional transit hub have been situated to the west on the Burnaby side of the border.

516 brookmere avenue coquitlam college redevelopment onni group

Site of the Coquitlam College redevelopment at 516-566 Brookmere Avenue, Coquitlam. (City of Coquitlam)

It was acknowledged during today’s meeting that Onni Group is still in the process of forming the entire land assembly, particularly a few of the remaining single-family houses it needs to acquire. In 2022, the developer acquired the vast majority of the development site — the 5.3-acre Coquitlam College campus — in a deal worth $140 million, according to records.

Onni Group is proposing to build a total of seven towers between 28 storeys and 50 storeys, with the tallest buildings located on the western side of the site, closest to the transit hub — generally providing a gradual west-east transition in height.

There would be about 2,500 homes, including 1,813 market strata condominium homes and 687 secured purpose-built rental homes, with 595 market rental units and 92 below-market rental units.

To realize the rental housing component, there would be two 100% rental housing towers reaching 44 storeys and 28 storeys.

Existing condition:

516 brookmere avenue coquitlam college redevelopment onni group 11

Site of the Coquitlam College redevelopment at 516-566 Brookmere Avenue, Coquitlam. (City of Coquitlam)

Future condition:

Concept for the Coquitlam College redevelopment at 516-566 Brookmere Avenue, Coquitlam. (Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects/Onni Group)

According to City staff, the “applicant is proposing an extraordinary Bonus Density payment and has proportionally increased the floor area of priority units.”

Commercial uses on the site entail 56,000 sq ft of office space and 7,200 sq ft of retail/restaurant space.

Altogether, the developer is looking to construct 2.1 million sq ft of total building floor area, achieving a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 6.7 times larger than the size of the land assembly. City staff noted such a density level exceeds what is anticipated for the site.

The redevelopment is generally divided into two large west and east parcels. The site will be bisected by the daylighting of a north-south stream that historically feeds into Austin Creek, which frames the site’s border to the southeast. As well, a north-south pedestrian and cyclist pathway will follow the daylighted stream’s edge, and connect with other pedestrian pathways across the site that lead towards North Road and the transit hub to the west.

The four towers on the west parcel will form the project’s first two phases, while the three towers on the east parcel will be the third phase.

Concept for the Coquitlam College redevelopment at 516-566 Brookmere Avenue, Coquitlam. (Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects/Onni Group)

During the meeting, City Council expressed a need for more local-serving retail space to help activate the development’s public realm, and the inclusion of childcare. According to City staff, it is estimated the proposed residential uses would generate a demand for 133 childcare spaces.

Currently, the development concept shows as many as seven underground parking levels across the site. The developer told City Council a parking reduction is unlikely due to the expectation from the marketplace that market strata condominium ownership homes should come with parking.

The project’s design firms are Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects and David Stoyko Landscape Architect.

Earlier this year, Coquitlam College relocated its main campus to Broadway Tech Centre, located next to SkyTrain Renfrew Station in Vancouver.

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