Towers aplenty get early OK from Coquitlam

Hundreds of new condos and rental units in the works 

The pace of highrise condo construction in Coquitlam does not appear to be slowing down. 

Council approved first reading for three projects Monday night that will add a total of 650 housing units to the city’s residential stock.

The largest project is planned for Glen Drive and Westwood Street in the City Centre neighbourhood, where Polygon Developments is proposing a 40-storey, mixed-use tower, with podium-style ground-level commercial units. 

Fifty-one of the 273 units would be rentals while 222 would be market condos on a site currently occupied by several houses. The project would also feature four floors of commercial office space. 

While the 40-storey tower is being built by Polygon, the Onni group owns the land directly to the west of the project along Pinetree Way, where it is proposing to build three more towers. The two projects would move forward on separate timelines but are being designed by the same architectural firm. 

The second-largest tower, which had its first reading approved during Monday night’s council meeting, would be located on Sydney Avenue and Westview Street (near the Burnaby border at North Road and Austin Avenue). 

The 25-storey project, another podium and tower, is expected to have 235 units, with 157 market condos, 69 market rentals and nine below-market rental units. The five-storey podium would hold an amenity space and the rental units, according to a city staff report.

The final tower development to receive first reading Monday night is a 21-storey project located at Lougheed Highway and Blue Mountain Street. The proposed development would include eight townhouse units and a mixed-use space at the ground-floor level and a tower with four ground-floor commercial units and 142 market condo units.

All three towers will now move forward to the public hearing phase of the city’s application process. Public hearing dates are posted and updated at coquitlam.ca. 

NEW DOCK AT COMO LAKE

Pedestrians walking the loop at Coquitlam’s Como Lake will be detoured as the city works to replace a dock on the east side of the lake.

Signs have been posted on site to help park users avoid machines and equipment being used on the project, which is expected to be wrapped up by the end of the week.

According to the city, the new dock will provide lake visitors with a wider and longer platform. 

Provided By: Gary McKenna - gmckenna@tricitynews.com

Photo - Photograph By File Photo