Thousands of homes planned in massive Metrotown development
New master plan for the area proposes 15 towers and 12,000 units built over decades
The future of Burnaby’s Metrotown is on display in a new public engagement website that seeks feedback on one of the most important master plans in the city.
Developer and owner Ivanhoé Cambridge plans to transform B.C.’s biggest mall at ¦ Kingsway into a vibrant and walkable downtown core—and keep part of the mall, according to the website.
The proposal for the ¡-acre Metropolis at Metrotown site, across the street from Metrotown SkyTrain station, includes a new city park, enhanced streetscapes and new shops.
With seven parcels of land, the developer plans to build in phases, beginning with ¡ new buildings in Phase from ¡ through to ¡.
Phase of the development, over the next years, proposes around , market units and , affordable rental units, the developer told Glacier Media.
Later phases of the redevelopment will come after ¡ , after the leases end for the mall’s “significant anchor tenants.”
Julie Bourgon, Ivanhoé’s head of retail for Canada, said the longterm vision is much the same as the plan that was presented in , which built on Burnaby’s ¦ Metrotown Downtown Plan, which established Metrotown as a regional town centre and as Burnaby’s downtown core.
The Metropolis at Metrotown master plan is phased over decades in part due to the well-performing mall, according to Bourgon.
“Our plan is a little bit different in the sense that we have a very performing mall that we want to maintain for the long run, as much as possible,” Bourgon said.
“Here we have a mall that is extremely liked by its residents and very performing; it’s really a centrepiece of the City of Burnaby.”
Bourgon said she heard strong community support for the planned housing options, parks and improved connectivity of the proposal during an open house at the mall earlier this month.
One of the plan’s goals is to provide a stronger network of pedestrian, cycling and vehicle connections in and between the neighbourhoods, according to the engagement website.
The developer has also planned three mobility hubs for transportation convenience. These would be a central place for catching carshare rides, food delivery, or even pick-up and drop-off of self-driving cars, according to Maxime Allaire, Ivanhoé’s director of asset management, retail.
The hubs would also include parking for bicycles and micro-mobility like e-scooters and e-bikes.
Metrotown and Patterson SkyTrain stations accommodate almost eight million passenger boardings each year, and the town centre is home to more than , jobs, according to the engagement website.
The City of Burnaby has previously proposed a Metrotown Events Centre, which included a new Burnaby Art Gallery and plaza in one version of the plan.
Bourgon said art is part of the site’s core values and added the developer is ready to work with any municipality or group on a facility for events or theatre. ¥