On Monday, Burnaby City Council granted final approval to a master-planned community that's set to include the tallest all-rental tower in Western Canada, adding yet another high-density multi-tower community to the Brentwood neighbourhood.
The project is called Brentwood Block and is being developed by the Americas division of UK-based Grosvenor, who are also developing the Mayfair West master plan project near Oakridge in Vancouver.
Brentwood Block is set for a 7.9-acre site — bound by Lougheed Highway on the north, Beta Avenue on the east, Dawson Street on the south, and Alpha Avenue on the west — located just half a block east from the Millennium Line SkyTrain's Brentwood Town Centre Station.
The property consists of five legal parcels, four of which — 4612 Lougheed Highway and 2040, 2140, 2150 Alpha Avenue — were previously occupied by a car dealership. BC Assessment values those four parcels at $84,496,000, $28,563,000, $14,282,000, and $14,284,900. The fifth parcel — 4664 Lougheed Highway — is the largest and is occupied by an eight-storey office building orignally constructed in 1975. BC Assessment values that parcel at $135,975,000, giving the entire property a value of $277,600,900.
The 7.9-acre Brentwood Block site in Burnaby.(Perkins & Will / Grosvenor)
Grosvenor submitted its master plan rezoning application in October 2019, which outlined a development plan that would unfold across two to four phases. Grosvenor then submitted a site-specific rezoning application in April 2022 with a two-phase plan for 3,476 total units, with the first phase focused on the western half of the site and the second phase focused on the eastern half of the site.
Phase One will include 1,731 units, split between:
- a 43-storey condo tower (59 studio units, 162 one-bedroom units, 210 two-bedroom units, and 22 three-bedroom units),
- a 54-storey market rental tower (105 studio units, 321 one-bedroom units, 135 two-bedroom units, and 13 three-bedroom units), and
- a 63-storey market rental and non-market rental tower (167 studio units, 370 one-bedroom units, 152 two-bedroom units, and 15 three-bedroom units).
Overview of the Brentwood Block master plan.(City of Burnaby)
- a 63-storey market rental and non-market rental tower (168 studio units, 388 one-bedroom units, 170 two-bedroom units, and 16 three-bedroom units),
- a 58-storey market rental tower (98 studio units, 301 one-bedroom units, 126 two-bedroom units, and 12 three-bedroom units), and
- a 44-storey condo tower (61 studio units, 166 one-bedroom units, 216 two-bedroom units, and 23 three-bedroom units).
The second phase also include retail spaces in the podiums of the residential buildings, as well as a standalone low-rise commercial space adjacent to the aforementioned community centre, both of which would sit along Dawson Street.
Renderings of the commercial space (left) and community centre (right).(Perkins & Will / Grosvenor)
Renderings of the residential building exteriors (left) and interior (right).(Perkins & Will / Grosvenor)
On its website, Grosvenor is marketing Brentwood Block as "the first pedestrian-focused" community in Brentwood, saying that all cars will be accessing underground parking from the site's periphery, while pedestrian-oriented public spaces and green spaces, including landscaped trails and cycling routes, will make up most of the space in between the various buildings.
Grosvenor says Brentwood Block will also exceed the City of Burnaby's sustainability requirements and meet the company's own 2030 commitment to achieve Net Zero Operational Carbon, through the use of energy-efficient building envelopes and low carbon systems. Grosvenor is also commiting $8M towards public art that will be located throughout Brentwood Block.
According to a May 2022 report to Council, the full build out of Brentwood Block is expected to take approximately 12 years, although City staff note that the timing can potentially be impacted by market conditions. The City also said that it would be making use of covenants to ensure the non-market rental units are provided early on.
For the City, this is the latest master plan project that's set for the Brentwood neighbourhood. Other nearby master plan projects include Brentwood West, Buchanan West, South Yards, Concord Brentwood, and The Amazing Brentwood.
