On Monday, Burnaby City Council granted final approval to the first Indigenous-owned development project in the city: Kʷasən Village, which is also the largest Indigenous-led development project outside of Vancouver.
Kʷasən Village will be located at 3405 Willingdon Avenue, a 40-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Willingdon Avenue and Canada Way that's also known as the Willingdon Lands. The site is located directly across the street from BCIT's Burnaby campus and about midway between the Metrotown neighbourhood and Brentwood neighbourhood.
The project is being undertaken by the Musqueam Indian Band, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and Aquilini Development, who jointly acquired the property from the Government of British Columbia in 2014 for $57.9 million. BC Assessment currently values the property — which primarily consists of some institutional buildings, parking lots, and greenspace — at $233,114,000.
The property is owned under 0996501 BC Ltd. and controlled by Willingdon (AQ/MIB/TWN) General Partner Ltd., with each of the three partners owning a 1/3 stake, according to a Musqueam financial document.
3405 Willingdon Avenue in Burnaby. / Arcadis IBI Group, Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Aquilini
The Master Plan
The developers submitted their master plan rezoning application for the Willingdon Lands in April 2022 with a proposal for 5,239 housing units, comprised of 4,366 leasehold strata units, 554 market rental units, 101 moderate-income rental units, and 218 affordable rental units. Additionally, the project will include 135,000 sq. ft of commercial space, 450,000 sq. ft of film studio space, and 5,000 sq. ft of cultural space, across 22 buildings with heights up to 25 storeys, organized into four distinct villages.
At the northwest corner of the site, along Canada Way, will be the Residential District, which will include six buildings between six and 20 storeys, including building podiums of between six and 10 storeys. This district is "exclusively residential," "prioritizes ground-floor residential uses," and "has a quieter, local neighbourhood feel," the developers said in their rezoning application.
The Trade District will then run from the northeast corner of the site, where Canada Way and Willingdon Avenue intersects, down Willingdon Avenue about halfway through the site. This district serves as the "commercial core" of the community and is expected to include a large-format grocery store, smaller retail spaces, restaurant space, cafe space, and some office space, contributing towards a "commercially-activated streetscape."
Aerial view of Kʷasən Village from the southwest. / Arcadis IBI Group, Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Aquilini
Much of the southern half of the overwall site will then be comprised of the Storytelling District, anchored by a film studio and associated office space that are expected to accommodate 3,000 jobs. Several buildings that currently exist on the site have been used for film productions and the inclusion of the film studio is intended to allow that to continue, while also buffering the adjacent Discovery Place Business Centre. Some residential buildings will also be located in this district, along Willingdon Avenue.
Finally, the Park District will be located in the middle of the site, which will be the "cultural heart" of Kʷasən Village and be home to two large parks called Legends Park and Landing Park. The Park District will also house public amenities, childcare facilities, gathering spaces, and potentially seniors housing.
The master plan, designed by Arcadis IBI Group, would unfold across seven major phases:
- Phase One: Storytelling District (three buildings)
- Phase Two: Southern half of Trade District (three buildings)
- Phase Three: Southeastern half of Park District (three buildings)
- Phase Four: Northern half of Trade District (three buildings)
- Phase Five: Half of the Residential District (three buildings)
- Phase Six: The remaining half of the Park District (three buildings)
- Phase Seven: The remaining half of the Residential District (three buildings)
On October 21, without any discussion, Burnaby City Council granted a fourth and final reading to the master plan rezoning application.
Kʷasən Village's districts (left), building heights (centre), and phasing plan (right). / Arcadis IBI Group, Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Aquilini
Phase One
Concurrently, the developers have also been working on the first phase of the project, submitting a formal rezoning application in September 2023. Phase One will include 622 housing units across a six-storey building, a 20-storey building with some street-oriented townhomes, and a 14-storey building.
All three residential buildings will be located on the eastern side of the planned film studio. The six-storey Building 1A will be located away from Willingdon Avenue and deliver 91 affordable rental units that will be offered at 20% below the CMHC median rates for the market. The 91 units will be comprised of 14 studio units, 54 one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom units, and nine three-bedroom units.
The 20-storey Building 1B will be located at the northeast corner of the Storytelling District, along Willingdon Avenue, and deliver 267 leasehold strata units, comprised of 68 studio units, 118 one-bedroom units, 57 two-bedroom units, and 24 three-bedroom units. City staff say that the leasehold tenure of the strata units, rather than the traditional freehold, allows the Nations to retain ownership of the lands in perpetuity, while also making the homes more affordable.
The 14-storey Building 1C will then be situated at the southeast corner, also along Willingdon Avenue, and deliver 264 units with a suite mix of 49 studio units, 153 one-bedroom units, 62 two-bedroom units, and zero three-bedroom units. Of the 264 units, 213 will be provided as market rental units and the remaining 51 units will be provided at CMHC market median rates.
Renderings of Phase One of Kʷasən Village from along Willingdon Ave. / Arcadis IBI Group, Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Aquilini
Renderings of Phase One of Kʷasən Village from along Willingdon Ave. / Arcadis IBI Group, Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Aquilini
Across Phase One, a total of 482 vehicle parking spaces and 1,368 bicycle parking spaces will be provided across two separate underground parkades that will be accessible from a newly-constructed internal road called Goard Way, which itself will be accessible from Willingdon Avenue.
This phase was also originally planned to include the film studio and associated office space, but the plans have since changed.
"The applicant has now proposed to decouple the future film studio from the residential component of Phase 1, and pursue the construction of a film studio in a subsequent phase," said City staff.
On June 24, 2024, Burnaby City Council granted Phase One a third reading — conditional approval — and the developers are now working towards meeting the conditions for final approval.
