Pipeline Road apartment gets go-ahead despite concerns of construction slowdown

Now that it’s signed and sealed, it’s up to the developer to deliver.

Nearly three years after getting Coquitlam council’s approval, a 25-story Coquitlam apartment building near Glen Park is cleared for construction.

Arrayed over three lots at Pipeline Road and Inlet Street, the project consists of 147 strata units, 49 market rentals, and nine below-market rental units.

“I’ll move it along,” Coun. Brent Asmundson said Monday. “I’d hope that this one will get built.”

The applicant, Ledingham McAllister, had three substantial projects approved in Coquitlam in 2022 and 2023, none of which have been built.

Those projects include a 570-unit development at Lougheed Highway, Grayson and Alderson avenues that was also set to include commercial space, as well as a 25-storey market strata apartment alongside an eight-storey rental building totalling 202 units, and four six-storey buildings totalling 422 units at Sunset Avenue, Dunlop Street, Euclid Court and Alderson Avenue.

“We are approving housing units but we don’t build them and we don’t have an ability to force any developers to build,” Asmundon said.

Mayor Richard Stewart agreed, adding that the province tends to evaluate cities by cranes in the sky more than votes in council.

“Our success is measured entirely based on whether other people do their job,” he said.

The Pipeline Road project is expected to generate approximately $11.6 million for the city in development cost charges and density bonus contributions.

Breakdown

• Studios: 4
• One-bedroom units: 64 (45 units have a den)
• Two-bedroom units: 115
• Three-bedroom units: 22

The project had its detractors when it came before council in 2022, with neighbours expressing concerns about long shadows and longer traffic snarls.

The area is already busy and cramped, neighbour Kim Malito said at the time.

“We already have enough traffic on Pipeline as it is that causes a lot of congestion and by adding in another 200 plus units will just cause even more. We would support a four-storey application if proposed but will not support this monstrosity that cannot support our current infrastructure,” Malito wrote in a letter to council.

Mayor Stewart noted that some of the opposition to the highrise came from residents who live in a highrise.

“You live in a 25-storey tower and you’re opposed to the 25-storey tower that’s proposed 100 metres north,” Stewart said.