‘Pretty shocking’ Some Coquitlam councillors critical of nine-tower City Centre project

A big project may have a bumpy road ahead.

Consisting of one highrise and eight shorter buildings, a proposed City Centre development includes 1,115 units but no below-market units – something Coun. Matt Djonlic called: “pretty shocking,” during Monday’s meeting.

The project would replace 113 rental units at 1145 Inlet Street. With those rents pegged at around $1,700 a month, the new housing would likely be smaller and be rented at: “an astronomically higher rent,” Djonlic said.

“I can’t support this project as it currently stands,” Djonlic concluded.

The meeting offered council a chance to talk over the project in a slightly less formal atmosphere before approving or rejecting the proposal at a future meeting. Monday marked the second time council has discussed the project.

During an April 2023 meeting, council was generally supportive of the development. However, they asked developer Ledingham McAllister to make several adjustments, including incorporating below-market and non-market units.

Since then, Ledingham McAllister concluded providing non-market rentals as well as a 57-unit childcare space: “is not feasible based on the project economics,” according to a city staff report.

The best way to improve affordability is to build new rental and to build it faster, responded Ledingham McAllister executive vice-president Dan Giordano.

If the project had gotten a green light last year, “it would be considered affordable now,” Giordano said, discussing escalating construction costs.

Coun. Robert Mazzarolo rejected the idea the city was causing a delay.

“You want to speed it up? Provide what we’ve asked for,” he said Monday.

In April 2023, council essentially gave Ledingham McAllister a six-item checklist, Mazzarolo noted.

Besides including a spot for dogs to relieve themselves as well as pick-up and drop-off spots for childcare, the proposal hasn’t been refined according to council’s concerns, Mazzarolo said.

“The two you gave us provided no change, really, other than changing the colours on a map, and the other four you declined,” he said.

Besides the issue of non-market rents, council’s suggestions included more family-size units and a footpath to Maple Creek Middle School.

A pedestrian connection to Maple Creek Middle School was not a requirement, according to a letter from city staff to the developer, Giordano said.

Staff asked the developer to work with the school district on that pedestrian connection. “However, LedMac declined this request and reiterated that the project will not include the extension of the greenway onto the school property,” stated a city staff report.

If the developer had been more receptive to council’s comments from a year ago, the project likely “would’ve sailed right through,” Mazzarolo said.

Noting the development company’s statement about the challenges of providing both childcare and below-market rentals, Mazzarolo made one recommendation.

“I wouldn’t come back to council and have the childcare removed,” he advised.

The project got some support from Coun. Teri Towner, who emphasized the need to not make perfection the enemy of the good.

“With delays, the prices are going up,” she said. “I’d feel more comfortable moving this along then holding it up and ending up with less housing.”

While Towner said she’d like to see some below-market housing in the project, she said there is often a domino effect where renters leave lower-cost housing when something nicer but costlier becomes available.

“It does free up the more lower-cost housing for the people that need it,” she said.

The math of the project doesn’t make sense, according to Coun. Trish Mandewo.

“You’re taking 113 units and we get zero,” she said. “To me, the numbers don’t work.”

“A project this size has to have some below-market,” concurred Coun. Craig Hodge.

Shaped roughly like a butcher knife between Pipeline Road and Ozada Avenue, the development includes a 25-storey highrise before widening to include eight six- and seven-storey buildings, comprising 135 rental units and 980 market homes.

The developer proposed offering priority to first responders and teachers.

If council gives the proposal first reading, it would be subject to a public hearing.