Seven-tower Coquitlam College project gets passing grade from council

Property owners can hold on, but they can’t hold up development.

That was the message from members of Coquitlam council Monday as they expressed unanimous support for a project that would bring seven towers totalling 2,460 units to a single-family neighbourhood near the Vancouver Golf Club.

Located on the former Coquitlam College site, the project is spread over 10 lots in the 500-block of Brookmere Avenue. However, three homeowners in the neighbourhood have opted not to sell to the developer, Onni Group.

The city has a policy of ensuring a property isn’t locked out of a development, explained Coun. Brent Asmundson Monday.

“But we also have a policy that you can’t hold the development up for blackmail,” he said. “We are not going to hold this development up for final approval if they don’t acquire at fair market value these properties.”

Failure to buy the holdout lots could impact the plan to expand Brookmere Park. However, the owners shouldn’t feel they have an “upper hand,” Asmundson added.

Onni should make every effort to get those lots, Coun. Robert Mazzarolo said.

Prefacing his remarks by saying his comments shouldn’t be taken as advice in any way, shape or form, Mazzarolo added his thoughts about the owners of the holdout lots.

“I think they need to contemplate when they have maximum leverage and when they start to lose leverage.”

With seven towers ranging from 30 to 51 storeys, the project is set to include approximately 1,801 strata units and 656 rentals.

Those rentals include 80 below-market units – however, there’s a chance to do something much more substantially subsidized, according to Coun. Matt Djonlic.

“There’s a real opportunity to bring in a not-for-profit here,” he said, urging staff to work with Onni as the project advances.

Onni is set to pay the city approximately $188 million in development cost charges and community amenity contributions. That includes $2.7 million for “transportation demand measures” and $9 million earmarked for affordable housing.

Ideally, that $9 million “goes right back into this project,” Djonlic said.

Coun. Dennis Marsden echoed Djonlic’s call for deeper subsidies and greater affordability.

“A message to CMHC, to our federal government, to our B.C. Housing friends: get out your chequebooks.”

Previous iterations of the project included 56,000 square feet of office and zero office space. The current proposal includes 12,000 square feet of office space and 31,000 square feet of commercial space.

The commercial space should be a boon for small businesses, according to Coun. Steve Kim.

“I think Whiting will be a great start to having a secondary economic development zone.”

The project also includes a 9,300 square foot childcare space.

Coun. Craig Hodge praised the daylighting of an Austin Creek tributary as well as the project’s connectivity.

The proposal includes new trails including a greenway from Brookmere Avenue to Austin Creek.

The three-phase project requires one more vote from council before construction can begin.