Coquitlam to mull nine-tower Coquitlam Central project pitched by TransLink

Big ideas are shaping up around Coquitlam Central SkyTrain.

While it’s still at a very early stage, TransLink has proposed a 3,400-unit development including eight residential tower and a combined hotel/office tower near the Coquitlam Central SkyTrain station.

Submitted in December 2024, the application also includes space for parked buses as well as a public park on the nine-acre site which is now partially occupied by the park-and-ride lot.

Due to provincial housing legislation, the city is in the process of updating Coquitlam’s City Centre area plan, according to the city’s director of development services Chris Jarvie.

Once that plan is updated, city staff will be better fixed to judge how TransLink’s proposal fits into the area, Jarvie explained.

Currently in the pre-application phase, the idea has yet to come before council for a formal vote. TransLink is currently wait for a response from the city before crafting a more detailed proposal and soliciting comments from the public.

TransLink and the city

Coquitlam’s previous plan for the area included a mix of high density commercial, retail, office and residential uses, explained director of planning and development Andrew Merrill in 2022.

Besides being walkable and bikeable, the downtown core area is slated to include “publicly-accessible open spaces that will serve as “backyards” for the area’s residents,” Merrill added.

The rest of the core

The site, along with the rest of the Pinetree-Lougheed area, is meant to serve as “striking” entryway into Coquitlam’s downtown. Other plans for the area having businesses fronting the Pinetree Way/Lougheed Highway/Barnet Highway intersection and making space for public plazas, Merrill explained.

Due to the location’s proximity to transportation, the Pinetree-Lougheed area is “intended for a vibrant office business district supported by high density residential development with high-quality streetscapes and public realm,” Merrill wrote.

One of the city’s “five big moves” for City Centre includes the establishment of a strong employment base.

Transit and real estate

In recent years, TransLink has put more focus on generating cash from real estate developments as a means to fund transit projects without a tax hike. Projects are currently earmarked for North Vancouver and Arbutus SkyTrain station.