The park-and-ride at Coquitlam Centre mall may be park and riding into the sunset.
TransLink recently put out feelers to the development community to come up with a development plan for the site, located just east of Mariner Way and south of Barnet Highway.
“This work will establish a vision for the development of a significant neighbourhood in the city of Coquitlam and the creation of a mobility hub,” according to a Request For Expressions Of Interest posted earlier this month by TransLink.
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The RFEOI is generally meant to help TransLink narrow down its list of candidates.
“This potential redevelopment is still in its early stages and this first step will allow us to explore the viability of the site,” TransLink stated.
TransLink is currently looking to make money from property developments as a way of funding transit projects without a tax hike.
The 9.3-acre site south of the mall has capacity for 1,100 vehicles, according to a DailyHive story on the potential development.
Coquitlam’s expectations
The city and TransLink have had discussions about the development potential of the site, according to Coquitlam’s director of development services Andrew Merrill.
As part of downtown core, Coquitlam’s plan for the area includes “a mix of high density commercial, retail, office and residential uses,” Merrill explained in an email to the Dispatch.
Besides being walkable and bikeable, the area is slated to include “publicly-accessible open spaces that will serve as “backyards” for the area’s residents,” Merrill added.
That same designation applies to the area around Coquitlam Central and Lincoln SkyTrain stations.
The rest of the precinct
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.
Related: Coquitlam council approves nine-tower, 4,000-unit downtown project
