Coquitlam council signs off on pair of seniors housing projects
The hammers can start swinging in Maillardville and Burquitlam after two seniors projects totalling 158 units received final approval at a recent Coquitlam council meeting.
“It’s going to deliver what I hope is going to be just absolutely spectacular housing,” said Coun. Dennis Marsden at the June 9 meeting.
With the development permit signed and sealed, construction can begin on a six-storey, 116 unit project at 602 Sydney Ave. as well as a three-storey, 42-unit wood-frame project at 290 Laval Square.
Local news that matters to you
No one covers the Tri-Cities like we do. But we need your help to keep our community journalism sustainable.
All the housing is set to serve as non-market rental for seniors. With the exception of a pair of two-bedroom units, the project consists entirely of studio and one-bedroom units.
The project is a partnership between Coquitlam and social service agency S.U.C.C.E.S.S. The city owns the properties and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is set to hold the lease and assume the city’s responsibilities as owner.
“We also have a long history of providing seniors services, so we’re eager to bring our expertise to this project to ensure Coquitlam seniors can live independently longer and age well in their own neighbourhoods,” stated S.U.C.C.E.S.S. CEO Queenie Choo in a previous release.
Located in Maillardville across the street from Notre-Dame de Lourdes church, the units at Laval Square range from 471 to 562 square feet. The project includes three accessible and 39 adaptable units.
The project covers 53 percent of the lot, slightly above the 50 percent maximum usually enforced by the city.
The Sydney Avenue development totals 116 units including 13 studio units and two two-bedroom units.
The studios range from 378 to 432 square feet. The one-bedroom units range from 494 to 577 sq. ft.
The lands were rezoned from institutional to medium density apartment residential in 2022.
To prep the site, the city previously put out a request for proposals to find a contractor to dismantle and demolish the 1981-era Burquitlam Lions Care Centre.
The city previously projected seniors to make up 19 percent of the city’s population in 2031, a nearly four percent increase from 2021.
Author
