The much-anticipated Oakridge Park redevelopment has opened its doors for business.

Oakridge Park opened its 650,000-sq.-ft. retail and dining centre yesterday. By QuadReal Property Group and Westbank, the development aims to pull a share of Vancouver's luxury retail and residential heft to the south, with the developers optimistically describing Oakridge from its outset as the city's second downtown core. 

The 28-acre site, located at Cambie St. and West 41st Ave. above a Canada Line station, will continue to develop in phases. The retail and dining centre represents the first opening. 

The master plan

The broader Oakridge master plan also has residential, office, public spaces, civic and cultural components. It will eventually include 3,000 homes in several towers; 720,000 sq. ft. of office space; a community centre; a public library; indoor and outdoor music spaces; a park and Canada's second TimeOut Market location. 

The newest brands announced at the retail centre are luxury fashion retailers, Chanel and Ferragamo. 

RENX joined a media preview of the retail centre on May 27, the day prior to its opening. Construction workers continued to labour outside the building. Inside, retail workers prepped several shops for their anticipated opening. At Sephora, several staff members paused their product layout to listen to a manager explain something as members of the media and various influencers strolled by, peering into closed shops and taking photos and video.

Among the well-known local brands are Aritzia, Arc’teryx and Lululemon. Other stores set to open include a Safeway grocery store, and luxury fashion retailers such as BOSS, Christian Louboutin, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Rolex.

Vision aims towards 'cultural hub'

"The vision for Oakridge Park has always been about being a cultural hub for this community," Chrystal Burns, executive vice president, Canadian retail experience at QuadReal Property Group, told RENX during the tour. “The official opening of Oakridge Park marks a significant milestone in bringing our long-term vision for this destination to life."

There is a significant amount of global luxury brands available here, Burns said, "however, the long-term vision for Oakridge Park is one of integrated, diverse amenity use, so there's everyday services here too."

Burns said that includes everyday dining, the grocery store, a BC Liquor store and other community-oriented destinations including the library, park and community centre. "Altogether, we want to service our community and visitors. We think it can all happen here in this hub," she said.

The first phase also includes 700 condo units, visible in towering buildings through the glass-ceiling atrium near the West 41 Ave. entrance. 

Burns said the lengthy development process and changing local development conditions and global economic challenges haven't redirected the master plan. 

The right mix of uses, long-term horizon

"We have a long-term vision. We have a long-term time horizon, and the vision for the project has not changed in terms of what we believe is a good cultural mix," she said. "We're not switching out office for hospitality, for example. This is the right mix of uses."

She said the retail spaces are almost fully-leased. Some stores remain in the process of being built-out for the retailers amid the centre's soft opening. 

The TimeOut Market will likely be a popular destination for food-loving Vancouverites and visitors. The food hall is designed to feature high-profile, local, chef-led restaurants that are not present at typical shopping mall food courts. Among the first 20 food and drink sellers are: Lunch Lady, Pasta E Basta, Espana, Mee Bar, Feenie’s and Pidgin. 

The food hall also includes three bars and an array of various comfortable seating and dining spaces, including two patio spaces.

First residents expected to move in by end of this year

As for next steps, Burns said other completions are expected soon, with the first residents moving into homes by the end of the year through early 2027. 

"The affordable housing, we're handing that over to the city now this month, and so they will take control of that," Burns said. "The civic centre is coming. We're handing that over to the city in January 2027, and they will take it from there.

Vancouver-based QuadReal Property Group is a global real estate investment, development and operating company with assets under management of $98.5 billion. 

Westbank did not respond to a request for comment focused on the opening of Oakridge Park.