Wesbild has formally submitted its rezoning application to the Metro Vancouver City of Port Coquitlam for a six-tower, nearly 2,000-home master-planned, mixed-use development.

Wesbild acquired the Poco Place property from Artis REIT for an undisclosed price earlier this year after doing due diligence on it for almost two years, senior vice-president of development Lilian Arishenkoff told RENX in an exclusive interview.

“We thought this was a fantastic opportunity because we know the area well, we know what the needs are, and we've had a presence here in the community for 40 years,” Arishenkoff said. “Right now it's just a mall, but what we're excited about is transforming it into a more urban-oriented experience.”

The rezoning application was submitted early Monday.

The current mall and what’s planned

Arishenkoff was referring to the existing 164,000-square-foot Poco Place shopping centre on the corner of Lougheed Highway and Westwood Street, on the border of Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam. 

The mall offers more than 40 stores and services and is anchored by Pomme Natural Market, H-Mart, Canada Computers & Electronics, Michaels and RBC. It also has 573 parking spaces.

Wesbild’s project would see the demolition of the mall to create the city’s first transit-oriented high-rise development. It would contribute a variety of new housing types to the area, including condominium, rental and non-market affordable. 

There are two SkyTrain stations and a West Coast Express station within walking distance of the site and Arishenkoff said it’s easy to get around the region without a car.

The proposed 8.4-acre community would also include: 80,000 square feet of retail space; an 8,000-square-foot childcare facility; 3.3 acres of outdoor space for residents, including a 400-metre wellness loop that would connect the project’s podiums; and the preservation of an existing seven-storey office building where new retail space will be included at grade.

“It's a place where people will be able to work, live, exercise, relax, eat and shop,” Arishenkoff said. “We're trying to create an environment which attracts a bunch of different people from different age categories and life stages, all within this larger complex.”

Four phases of development

Poco Place is to unfold in four phases over several years and offer easy access to community centres, parks, schools and retail outlets. Each residential tower will average more than 300 units and have its own themed amenity spaces.

“One might be family-oriented, one might be a wellness clubhouse where there's exercise equipment, a yoga studio and that kind of thing,” Arishenkoff said. “There may be a space at the base of one of the towers that would be more entertainment-focused.”

Phase 1 is to include a 37-storey rental tower and a 35-storey condo tower as well as new commercial space, including a grocery store. A development permit application will be submitted in the new year and construction is expected to start in 2027 if all approvals are granted.

Phase 2 would include a 45-storey tower with a mix of market and non-market rentals, a childcare facility and additional commercial space. Arishenkoff said a non-profit housing organization would probably be invited to run the non-market rental portion in one area of the building that would use the same entrance and have access to all of the amenities.

Phase 3 is to include one 33-storey rental tower and a 31-storey condo tower as well as additional commercial space. Phase 4 would include a 31-storey condo tower with townhomes incorporated into a podium at grade.

Other past and current developments from Wesbild

Wesbild is a Vancouver-based developer with 43 years of experience in master-planned residential resort communities as well as commercial and industrial developments across Western Canada. 

The portfolio includes Westwood Plateau, comprised of 1,410 acres in Coquitlam with more than 4,500 homes — ranging from townhomes to estates. It was completed in 2005.

The company has developed real estate projects throughout Metro Vancouver and the Okanagan region, including Predator Ridge in Vernon, B.C., where it owns 1,300 acres and has serviced more than 900 homes to date. 

Wesbild is active in land development on Burke Mountain in Coquitlam, where it owns 909 acres and has serviced 2,333 homes so far. It just received third reading for a 40-acre site where approximately 190 townhomes will be built.

“We continue to work with the City of Coquitlam on those lands to bring them forward as quickly as we can so that we can provide homes for folks there,” Arishenkoff said.

While Wesbild has been generally known for building low-rise residential, Arishenkoff said Poco Place was the right location to provide more density and build much higher.

Wesbild is also building Canada’s largest stacked industrial strata development, Marine Landing, at 8188 Manitoba St. in South Vancouver. It will have 242 units totalling 341,526 square feet of industrial and office space. More than 80 per cent of its units have been sold. The project is scheduled for completion next year.