The City of Burnaby has given final approval to the 40-acre Willingdon Lands mixed-use redevelopment project, according to a recently published report.

The effort is the first Indigenous-led development project in Burnaby and the large one outside of Vancouver proper, states the report.

Known as Kwasen Village, the property is situated at 3405 Willingdon Avenue near the corner of Willingdon Avenue and Canada Way and directly across from the BCIT Burnaby campus.

The project is being developed by the Musqueam Indian Band, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, through their MST Development Corporation joint-venture, and Aquilini Group’s development arm. The partners jointly purchased the property from the B.C. government in 2014 for approximately $58 million, according to the report.

The approved master plan calls for the construction of 5,239 multi-residential units. They include 4,366 leasehold strata units, 554 market rental suites, 101 moderate-income rental units, and 218 affordable rental units.

The master plan also calls for 135,000 square feet of commercial space, 450,000 sf of film studio space, and 5,000 sf of cultural space. The project will be organized across 22 buildings, with heights reaching up to 25 storeys, and divided into four distinct villages: Residential, Trade, Storytelling and Park.

The Storytelling village is slated to contain the film-production component, which will tie back to the site’s previous use.

Rendering: Arcadis IBI Group, Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Aquilini