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Pacific Canada  + Multi-residential Housing  | 
Photo of people walking near the 22nd Avenue SkyTrain station in New Westminster.

New Westminster Seeks to Add Residences for 30,000 People Around 22nd Street Station

The City of New Westminster is planning a major high-density redevelopment project around the 22nd Street SkyTrain station, aiming to accommodate 30,000 new residents.

The area is located on a southern slope that overlooks the Fraser River and points further south, east and west.

Plans call for a high-density village of towers standing 20 storeys near the SkyTrain station, which would be upgraded. Further away, there would be mid-rise developments of up to 12 storeys and low-to-mid-rise buildings of up to eight storeys.

The project, called reGENERATE: A Vision for 22nd Street Neighbourhood, will transform the mainly single-family residential area into a “transit village” offering a high-density mixed-use core around a regional transit hub, say a city staff report to council and online public-consultation materials.

Other components will include increased housing capacity and choice, along with local commercial uses, employment opportunities and community amenities that support climate goals and enable car-free living in energy-efficient, low-carbon buildings.

Among its many goals, the city also aims to create a well-connected place with a range of safe, sustainable and enjoyable mobility options that reduce dependence on vehicles and lower transportation-related emissions, including car-share and EV-charging opportunities and enhanced pedestrian environments. Green networks, a “great street” along 22nd, bike lanes, Coast Salish Cultural contributions and social connectedness, including a neighbourhood house, are also slated to be part of the mix.

The project would also respond to the climate emergency and incorporate such council priorities as affordable housing, equity and inclusion, says the city staff report.

The city plans to use part of $11.4 million received from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund to cover planning costs. Council has also allocated $155,000 for “vision implementation actions” in the city’s five-year budget projection with plans to include the funds as a 2025 capital budget request.

The city reGENERATE planning efforts after declaring a climate emergency in 2019, but efforts were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming in 2023. The project will factor in new provincial government transit-oriented development legislation that calls for higher-density housing development within 800 metres of SkyTrain stations.

Photo: City of New Westminster

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About Monte Stewart

Monte Stewart serves as Content Director - Canada for Connect Commercial Real Estate. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monte provides daily news coverage of major Canadian commercial real estate markets, including Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary. He has written about the real estate sector for various media outlets and Avison Young since the early 2000s. In addition, he has covered sports, general news and business for several leading wire services and publications, including The Canadian Press, The Associated Press, The Calgary Herald, The Globe and Mail, Research Money, The Daily Oil Bulletin, Natural Gas World and The Toronto Star. Monte is active in his community as a youth basketball coach and raises funds for such charitable causes as Movember.

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