Onni Group is proposing to eliminate office space from its seven-tower mixed-use development on the former Coquitlam College campus in Coquitlam, B.C., according to a published report.

The company has cited challenges to the office leasing market resulting from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the change of plans. The project is located in the city’s Burquitlam neighbourhood.

Onni unveiled a revised master plan for the 7.2-acre site project during a recent Coquitlam committee in council meeting. According to the report, the updated proposal includes seven high-rise apartment towers ranging from 30 to 51 storeys, accommodating approximately 2,500 homes. The revised plan also features a 9,200-sf childcare facility, 47,000 sf of amenity space—nearly double the original proposal—and an additional 3,800 sf of retail space.

To make room for the proposed adjustments, Onni removed the previously proposed 56,000 sf of office units.

The decision to cut office space was met with criticism from city councillors, who argued that the transit-oriented site, designated as a Tier 3 zone by the provincial government, is an ideal location for workspaces.

But some councillors criticized the deletion of the office component, and expressed concerns about the proposed floor area ratio (FAR) of 6.51, which exceeds the typical 5.5 FAR for a parcel of its size, and about the density and its potential impacts on the community and infrastructure, the report says.

In exchange for the increased density, Onni plans to make what the city’s director of development services, Chris Jarvie, described as an “extraordinary bonus density payment,” according to the report. This incentive program, however, is set to be phased out by June 2025 as part of the provincial government’s recent housing policy changes covering transit-oriented developments.

To ensure the project falls under the current zoning and density regulations, Onni and city staff plan to expedite the adoption of the master plan through a development agreement and comprehensive development zone, according to the report.

City council will review the revised plan in the coming months, weighing the removal of office space against the proposed benefits, including additional housing, childcare facilities, and retail opportunities. The decision could set a precedent for future developments in transit-oriented zones in Coquitlam, according to the report.

Illustration: Onni Group