Earlier in Fall 2024, New Westminster City Council provided the preliminary green light to redevelop the Columbia Square strip mall into downtown New Westminster’s single-largest high-density transit-oriented development.
The 7.2-acre, 1950-built strip mall at 88 10th Street is located just west of SkyTrain’s New Westminster Station — about a two-minute walk away.
Currently, the property is home to prominent businesses such as Save-On-Foods and BC Liquor Store.
Site of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Google Maps)
Site of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (City of New Westminster)
Existing condition:
Site of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Google Maps)
Future condition:
Conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Edgar Development/MCMP Architects)
Edgar Development will redevelop the property into eight high-rise towers with over 3,800 new homes, including 800 secured purpose-built market rental homes, 160 secured purpose-built below-market rental homes, and thousands of strata market ownership condominium homes. The entire residential component spans three million sq ft of floor area, including over two million sq ft of strata residential uses.
This approved policy statement goes above and beyond the 2,400 new homes previously contemplated for the site.
With 3,800 new homes in the approved land use concept, the redevelopment could be home to 7,250 people upon the full buildout of the multi-phased project. This is equivalent to nearly one-tenth of New Westminster’s existing population.
Conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Edgar Development/MCMP Architects)
Conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Edgar Development/MCMP Architects)
The redevelopment will also incorporate a range of significant mixed uses, including 120,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant space, 42,000 sq ft of office space, and at least two childcare facilities with a combined space of 9,500 sq ft.
As well, the developer will provide New Westminster School District with the option to buy or lease land to build an urban stacked/vertical public school, similar to Crosstown Elementary School in Vancouver. But if this school option is not exercised, the developer will be required to provide up to 12,000 sq ft of additional childcare space.
For the redevelopment’s first phase, the developer is required to build 139 below-market rental homes, and achieve the project’s full minimum requirement of at least 42,000 sq ft of office space.
Furthermore, this will be a pedestrian-oriented redevelopment, and about 25% of the site area or approximately 1.8 acres will be used as public open space, including significant park space, a central public community plaza, and major event-friendly spaces that create a new active and vibrant core for downtown New Westminster.
Conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Edgar Development/MCMP Architects)
Conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Edgar Development/MCMP Architects)
Conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Edgar Development/MCMP Architects)
Conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Edgar Development/MCMP Architects)
In exchange for the significant market strata residential density, Edgar Development will provide the City with a $60 million in density bonus payment, which is the largest density bonus paid in the municipal government’s history, and $30 million in development cost charges. This is in addition to the in-kind value of the on-site community amenity contributions (CACs) of the provided affordable housing, childcare space, and public open space.
“This is a huge milestone for EDGAR and for the City of New West,” said Matthew McClenaghan, president of EDGAR Development.
“We’ve been working hard on this project for a long time, and we recognize this is a bold move by the City to develop housing on transit, in line with new provincial mandates. In an environment where housing is so critically needed, this is a huge step forward for future housing development in the City.”
Conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Edgar Development/MCMP Architects)
Conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Columbia Square Plaza at 88 10th Street, New Westminster. (Edgar Development/MCMP Architects)
The project’s design firms are MCMP Architects and PWL Partnership Landscape Architects.
Future applications to the municipal government that follow the approved policy statement will better define the project’s detailed design, including the precise height of the towers. Tower heights of up to 53 storeys are permitted, along with base podiums reaching up to six storeys.
Mark Thompson with MCMP Architects says that while Columbia Square is currently “car-oriented and suburban,” the future redevelopment will be a “people-oriented community” by directing vehicles underground.
“By enhancing the character, quality and experience of the area, we will provide a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown with this new gateway to the downtown core,” said Thompson.