A major long-term redevelopment of Langley Mall near SkyTrain Expo Line’s future easternmost terminus station is in sight.
Local developer Cedar Coast and Orion Construction have submitted an application to the City of Langley to redevelop the nine-acre property of 5501 204 Street — situated at the southeast corner of the intersection of 203 Street and Douglas Crescent.
It is located about a five-minute walk south from SkyTrain’s future Langley City Centre Station and bus exchange, and immediately south of Langley City Hall and Timms Community Centre.
The mall was largely built in 1970, and its current anchor businesses are the No Frills grocery store and McFrugal’s Discount Outlet & Outdoors Store. There is also a standalone Tim Hortons building next to the prominent intersection. Half of the property, specifically the northern half, is used as a surface vehicle parking lot.
A multi-phased redevelopment of the mall, called Cedar Langley, would carve up the property into four quadrants defined by new public road extensions through the site, with each quadrant representing at least one separate construction phase.
Site of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Site of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City, in relation to the walking distance from SkyTrain’s future Langley City Centre Station. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Site of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Two redevelopment options are identified in the preliminary concept, with the first option generating a combined 1.7 million sq ft of total building floor area, including 1,851 homes and 237,000 sq ft of commercial office and retail/restaurant spaces. The floor area ratio (FAR) density would reach a floor area that is 4.37 times larger than the size of the lot.
A second option would carry a combined 1.74 million sq ft of total building floor area with 1,990 units and 122,000 sq ft of commercial retail/restaurant uses, and a density of 4.43 FAR.
In contrast, the mall’s existing retail/restaurant uses span 140,000 sq ft of building floor area.
The key difference between the two options is the varying uses of the northwest quadrant, with the first option incorporating notable office uses in addition to the retail/restaurant uses and 434 homes across two mixed-use buildings. The second option for the northwest quadrant would generate zero office space, 70,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses, and 563 homes across three mixed-use buildings.
The northeast quadrant contains 523 homes and 52,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses across three mixed-use buildings.
Existing condition:
Site of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Future condition:
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
For both options, all of the buildings within the northwest and northeast quadrants would feature retail/restaurant uses for the entirety of the ground level, effectively activating the site’s public realm. This includes a designated “pedestrian-focused retail and restaurant row” for the new north-south street within the core of the northern half of the site that ends at a new public park within the core of the southern half of the site. There would be a new grocery store to replace the existing No Frills.
“The ‘high street’ running through the middle of the site draws pedestrians into the pedestrian-friendly ‘market row’ of shopping and restaurants,” reads the application designed by Integra Architecture.
As for the southwest and southeast quadrants, these phases would be 100% residential. Each of these southernmost quadrants would contain 452 homes across two buildings.
Upon full buildout, there could be up to 10 mid-rise buildings, with all buildings in the northwest and northeast quadrants reaching 12 storeys and all buildings in the southwest and southeast quadrants reaching 14 storeys. Preliminary concepts call for three underground parking levels across the site for all quadrants.
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
According to a City staff report on the project, the existing zoning for the site already permits high-density mixed-use development and a height limit of about 150 ft (46 metres) or the equivalent of up to 15 residential storeys. The 150-ft-tall height restriction has been in place since 1996, and the site has been envisioned to accommodate buildings up to 15 storeys since 2009, when a site concept for the future redevelopment of Langley Mall was included in Langley City Centre’s Downtown Master Plan.
Building heights are limited to 150 ft across much of Langley City Centre due to its proximity to Langley Regional Airport, requiring similar height considerations as Richmond City Centre to maintain federally regulated flight paths.
City staff further note in their report that the Langley Mall redevelopment would be carried out over 10 to 20 years, with the first phase beginning with the southwest quadrant, followed by the northwest, southeast, and northeast quadrants. This phasing order is largely due to the lease obligations of the shopping centre’s existing tenants, including No Frills and Tim Hortons.
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
Preliminary concept of the Cedar Langley redevelopment of Langley Mall at 5501 204 Street, Langley City. (Integra Architecture/Orion Construction/Cedar Coast)
“Overall, the site is designed to be a model transit-oriented development, in close proximity to the SkyTrain station, with high densities and a mix of uses that support increased transit ridership and the use of active transportation options, and will reduce automobile dependence and emissions over time,” wrote City staff.
Just to the west of Langley City Centre, adjacent to SkyTrain’s future Willowbrook Station and Willowbrook Shopping Centre, the Township of Langley is in the early stages of considering a mixed-use redevelopment of several large strip malls into seven towers up to 44 storeys with a combined total building floor area of 2.3 million sq ft, over 2,600 homes, and 60,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses.
Preliminary concept of the south parcel at 19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Ciccozzi Architecture)
Preliminary concept of the north parcel at 19677 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Ciccozzi Architecture)
Preliminary concept of the south parcel at 19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Ciccozzi Architecture)
Preliminary concept of the north parcel at 19677 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Ciccozzi Architecture)