New city park also planned for site in Brentwood Town Centre
Aoyuan International has begun the process of rezoning their eight-acre property at Willingdon and Dawson in Burnaby’s Brentwood neighbourhood.
Aoyuan refers to the site as the Grove, and it’s currently occupied by several industrial buildings and storage yards.
Once redeveloped, the property will include five towers up 51 storeys and a new city park. There will also be four low-rise affordable rental buildings.
The City of Burnaby wants the development to have a “concept and vision that delivers not only superior architectural expression, but acts as a model for sustainability, urban design, and public amenity for the Brentwood Town Centre.”
Aoyuan International’s master plan for the Brentwood site outlines three precincts:
High Street Precinct
Dawson Street is envisioned as the high street for the Brentwood Town Centre neighbourhood, lined with shops and restaurant patios.
Two high rise towers — between 36 and 48 storeys — will be pulled back from the corners of Dawson and Willingdon and Dawson and Alpha to reinforce the pedestrian nature of the street.
Park Precinct
The park precinct includes a 1.14 acre city park at its centre, with a large grassy area to accommodate a variety of community events. It will feature picnic areas, benches and a small café, and will be surrounded by the development on all four sides.
A six-storey mixed use building with at-grade retail will front onto Willingdon Avenue. It will contain five floors of affordable rental housing.
On the east side of the park, a 46 to 51 storey high rise — the tallest in the development — is planned.
On the south side of Juneau, a 45 to 50 storey high rise tower is planned, and on the east side, a 42 to 47 storey tower is envisioned.
Alaska Precinct
The Alaska Precinct is bound on the south by a rail line and transmission lines. It’s envisioned as phase three of the development and will include two six-storey affordable rental buildings.
Site key to Brentwood Town Centre plan
The City of Burnaby views Aoyuan International’s Grove property as key to the buildout of the Brentwood Town Centre plan.
“The master planning process has identified a unique opportunity for the Grove to become a vibrant community oriented around a City park, transforming this under-utilized site on the western gateway of the Brentwood Town Centre into a mixed-use, multi-tenure residential neighbourhood and linking new neighbourhoods being developed on adjacent sites to each other and the broader Brentwood Town Centre.”
— City of Burnaby planning documents
Aoyuan International says development of the site is expected to take up to 10 years, however, “the exact timing of development is reflective of prevailing market conditions.”
