Port Coquitlam, BC – Nov. 13, 2020… A major affordable housing project in Port Coquitlam has taken a step forward, bringing the community closer to providing almost 450 new units for families and others who need housing support over the next several years.

Following a public hearing Tuesday night, Council advanced bylaws that will facilitate continued progress on a 302-unit subsidized housing building at Gately and Kingsway Avenues and Ticehurst Lane. The project is in addition to a 63-unit building on Welcher Avenue that was approved last month and an 83-unit project on Prairie Avenue that was approved in the summer.

“For a community of Port Coquitlam’s size, this significant investment in non-market affordable housing is quite exceptional – we’re demonstrating real leadership,” Mayor Brad West said. “It’s a much-needed infusion of affordable housing that will help families and residents right here in Port Coquitlam, some of whom have lived here for generations but are struggling to make ends no matter how hard they work due to the high cost of housing. Working together with our partners, we are able to bring this significant benefit to our community.”

The three projects flow from the city’s work over the past several years to support affordable housing, including the adoption of a Housing Action Plan in 2015, regulation and policy changes to permit smaller lot sizes and homes (including carriage homes), requirements and incentives for affordable and family-friendly projects through a policy adopted in 2019, and creation of Social Housing & Services guide and other resources posted at www.portcoquitlam.ca/housing.

The new projects will all offer non-market (subsidized) rental units in attractive, neighbourhood-appropriate buildings with resident amenities and family-friendly spaces. Almost two-thirds of the 448 proposed new units would be suitable for families of various sizes, including 181 with two bedrooms and 97 with three to five bedrooms.

The 302-unit Affordable Housing Societies and Peak Towers Development project, which came before Council this week, is proposed for 2455, 2473 and 2475 Gately Ave., 2428, 2456 and 2492 Kingsway Ave., and 2420 and 2450 Ticehurst Lane. The site is currently home to a vacant City-owned parcel, four houses, one duplex and two small-scale industrial properties.  

Following Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments on Nov. 10, the project may now proceed through the proponents’ approval process and is expected to return to the city for further consideration in 2021. Proposal details include:

• Three six-storey rental buildings with a childcare facility, outdoor play and gathering spaces, gardening beds, indoor lounge and meeting rooms, an underground parkade and on-site parking.
• A variety of unit types including 129 with one bedroom, 123 with two bedrooms and 48 with three bedrooms.
• More than 91 new trees to replace 41 to be removed, along with 2,206 shrubs, grasses and perennials on site. This is in addition to another 1,227 plantings along the Coquitlam River and meeting all required watercourse protection regulations.

Another proposal under way is a 63-unit Metro Vancouver Housing project at 2481 Welcher Ave. off Reeve Street, across from Gates Park on a site with two older homes and an empty lot­. The development and development variance permit were approved by Council on October 27. The next step for the project will be a building permit and construction. Project details include:

• A five-storey energy-efficient building designed to be family-oriented and accessible for people of all ages and abilities, with on-site staff, indoor and outdoor common spaces, individual balconies or terraces, and a parkade for residents and staff.
• A variety of unit types including six studios, five with one bedroom, 34 with two bedrooms and 18 with three bedrooms. ­
• Replacement of 58 existing trees (primarily fast-growing cottonwood and laurel) with 38 maple, beech, cherry and hawthorne varieties on-site, and cash-in-lieu for the remaining 20 to plant trees elsewhere in the community. An additional 973 shrubs and extensive groundcover would also be planted on-site.

Approved in July, an 83-unit TL Housing and Atira Women’s Resource Society project is now under construction at 2117 Prairie Ave. next to Flint Street. Project details include:

• A five-storey building with 72 apartments, two three-storey buildings with 11 townhouses, a daycare for 45 children, a health clinic, common patio, outdoor play areas, garden plots and underground parking.
• A variety of unit types including 12 studios, 16 with one bedroom, 24 with two bedrooms and 31 with three to five bedrooms.

“As a city it’s important that we make sure our community offers enough housing to meet the needs of all of our residents, at all income levels and stages of life,” said Cllr. Glenn Pollock, Council’s designate for housing matters. “Every stage of progress we make on these projects is great news for Port Coquitlam and a step toward providing quality of life for more of our residents.”

For more information about Port Coquitlam’s housing approach and resources, visit www.portcoquitlam.ca/housing.

– 30 –

​

MEDIA CONTACTS

Pardeep Purewal
Manager of Communications & Admin Services
City of Port Coquitlam
Tel 604.927.5335 Cel 604.218.0533
Email purewalp@portcoquitlam.ca