If you own land, are building, or are planning a project in Coquitlam, the last six weeks have been significant. Two major tower projects are moving through approvals in Burquitlam, the city has adopted a new Interim Official Community Plan for the first time since 2002, and a sweeping rezoning of the city's southwest corridors is heading toward adoption. Here is what you need to know.
If you have driven past the Safeway at Clarke Road and Emerson Street in Burquitlam, you have seen the site. Morguard Corporation's redevelopment of the 7.7-acre Burquitlam Plaza property received first, second, and third readings from Coquitlam Council on April 27, 2026, and it is one of the largest rental developments ever proposed in Coquitlam. Final adoption is pending.
The project calls for six towers ranging from 29 to 53 storeys, containing approximately 2,212 rental units. The development also includes a new branch of the Coquitlam Public Library, a childcare centre with space for 116 children, and roughly 84,000 square feet of commercial space projected to generate around 210 jobs. Morguard is set to pay the city approximately $123.1 million in development cost charges, a density bonus, and community amenity contributions. The project is designed by James KM Cheng Architects.
Council was uniformly supportive of the rental unit count, though the complete absence of office space drew comment during the meeting. A motion to require office space in Phase 2 passed 5-4. If you are a Burquitlam property owner watching land values in the area, this project signals continued high-density pressure around the Burquitlam SkyTrain station on the Millennium Line.
Jay's Take:
A 53-storey rental approval near Burquitlam Station is a big signal for the area. It does not mean every site can do this, but nearby owners should be paying attention. The office requirement also makes sense — Burquitlam needs more than just residential towers.
A second major project in Burquitlam also moved forward in late April. StreetSide Developments (a Qualico subsidiary) received first, second, and third readings from Coquitlam Council on April 27, 2026, for a rezoning at a 1.1-acre land assembly at 602,
606, and 610 Tyndall Street and 605, 611, and 615 Claremont Street, on the north side of Como Lake Avenue near Clarke Road.
The application seeks to rezone the six assembled single-family lots from RS-1 (One-Family Residential) to CD-51 (Comprehensive Development Zone). The proposed 35-storey condo tower would contain 339 units: 204 one-bedroom, 101 two-bedroom, and 34 three-bedroom units, with no studios. The six-storey rental building would occupy the western half of the site.
If you are sitting on a similar small land assembly near the Burquitlam or Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain stations, this project illustrates what Coquitlam Council is willing to approve and at what density. StreetSide needs to bring a housing agreement back to council before final adoption can proceed.
Jay's Take:
This shows that land assemblies near Burquitlam still have strong potential, but the site has to be large enough. One or two lots will usually not be enough. You need enough land for the tower, rental component, parking, setbacks, and city requirements to work together.
On April 27, 2026, Coquitlam Council adopted a new Interim Official Community Plan, replacing a framework that had been in place since 2002 and updated only through incremental amendments. The Interim OCP does not introduce new land use designations or identify new growth areas beyond what provincial legislation requires. Its purpose is to consolidate and simplify the existing policy framework before a full OCP review, anticipated to begin in 2027.
The key substantive changes you should know about: the Interim OCP incorporates provincially mandated requirements for housing needs reporting, transit-oriented development, and small-scale multi-unit housing. If you are working with a pre-application or development permit in Coquitlam right now, the Interim OCP is the governing document as of April 27, 2026. You can find it at coquitlam.ca/OfficialCommunityPlan.
The 2027 full OCP review will be the moment when Coquitlam re-examines growth areas from scratch. If your land is currently underdesignated, that is the process to watch.
Jay's Take:
The Interim OCP is not the major change yet. The bigger one is the full OCP review expected in 2027. If you own land near transit or a major corridor, this is the process to watch because that is where future density decisions may happen.
On May 11, 2026, Coquitlam Council gave first reading to OCP and Zoning Amendment Bylaws for the Southwest Shoulders and Corridors. A public hearing was scheduled for
May 27, 2026 - the final opportunity for public input before Council considers second, third, and fourth readings.
This is the second phase of Coquitlam's provincial housing changes compliance work. The Southwest Shoulders and Corridors focuses on areas near two of Coquitlam's eight transit-oriented areas — Burquitlam and Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain stations — along with adjacent corridors on Austin and Como Lake Avenues. The bylaws formalize draft land use concepts for shoulder and corridor sub-areas developed over the past year. The remaining six TOAs (Braid, Coquitlam Central, Inlet Centre, Lafarge Lake-Douglas, Lincoln, and Moody Centre) will be addressed in Stage 3.
Practically speaking: if your property sits in a Shoulder or Corridor sub-area currently zoned R-3 (Transitional Small-Scale Residential) but no longer meets the criteria for that zone under the new framework, you may be downzoned to R-1 (Small-Scale Residential). If you are in a Corridor area, townhouses are being actively encouraged. Coquitlam is treating townhouses as a family-sized, transit-adjacent housing type that fits corridors better than detached infill.
If your land is near the Burquitlam or Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain stations, confirm your current zoning and proposed designation before the bylaws are adopted.
Jay's Take:
This is important for landowners. If your property loses potential density under the new rules, it can directly affect land value. Owners near Burquitlam, Lougheed, Austin, or Como Lake should check the draft maps before the bylaws are finalized.
City staff launched a review in 2026 of policies and regulations governing townhouses, rowhouses, and intensive small-scale residential development across Coquitlam. The review will look at how these housing types are treated in the Interim OCP, including the RT-3 zone (proposed to be renamed R-4) and the multiplex component of the city's Housing Choices program.
This review matters to you if you are a developer or builder working in ground-oriented housing. Coquitlam has signalled that townhouses near frequent transit are a priority - the Southwest Shoulders and Corridors work already names townhouses explicitly - and this review will set the rules that govern what you can actually build. Results are expected to inform the 2026 Business Plan and feed into the 2027 full OCP review.
Contact the city at HousingChanges@coquitlam.ca if you want to participate in the process.
Jay's Take:
Townhouses sound simple, but they are often hard to make work. Setbacks, height, parking, and construction costs can make the numbers difficult. If Coquitlam wants more family housing near transit, the rules need to make these projects easier to build.
The federal government announced more than $32.6 million through the Canada Greener Affordable Housing Program (CGAH) to fund deep energy retrofits at 269 affordable homes in Coquitlam. The largest identified investment is $21.3 million for Packard Apartments at 2860 Packard Avenue. A second Coquitlam location — Garden Court at 2865 Packard Avenue, receiving $11.3 million — is also included.
Upgrades include double-paned windows, heat pumps, energy recovery ventilators, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and rooftop solar panels. The stated goals are reduced energy costs for residents and improved resilience during extreme weather events.
If you manage or own a community housing building in Metro Vancouver, the CGAH program is worth understanding. CGAH is a financing program (not a grant) for community housing providers completing deep energy retrofits on multi-unit residential buildings. While CGAH funding decisions are made federally, this announcement reflects ongoing federal investment in existing affordable housing stock in the region.
Jay's Take:
Energy retrofits are not just small upgrades. Once you touch windows, heat pumps, ventilation, envelope, or rooftop solar, it can become a real permit and consultant project. Community housing providers have more funding support, while private owners often face similar costs with fewer options.
Sources
Tri-Cities Dispatch - Six-Tower Burquitlam Development: https://tricitiesdispatch.com/coquitlam-sets-stage-for-six-tower-burquitlam-development/
Tri-Cities Dispatch - Burquitlam Highrises Whitgift: https://tricitiesdispatch.com/burquitlam-highrises-whitgift/
urbanYVR - Burquitlam Plaza Towers: https://www.urbanyvr.com/new-burquitlam-plaza-includes-towers-up-to-53-storeys/
Howard Chai Substack - Morguard Burquitlam Plaza: https://howardchai.substack.com/p/morguard-corporation-burquitlam-plaza-redevelopment-coquitlam
STOREYS - StreetSide 35-Storey Burquitlam: https://storeys.com/streetside-proposes-condo-rental-burquitlam/
Tri-Cities Dispatch - Coquitlam Backs Highrise and Low-Rise off Como Lake Avenue: https://tricitiesdispatch.com/coquitlam-backs-highrise-and-low-rise-off-como-lake-avenue/
Coquitlam.ca - Interim OCP Adopted: https://www.coquitlam.ca/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/1932
Let's Talk Coquitlam - Official Community Plan: https://letstalkcoquitlam.ca/OfficialCommunityPlan
Let's Talk Coquitlam - Transit-Oriented Areas and Southwest Shoulders and Corridors: https://letstalkcoquitlam.ca/TransitOrientedAreas
Coquitlam.ca - Transit-Oriented Areas: https://www.coquitlam.ca/1360/Transit-Oriented-Areas
STOREYS - Coquitlam Transit-Oriented Areas Phase Two: https://storeys.com/coquitlam-transit-oriented-areas-phase-two/
Let's Talk Coquitlam - Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing: https://letstalkcoquitlam.ca/SmallScale
Let's Talk Coquitlam - Zoning Updates Medium-Density: https://letstalkcoquitlam.ca/ProvincialHousingChanges/ZoningUpdates
CMHC - Canada Announces Upgrades to 269 Homes in Coquitlam: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/media-newsroom/news-releases/2026/canada-announces-upgrades-269-homes-coquitlam
Newswire - 269 Homes Coquitlam Retrofit: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/canada-announces-upgrades-to-269-homes-in-coquitlam-807995365.html
Tri-Cities Dispatch - Coquitlam Scales Back Townhouse Plans: https://www.tricitylocalnews.com/coquitlam-scales-back-townhouse-plans-in-southwest-shoulders/
Thinking about how these changes affect your project? Jay Jung Architect Inc. works with developers, builders, and property owners across Metro Vancouver. Reach out at jjarch.ca or email jay@jjarch.ca.
