A development proposal has finally been submitted for the Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall site.
A report that will be discussed at council’s next regular meeting on Monday, Dec. 2 outlines the Century Group Lands Corporation application to replace the outdated single-storey mall with its large surface parking area.
The proposal includes four mixed-use residential buildings up to 24-storeys in height situated on separate podiums. The low-rise residential buildings and podiums, between five-and-six storeys, are proposed at the site peripheries adjacent to neighbouring land uses.
To have 1,433 residential units, including a mix of strata, market and non-market rentals, as well as commercial space including a 31,000-square-foot grocery store, the rezoning would be consistent with the site’s Urban Centre (UC) land use designation under the new Official Community Plan (OCP), which allows up to 24 storeys.
However, a “significant community contribution” is expected.
The report explains that rental and non-market housing contributions are expected for projects that include buildings that are 18 storeys or higher.
As a community contribution, the owner is proposing to provide a new Community Hub, consisting of a library and mobility hub space along 56th Street, the report notes, adding the proposed library would spill-out onto a publicly accessible central plaza to the west, creating an outdoor gathering space for the community.
The owner is also proposing that 20 per cent of the total residential units to be rental units, secured under a Comprehensive Development Zone, while five percent of the total residential units would be provided as below-market rental housing.
Staff will be reviewing the contribution proposal and seek public input as part of the review process, and council would need to approve the community contribution in conjunction with its consideration of the application.
The application will likely get support from those calling for more Delta housing types and more affordable housing choices, as well as vehement opposition by those opposed to the idea of towers including in the Town Centre.
During the public hearing for the new OCP earlier this year, a contingent of residents focused solely on their opposition to any towers in the area, some suggesting lower-density buildings four-to-six storeys would be sufficient.
Next Monday’s council meeting takes place at the North Delta Centre for the Arts, starting at 5 p.m. The meeting can also be seen online through the city’s website.
