An open house for a proposed new six-storey building fronting 56th Street saw a large turnout at the South Delta Recreation Centre Thursday evening.
The application by the Century Group is the first phase of a much larger redevelopment planned for the Tsawwassen Town Centre. Referred to as Block A, the six-storey mixed-used structure includes 11,733 square feet of commercial floor area on the ground floor and 79 rental apartment units above.
The apartments would range from 635 square feet for one bedroom to 915 square feet for two bedroom units. There would be about 10 metres from the sidewalk curb to the front door.
The development does fit within the current OCP guidelines.
Block A is the first specific development application for the overall Town Centre redevelopment which would be constructed in phases. The conceptual plan has several new buildings as well as a “High Street” with pocket plazas throughout. The form and density of those other buildings that would see hundreds of additional housing units added still have to be worked out following municipal and public consultation, explained project planner Stefan Melnyk.
Although most residents at Thursday’s open house seemed generally supportive of an overall change for the Town Centre, it was mostly negative of Block A. Several complained the design was unattractive for the key area of Tsawwassen, suggesting changes such as general design, creating a greater setback, lowering the amount of floors as well as terracing.
According to Century Group’s master plan, the idea is to replace “an aging retail suburban concept of an enclosed mall with a new urban retail village concept to energize this central downtown location.”
Delta’s new business sustainability strategy, aimed at adjusting to life next to the Tsawwassen Mills and Tsawwassen Commons shopping malls, includes establishing new, vibrant cores in downtown Tsawwassen and Ladner. The municipality has indicated it’s willing to take a second look at building heights and other regulations to make sure those redevelopments can happen, which could make it easier for potential OCP and area plan changes for the Town Centre.
More to come
