A massive industrial building is set to rise off Coquitlam’s United Boulevard — at the entrance to the future Fraser Mills Waterfront Village Centre.
On Monday (July 26), city council OK’d a development permit for WesGroup/Pacific Reach Industrial Centre to construct a 196,000 sq. ft. multi-storey building at 11 King Edward St.
Once up, the building will be north of the Fraser Mills master-planned community, a proposal put forward by Beedie Living in 2008, for 2 King Edward St., that would see 4,700 homes on the former sawmill site that’s now empty.
Located at the southeast corner of United Boulevard and King Edward Street, the industrial building on the 267,583 sq-ft site will have a large-bay industrial shell on the ground level plus 19 small-bay industrial units with mezzanines above.
The property will be raised with fill as the site is within the Fraser River floodplain, wrote Andrew Merrill, Coquitlam’s director of development services, in his report to council.
As well, the driveways will align with surrounding businesses and two large south-facing exterior walls will have murals to “reflect the industrial heritage of the area,” he wrote.
The city will gain about $858,000 in development cost charges as a result of the bid, which city council unanimously endorsed on July 26.
Mayor Richard Stewart said he recently cycled by the property and commented on its unsightliness while it waits for redevelopment.
