Waterfront property is an enticing draw for real estate.
Port Moody has homes around the inlet, with more to come, while Coquitlam has been relatively land locked.
That is until Beedie Living proposed its Fraser Mills waterfront neighbourhood on the shores of the Fraser River.
Now, the developer is showing the social media generation just what Fraser Mills is and how it came to be.
In a cute video posted to Instagram, the company talks about how the community's connection to the river will be restored with its plans to construct several towers on the 96-acre property.
The animated video was created with direction from Free Agency Creative, and Kayleigh Johnson from Beedie, while the animation was done by Tiny Vikings.
Free Agency is a brand design firm with a "niche in cultural storytelling," according to its website while Tiny Vikings is a creative animation and motion graphics studio based in Vancouver.
Together the teams created a charming animated video that tells the story of the Fraser River from its earliest days as a watercourse teaming with salmon to the development of logging and the establishment of a busy saw mill, once the largest lumbering operation in the British Empire and the second largest in the world.
Video showcases local history
There are cultural references to the early residents who worked and lived in the area, and some of their social activities, including playing music and hockey.
To showcase the history, the animation team relied on a number of historical photos from the area, the Tri-City News was told.
Photos used as source material include:
- Canadian Western Lumber Arch – Coquitlam Archives, Don Luxton
- Building with Log Machine – Coquitlam Archives, Don Luxton
- Family on Porch and Boy Playing Guitar – Courtesy of Helen Colly, Coquitlam Heritage Society
- Hockey team – unknown source
According to the Tri-City News report of Beedie's Fraser Mills launch on Monday (June 12), plans are for 5,500 new homes in 20 buildings, and community amenities, as well as a bus shuttle to Braid SkyTrain Station.
The video even shows a park on the waterfront: Beedie Park.
Here's when the presentation centre will open
Fraser Mllls is a master-planned community that will be located south of United Boulevard in Coquitlam — just off Highway 1 — and a $10-million presentation centre is currently under construction.
It opens this fall, with two display suites, for the first market condo tower, called Début, expected to be move-in ready by 2026.
Why is this new project a big deal for Coquitlam?
Besides the obvious benefit of funds flowing to the city, Beedie Living's project does open up an area that has been used for industrial purposes.
According to Coquitlam Public Library information, the Fraser Mills sawmill operated for 115 years from 1890 to 2005 and was the largest private employer in Coquitlam.
Beedie purchased the property in 2004.
Plans are in the works to develop:
- 5,500 new homes in 20 buildings (meeting the city’s 10 per cent minimum quota for three-bedroom units)
- home choices include high-rise condos, low-rise condos and townhouses
- 461 rental homes in one tower (266 market rental units and 195 non-market rental units)
- public community centre
- elementary school
- more than 400 childcare spaces (69 spaces in Phase 1)
- commercial, office, light industrial and recreational amenities
— with files from Janis Cleugh
