The Edgemont Village “refresh” is starting.
On Dec. 7, District of North Vancouver unanimously approved a development permit for Grosvenor’s mixed-use project in Edgemont Village and construction is expected to begin in spring-summer 2016.
The new development will replace the current supermarket, as well as an adjacent single-storey office park and four single-family homes.
Named Connaught, the project includes 82 residential units and 63,400 square feet of retail space.
A street-level Thrifty Foods will be the anchor tenant.
Michael Ward, senior vice-president and general manager of Grosvenor Americas, believes having a full-service grocery store will be a great benefit for local residents and businesses.
“I think that’s the big spillover effect on retail spending that we see happening, people coming into the village for that grocery store and then going shopping elsewhere in Edgemont Village as well.”
A new restaurant is also likely to be in the commercial mix. “We have a retail space that’s essentially at the corner of Edgemont (Boulevard) and Ridgewood (Drive) that we have earmarked for a restaurant,” said Ward, who noted there’s also interest from a major pharmacy but “we’re not ready to announce the name formally yet.”
In March 2014, the district unveiled Edgemont Village Centre: Plan and Design Guidelines “to refresh” a previous plan for the area that was 15 years old.
According to the district’s website, “The Edgemont Village Centre refresh is an opportunity to highlight the Village’s distinct identity, enhance its commercial core, and improve the surrounding public space. By preserving Edgemont’s low-rise character, encouraging diverse housing options, supporting one-of-a-kind retail stores and businesses, and improving pedestrian and cyclist access, we hope to strengthen and celebrate this vibrant community.”
Over the past three years Grosvenor has hosted numerous public meetings with residents and merchants that have helped to shape the final design of the development, which will be a contemporary style that incorporates traditional West Coast materials such as stone and wood.
“The bulk of the effort that was spent over the last three years was working with the community and working with the district to come up with an architectural form that works for us and was a modern and contemporary addition to the village but was keeping within the architectural style there,” said Ward.
Ward said that although the development is a full city block it is designed in a way that’s broken up in five different, yet cohesive architectural styles so “it doesn’t look like one monolithic block.”
Residential units include one- and two-level town-homes and apartments of different sizes. Pre-sales for units begin in early 2016 and pricing is not yet available.
“We think the primary buyer will be that downsizer,” said Ward. “This presents that nice opportunity for people to stay in their community while changing the form of housing they live in.”
Roberta Perrin of Pizazz Gifts, co-vice president of the Edgemont Village Business Association, believes the project will benefit the community and local retailers. “We need more residential in the village and we need a new grocery store and we’re going to get both.”
Perrin said many of her clients are looking to downsize and remain in the community. “Every day I have clients asking about that.”
