Over the years, development activity in Burnaby has shifted from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. Metrotown and Lougheed were two of the earlier development hotspots due to their large regional shopping centres; much of the attention in recent years has been more focused on Brentwood as a result of its own regional shopping centre, while Edmonds and Royal Oak appear to be next in line after new community plans were approved for both this year.
However, things are now starting to come full circle, as a wave of projects in Metrotown that were started in an earlier development cycle are now completing. These projects are all located in the small triangular area that's roughly bounded by Kingsway, Willingdon Avenue, and Patterson Avenue. The latter is the eastern edge of the 213-acre Central Park, thus this area has become dubbed the "Central Park District" by Bosa Properties.
The Central Park District
In this one small area, Bosa Properties recently completed construction on two high-rise towers.
The first is Central Park House, a 41-storey tower located at 5977 Wilson Avenue (5987 Wilson Avenue, legally) with 355 strata units. The tower is the first residential building in Canada designed by renowned architecture firm Gensler, construction commenced in 2021, and Bosa recently received occupancy, with move-ins beginning this week.
One block towards the east at 5980 Kathleen Avenue is Broadview, a 35-storey rental tower with 295 units. Construction also began in 2021, was completed earlier this year, and move-ins are already underway. According to Bosa Properties, Broadview is only the second high-rise purpose-built rental tower that has been completed in the entire Metrotown neighbourhood in the last decade. (Most of the purpose-built rental in Burnaby that gets built is low-rise.)
"Burnaby is integral to our story, and we see immense potential for its growth, particularly in Central Park District, where natural beauty meets urban convenience," said Dan Cupa, Senior Vice President, Residential, in a statement provided to STOREYS. "We know how important trust is when choosing a home, especially in today's volatile market. Delivering our promised 650 residences — both rental and condo — reflects our long-term commitment to building a livable, future-focused city that works for the people who call it home."
Another big-name developer with numerous projects across Burnaby — and two in this particular area — is Anthem Properties.
The first is The Standard, a 43-storey tower located at 6468 Willingdon Avenue with 424 strata units and an adjacent six-storey building at 4241 Maywood Avenue with 92 below-market rental units. Construction commenced in Spring 2022 and Anthem tells STOREYS that The Standard is set to be completed next month.
The second is NUVO, a 44-storey tower located at 6075 Wilson Avenue (6073 Wilson Avenue, legally) with 358 strata units and an adjacent six-storey building with 86 rental units. Construction commenced in Summer 2022 and Anthem says NUVO is set to be completed in December.
"The Standard and NUVO are complementary projects to one another and build on the strong presence and commitment we have to this vibrant and diverse area of Burnaby," said Anthem Properties in a statement provided to STOREYS. "Central Park/Metrotown is a prime location that offers residents convenient access to shopping, dining, entertainment, and essential public amenities, green space and a variety of local schools and is highly desirable due to its excellent connectivity to Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain network, making it one of the most commuter-friendly neighbourhoods in the region. It also offers some of the highest elevations in Metro Vancouver, allowing for panoramic views in all directions."
The Development Pipeline
In addition to the aforementioned projects that have completed or are nearing completion, both Bosa and Anthem have other projects in the area that are underway.
At 6035 Wilson Avenue, located right between NUVO and Central Park House, Bosa Properties is developing a 50-storey tower called Solhouse 6035 with 411 strata units and 68 rental units. Also designed by Gensler, Bosa received final approval for the project from the City of Burnaby in April 2024 and construction commenced in late-2024.
As first reported by STOREYS earlier this year, Bosa Properties is now also developing a 40-storey purpose-built rental tower with 418 units. The project is set for 5978 Wilson Avenue, located between Central Park House and Broadview, and is being developed as part of a joint venture between Bosa Properties and Chunghwa. This project has yet to be approved by the City.
Back to back with Bosa's Central Park House and Solhouse 6035 will be two towers by Polygon Homes. In 2023, Polygon received approval for Perla, a 38-storey tower at 5938 Olive Avenue with 339 strata units; Onyx, a 34-storey tower at 5860 Olive Avenue with 261 strata units; and a six-storey rental building with 118 non-market rental units that will be owned and operated by New Vista Society. Construction has commenced on the rental building while both strata buildings are now selling.
Directly across the street from Polygon's towers is 5889 Barker Avenue, the site of Greenhouse, a 43-storey tower with 314 units being developed by Concord Pacific. Excavation on the project commenced in late-2024 and Greenhouse is expected to be completed by 2028.
Like Polygon, Wesgroup Properties also has a two-tower project in the area. The project is called Reign, with a 38-storey tower set for 6280 Willingdon Avenue (6263 Cassie Avenue, legally) and a 35-storey tower set for 6350 Willingdon Avenue (6337 Cassie Avenue, legally). Wesgroup received final approval for both towers in March 2024 and construction recently started.
Elsewhere in the area, across the street from the northwestern corner of Central Park, is the Telus Boot building at 3777 Kingsway and 3791 Kingsway. For the sprawling 6.6-acre site, Anthem Properties and Crestpoint are now undergoing a master-planned project that will see five new towers built around the iconic office building.
All of this is to say: as one development cycle in the Central Park District comes to an end, another is just beginning. We'll check back in another few years.