Sydney Townhomes

Urban Infill

Sydney Townhomes are located on a quite cul-de-sac in central Burquitlam, a short stroll from the emerging City of Lougheed and two Skytrain lines.

The project provides three storey wood frame townhomes over one level of underground parking. The development includes 20 three and four bedroom homes, contained in three buildings. Each home has direct access from the parking area below, and benefits from its own private entry, as well as private front and rear outdoor spaces.

The buildings have been designed as a contemporary interpretation of the classic row house and incorporate high quality and durable exterior materials including brick, metal and cement panel.

All homes feature efficient, thoughtfully designed three or four bedroom floorplans ideal for young families and range in size from 1450sf - 1750sf.

Project Roles

General Partner

Key Partners

NorthStar Development
Trillium Projects Ltd.

Project Statistics

20 Townhouse Units
1 Level underground parking

The Case for Townhomes

The adoption of the Burquitlam-Lougheed Neighbourhood Plan by the city of Coquitlam presented the opportunity to acquire an attractive site, close to transit, that could be rezoned for townhouse development.

Townhouse had been identified as a product type with high demand characteristics given its approachable price point and its attractiveness to young families. Lack of suitable townhouse land meant that the project was unlikely to be presented with significant competition in the immediate area.

The initial investment decision was made in 2019, right before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. This presented challenges to the project team however the overwhelming need for housing in the Lower Mainland and the “missing middle” nature of the townhouse product type, reinforced that the initial investment decision was correct. Solutions to the challenges needed to be found.

Covid brought two main challenges for the project. First, interruption to the supply chain resulted in increase to material costs. Second, social distancing rules made selling the project difficult in a traditional sales centre.

Addressing increased project costs took close collaboration with the project’s general contractor. Working with the contractor, materials were sourced and purchased out of sequence and stored on site until needed. This allowed the team to lock in prices as they were rising and ensured that materials would be available to the construction team when needed thus avoiding additional interest costs due to construction delays.

Addressing the second challenge was a fun and innovative solution – the condo truck!

Addressing the second challenge was a fun and innovative solution – the condo truck! With social distancing rules shutting down traditional indoor sales centres, the marketing team took to the streets.

The project team converted an old Canada Post truck into a mobile sales centre, perfect for open air, socially distanced selling. The truck proved to be extremely popular and garnered significant free publicity.