THE NEW STANDARD
Together, SmartCentres and SmartStop are revolutionizing how storage facilities serve our communities across Canada.
Storage is transforming to support small businesses as well as individual consumers. We’re offering new and innovative services to meet the needs of our communities.
PUBLIC MEETING
Virtual open house
SmartCentres and SmartStop hosted a virtual public meeting on September 13 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.
PROJECT DETAILS
A new storage facility in New Westminster
First Queensborough Shopping Centres Limited (“SmartCentres REIT”) has submitted Official Community Plan Amendment, Rezoning and Development Permit applications (OCP00041, REZ00233, DP001019) to the City of New Westminster to allow for the proposed development of a four-storey 12,241 sm (131,766 sf) urban-style, fully enclosed self-storage facility with an FSR of approximately 2.78, for the property located at 805 Boyd Street (Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre). The application further proposes to subdivide off a 1.09-acre parcel from the Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre to facilitate the development which would require the demolition of a portion vacant building (Building F – 2,038 sm or 21,942 sf), constructed in 2008.
CONTExT
Existing site context
The Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre is a roughly 37.76 acre unenclosed shopping centre consisting of about 40,450 sm (435,450 sf) of retail space, located at the intersection of Boyd St. and Howes St., north of Highway 91A and west of the Queensborough Bridge in the City of New Westminster, BC. The site surrounded on all sides by commercial and industrial developments.
SmartCentres REIT has been working diligently to diversify and to strategically reposition the Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre. Today, retailers are changing and modernizing their offerings by increasing their online presence and right sizing their brick-and-mortar locations. These changes have contributed to increased vacancies as the demand for retail space within existing shopping centres has decreased. The Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre has not been exempted from these changing retail trends. SmartCentres is actively looking for new innovative ways to support local residents and businesses by introducing new complementary uses and services such self-storage to help and enhance the Queensborough Community. A new modern, clean, and covenant self-storage facility will reduce vacancies and improve the overall shopping centre.
Existing Site:
Click image to enlarge.
Proposal
SmartCentres REIT and SmartStop Self-Storage have partnered to develop self-storage facilities across Canada. The partnership has developed 19 facilities in Ontario, operating as SmartStop Self-Storage (“SmartStop”) and is expanding to Western Canada. The partnership has identified the Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre as a suitable location due to its direct access to Highway 91A, its proximity to an existing commercial and industrial node, and its ability to support local residents and businesses.
SmartCentres REIT and SmartStop Self-Storage are proposing the following amendments to the City of New Westminster municipal policies and regulations:
- Official Community Plan: Official Community Plan Amendment to amend 1.09 acres of land from Queensborough Commercial to Queensborough Mixed Employment to permit the self-storage use
- Zoning Amendment: Zoning Amendment to amend 1.09 acres of land from Large Format Commercial District (C-10) to a Comprehensive Development District (805 Boyd Street) (CD-108) to permit the use, density, and setbacks of the proposed self-storage building on the subject property
- Development Permit: Development Permit submission based on the Queensborough Industrial and Mixed Employment form and character design guidelines
Project Design
- Four (4) storey, urban-style, fully enclosed 12,241 sm (131,766 sf) GFA self-storage facility consisting of approximately 1,081 climate-controlled units and ancillary office space
- Demolition of approximately 2,038 sm (21,942 sf) GFA of existing vacant retail space located in the southeast quadrant of the site, in Building F
- The aesthetic of the self-storage facility will be modern, while maintaining a consistent and cohesive west-coast design that reflects the existing shopping centre
- Subdivide the existing 37.76 acre parcel to create a 1.09 acre parcel to accommodate the proposed self-storage use with a Floor Area Ratio of 2.78 and Site Coverage of 69.63%
- The shopping centre and the self-storage parcels will have separate ownerships but will function as a single site
- Site circulation, parking, and access will remain seamless, safe, and functional for both the shopping centre and self-storage use
- Variance to reduce the number of parking stalls required for the self-storage use from 38 parking stalls to 20 parking stalls
- Variance to reduce the number of loading spaces required from 5 to 3
- Variance to permit the maximum allowable number of compact parking stalls from 7 to 8
- Variance to reduce the number of short-term bicycle parking stalls from 72 bicycle parking stalls and 13 long-term bicycle spaces to 4 short term bicycle parking stalls and no long-term bicycle parking spaces.
- Two Level-2 electric vehicle charging stations will be included as part of the development. There are no minimum bylaw requirements for electrical charging stations from the City of New Westminster
Architectural Plans
SELF-STORAGE
Why Self-Storage?
Self-Storage has completely revolutionized from traditional single storey buildings, hidden in industrial areas, to become part of mainstream development, creating economic activity and supporting communities.
Self-storage has evolved into a multi-faceted business that offers a variety of services and incentives that provides for an affordable alternative to traditional office or warehouse space. The intent and the primary customers now include small to medium sized businesses, start-ups, and local residents. Businesses are increasingly utilizing self-storage to meet their needs and the intent of self-storage is to be an extension of the home and/or a business.
Each self-storage location is carefully selected and planned for areas with a high degree of visibility and accessibility, urban amenities, and within well-established residential/commercial areas such as the Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre.
Key business support features include:
- Wifi, Hot Desks and boardrooms for collaboration and gathering
- Secure facilities to house merchandise, supplies or goods
- Flexible lease terms built with business expansion in mind
- Affordable alternative to traditional office or warehousing
- Flexible hours to accommodate business needs
BUSINESS EXAMPLES
- Small Warehouse Businesses
- Photographers
- Art Galleries
- Interior Design Firms & Home Staging
- Contractors
- Lawyers and Notaries
- Architects
- Pharmaceutical Representatives
- Trades
- Other Entrepreneurs
Self-Storage facilities are now designed to fit into the surrounding urban context
- Modern, state-of-the art design
- Multi-storey design seamlessly integrated into the shopping centre
- Flexible building and unit configurations
- Adaptable design for future uses
- Clean, bright and safe particularly for women and the elderly consumers
- Designed for multi-modal transport access
- Maximize site area for high intensity land use
- Support homeowners renovating, moving or downsizing, individuals with no permanent address (i.e., students), and/or homeowners looking to extend their home (needing more closet space or storage for tools, heirlooms, or equipment)
The self-storage proposal at the Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre will replace existing retail vacancies with a supportive service that will play a key in role in meeting the demand for storage space from residential and businesses, specifically those located in Queensborough Community.
About
SmartStop is a diversified real estate company focused on self-storage assets, along with student and senior housing.
The company has managed a portfolio that includes 174 properties in the United States and Canada comprising of approximately 119,200 units and 13.5 million rentable square feet. SmartStop and SmartCentres own or manage 19 operating self-storage properties in Canada, which total approximately 16,200 units and 1.6 million rentable square feet.
SmartCentres was started more than 30 years ago because we believed that Canadians deserved products they could afford at convenient times, in stores that were close to home. By fulfilling those needs, SmartCentres has grown and expanded into communities in every province in Canada.
Today, Canadians need transit-connected homes with urban amenities. So, SmartCentres is evolving ‘from Shopping Centres to City Centres’ and SmartLiving has emerged with a $15 billion transformation plan to enhance Canadian communities.
SmartCentres has 3,500 acres of land across 185 prime locations cost-to-coast. We are now planning, developing, building, and managing holistic pedestrian-focused communities on these lands, enabling Canadians to Live life without Compromise.
CONTACT
Questions? Get in touch.
SmartCentres REIT
Cristiana Valero, Development Manager
City of New Westminster