Just months after Coquitlam council approved a Ledingham McAllister tower and townhouse development at the corner of Lougheed Highway and Alderson Avenue, signage has gone up naming the first building to be constructed.
Salishan is a 29-storey tower to be built at 633 Alderson Ave. as part of Alderson Gate, on a large triangular land assembly, that also consists of an 80,000 sq-ft. property at 688 Lougheed Hwy., currently occupied by DriveCo Motors.
A home previously located at 633 Alderson Ave. has been knocked down and is currently behind Ledingham McAllister fencing while DriveCo Motors is currently operating.
Meanwhile, it's early days yet for the Alderson Gate project which is in the pre-construction phase and sales have yet to begin.
Ledingham McAllister plans a 29- and a 25-storey tower as well as a six-storey apartment building and a four-storey stacked townhouse market condominium for a total of 563 units, including 408 market condos and 155 rental units.
A child care space will also be constructed in the project's third phase.
Located along a busy stretch of Lougheed Highway, between Maillardville and Lougheed SkyTrain station, the project is considered within the transit zone because it is located 1,200 metres — or just over a kilometre — to rapid transit.
How these older neighbourhoods are changing
However, it's one of the larger developments east of North Road along Lougheed Highway.
Loma, a condo development at 901 Lougheed Hwy. in Maillardville, has 180 units under construction.
Loma is decorated with metal panels created to mimic the logs that used to be milled at nearby Fraser Mills, during Coquitlam's early days.
Together, these new towers are changing the look of Coquitlam's south west neighbourhoods from suburban to urban.
Down the street from the Alderson Gate development on Alderson Avenue, for example, are houses of varying vintages, including some older homes dating back to the mid-20s.
One home, located at 609 Alderson Ave., purchased in 2021 for $2.8 million, was built in 1924, according to BC Assessment.
In addition to towers and townhouses, among the features of Alderson Gate you'll be able to see from the road — or visit — will be a water feature and a corner plaza.
