Excavation is well underway for Brentwood Block, a major mixed-use development set to transform eight acres near SkyTrain’s Brentwood Town Centre Station in Burnaby. This ambitious project, Grosvenor’s largest in Metro Vancouver, is moving forward despite challenging market conditions, signaling strong developer confidence in the region’s long-term housing demand and the Brentwood area’s potential.
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Key Takeaways:
- Construction has started on Phase 1 of the massive Brentwood Block development in Burnaby.
- Phase 1 includes three towers, delivering 1,731 homes (1,280 rental, 451 condo).
- One tower will be Western Canada’s tallest purpose-built rental building at 60 stories.
- The project integrates extensive commercial space and a large public community centre.
- Grosvenor and its partners are investing $1.5 billion, betting on future housing demand.
Project Overview & Scale
Located at 4612 Lougheed Highway and 2040-2150 Alpha Avenue, the Brentwood Block site replaces a former car dealership and low-rise buildings. The eight-acre development is framed by Lougheed Highway, Alpha Avenue, Dawson Street, and Beta Avenue, immediately southeast of the SkyTrain station.
This development is not only Grosvenor’s most significant undertaking in Metro Vancouver to date but also one of the largest within Burnaby’s rapidly evolving Brentwood district. Upon full completion, the entire project is planned to include six towers housing approximately 3,500 homes, with a significant emphasis on rental units (around 2,450). It will also feature roughly 200,000 sq ft of commercial space and 50,000 sq ft of public plazas and landscaped areas, totaling about two million sq ft of building floor area.
Phase 1 Underway: Homes, Height, and Investment
The first phase of Brentwood Block focuses on the western half of the site. It encompasses a 41-storey strata market condominium tower offering 451 homes and two purpose-built rental housing towers contributing 1,280 homes. In total, Phase 1 will deliver 1,731 new residences to the market.
A notable feature of Phase 1 is one of the rental towers, which will rise 60 stories (630 ft) at the corner of Lougheed Highway and Alpha Avenue. This height makes it the tallest purpose-built rental housing tower in Western Canada, where rental is the sole residential tenure type. Its scale rivals some of the tallest buildings in Metro Vancouver, including [new towers at Gilmore Place] and downtown Vancouver’s Living Shangri-La. It also surpasses the planned heights of future rental towers in major Vancouver projects like Oakridge Park and Senakw.
Artistic rendering showing multiple residential towers at Brentwood Block in Burnaby.
Financially, Brentwood Block represents a substantial $1.5 billion joint venture investment involving Grosvenor, Westerkirk Capital, and a Canadian pension fund. Developer confidence appears underscored by early sales figures for the condominium component, with over 30% of the 451 condo units sold as of May 2025.
Why Build Now? Developer’s Strategy
Starting construction amidst current economic uncertainty highlights Grosvenor’s long-term market perspective. Despite challenging fundamentals and a persistent slowdown in condominium sales, the developer is pushing forward.
Marc Josephson, a Senior Vice President at Grosvenor, emphasized their long-term view, having navigated many market cycles. He noted the region’s fundamental need for housing and the existing structural supply shortage. Josephson suggested that the current challenging demand environment is temporary, anticipating a different landscape by the project’s estimated completion towards the end of the decade.
Architectural concept view of the large-scale Brentwood Block development in Burnaby.
He argued that while many developers are delaying or postponing projects due to volatility, this could exacerbate future supply shortages when population growth and demand inevitably resume. “Long term, we know there’s still a great need for housing of all types — condo and rental… if you’re able to see what’s happening today in the broader context, you can also see that with the many examples of many projects stalling or not moving forward right now, one could anticipate insufficient supply to meet the growing demand in a number of years,” Josephson stated.
Beyond Residential: Retail and Community Hub
Brentwood Block is designed as more than just a residential complex; it aims to be a vibrant community hub. The first phase includes a substantial 160,000 sq ft of commercial space, primarily located on the lower levels of the towers. This retail component will be anchored by a 44,000 sq ft grocery store.
A key aspect of the design is its pedestrian orientation. The entire eight-acre site will not have internal vehicle roads, with all underground parking accessed from the perimeter streets. This allows for expansive public spaces, including plazas and wide pathways activated by retail, restaurants, and patios, enhancing the street-level experience. Josephson highlighted this as potentially the region’s first large-scale pedestrian-only development, with over half the site dedicated to the public realm.
Digital visualization of the Brentwood Block mixed-use development proposal.
Crucially, Phase 1 also incorporates a major public amenity: the new Brentwood Community Centre. Grosvenor is designing and building the $146 million facility on behalf of the City of Burnaby. Situated on the south side of the development, this 106,000 sq ft, multi-storey centre will feature amenities like a fitness gym, gymnasium, running track, multi-purpose rooms, and indoor play areas.
The community centre is largely funded by the city’s Community Benefit Bonus Reserve and will be owned and operated by the municipal government upon completion. Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley anticipates it will be an “outstanding community focal point,” attracting over a million visitors annually and supporting the significant residential growth in the wider Brentwood district. The integration of retail, restaurants, and the community centre is intended to serve both Brentwood Block residents and the growing surrounding neighbourhood.
Artistic rendering depicting the residential towers alongside the future Brentwood Community Centre.
Looking Ahead: Construction, Future Phases, and Transit
Construction on Phase 1 is expected to be a large undertaking. The volume of concrete needed will be substantial, and at its peak, the site will employ around 1,000 workers. Phase 1 components, including residential, commercial, and the community centre, are scheduled for completion by 2030.
The second phase, similar in scale and uses, is planned for the eastern portion of the site but is several years away from starting construction.
The development’s proximity to SkyTrain’s Brentwood Town Centre Station is a key factor, aligning with Burnaby’s focus on transit-oriented development. TransLink recently completed significant capacity and accessibility upgrades to the station in anticipation of growth from Brentwood Block, The Amazing Brentwood, and other developments in the area.
Exterior view of the recently upgraded SkyTrain Brentwood Town Centre Station in Burnaby.
While Vancouver’s Broadway extension won’t directly serve Burnaby, improved regional connectivity via transfers at Broadway–City Hall Station is expected to further enhance the appeal of living near Burnaby’s transit hubs. The Brentwood district is already recognized as a successful example of transit-oriented development, with more growth projected.
Grosvenor’s Marc Josephson praised the City of Burnaby for facilitating housing development, particularly near transit, highlighting a positive working relationship. Grosvenor also has another significant Metro Vancouver project underway, the Mayfair West development in Vancouver, further demonstrating their commitment to large-scale, transit-served sites in the region.
Conclusion: A Long-Term Bet on Brentwood
Brentwood Block represents a massive investment and a strong vote of confidence in the future of Burnaby’s Brentwood district and the broader Metro Vancouver housing market. By proceeding with construction now, Grosvenor and its partners are taking a long-term view, betting that current market headwinds will subside and meet a future demand fuelled by population growth and a structural supply shortage.
The project’s scale, the inclusion of Western Canada’s tallest rental tower, significant commercial space, and a major public community centre position Brentwood Block as a transformative development for the area. Its design prioritizes pedestrians and integrates public amenities, aiming to create a vibrant, transit-connected neighbourhood that will serve thousands of new residents and the wider community for decades to come.
