Mill Woods Town Centre Redevelopment

Overview

The City has received an application for rezoning and an amendment to an Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) for the Mill Woods Town Centre shopping mall site.

The proposed rezoning is from CSC (Shopping Centre zone) to DC1 (Direct Development Control Provision zone). The amendment to the Mill Woods Station ARP would support this rezoning.

This proposal would allow the site to change over time from a low-density shopping mall and commercial area, to a higher-density mixed-use centre.

The highest density of uses would be located toward the northeast corner of the site, near the future Mill Woods LRT station and transit terminal.

This would include residential uses such as row-housing, mid-rise apartments, and high-rise apartments. Commercial uses could include retail and services at the base of residential buildings, office buildings, and the possibility of retaining or redeveloping the shopping mall in some form.

Automotive-oriented commercial services and low-density, large-format retail would be permitted only along 23 Avenue NW.

Public Consultation

Open House

The City, along with the applicant, held a public open house to provide information on the proposal and receive feedback at an early stage in the review process.

The open house was held Thursday, May 5, 2016, from 6-8:30pm at the Mill Woods Senior and Multicultural Centre (2nd Floor Mill Woods Library). Members of the public were invited to drop in and view information on the proposal and provide feedback to the City.

City staff, including members from City Planning and Transportation, were available to answer questions on the application and the related Valley Line LRT. The applicant and property owners also attended and answered questions.

Approximately 500 people attended this open house, which featured a series of display boards that outlined the rezoning proposal. View the open house display boards.

Handouts which were provided at the meeting are also available for downloading and reading.

Based on the feedback received at and following the Open House, two reports have been prepared. The What We Heard report is the shortened summary of comments, arranged thematically.

The complete summary of comments is also available.

Process Timeline 

The applicant sent notices of their proposal to property owners near the Mill Woods Town Centre in late November, 2015.

The rezoning application was received on December 23, 2015. It is in the early stages of City review. Notification was sent by City administration to property owners near the Mill Woods Town Centre. The applicant has also placed notification signs on the site regarding the application.

The City is currently reviewing the application with internal departments and utility agencies. This process will involve returning the application to the applicant for revisions as required.

The City held an Open House on May 5, 2016, which was well attended. Feedback received assists us in distilling important issues to address.

The application will be reviewed a second time to consider feedback received and any revisions made. A second public meeting will be held when the application is being finalized, prior to proceeding to a Public Hearing. Public notice will also be mailed and advertised before the application is considered by City Council.

This process is expected to take a minimum of 12 months, and may last longer. The process timeline diagram charts the progress of the various steps.

DC1 (Direct Control 1) zone

The purpose of the DC1 Zone (Direct Development Control Provision) is to provide for detailed, sensitive control of the use, development, siting and design of buildings as they relate to the Mill Woods Station Area Redevelopment Plan, which was approved in 2013.

Key features of the proposal:

• Up to 1,750 residential units, in various configurations including row housing, mid-rise buildings, and high-rise buildings
• Commercial space up to 69,700 m² (750,000 ft²); up from the 46,500 m² (500,000 ft²) currently developed on the site
• Minimum densities of development
• Pedestrian and transit-oriented development
• A network of new roads and lanes on a grid, designed in accordance with the City’s Complete Street Guidelines, providing safe routes for walking, cycling, driving, and transit
• Built form, site design, and mix of uses in accordance with the City’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Guidelines
• Publicly-accessible green space and recreational space, including a wide central boulevard running north-south with areas for patios, plazas, gardens, small parks and other spaces throughout the site
• The Mill Woods ETS bus terminal may be relocated closer to the LRT station, which is planned for service by 2020
• Development uses, intensity, and built form controlled according to sub-areas of the site

Current Site

The current Mill Woods Town Centre mall property includes a shopping mall, grocery store, three-storey professional office building, gas bar, several retail and fast-food pads, and undeveloped areas of land.

It is bounded by 28 Avenue NW to the north, Hewes Way NW to the east, 23 Avenue NW to the south, and 66 Street NW to the west. The site, outlined in blue, does not include the Mill Woods Library or the existing ETS bus terminal on Hewes Way.

For More Information

Sean Lee