The former Wallace Shipyard Burrard Drydock site in North Vancouver, located near the Foot of Lonsdale since 1906, was one of the chief employers in Western Canada. When the shipyard's fortunes declined and the facility later closed in 1992, the City was left with a vacant slice of the waterfront. Three years later, the City conducted a land use study in partnership with the two owners. The resultant plan was completed in 1997 and approved in 2001, unlocking the western portion of the site for redevelopment, while retaining a functional shipyard on the eastern section of the property. Pinnacle International purchased the development rights to the site in late 2001 and has been implementing their audacious vision for the lands ever since.

A map of the development in relation to the broader scheme, image via Quay Property Management Corp.

The Pier Development has so far produced 1.25 million square feet of commercial, public amenity and residential development, plus extensive new waterfront connections, a performance stage, and a 105-room hotel. Now, developer Quay Property Management Corp. has started construction on the last remaining undeveloped parcel in The Shipyards, known as Lot 5

Another angle of the proposal, image via Quay Property Management Corp.

The City of North Vancouver announced its partnership with Quay Property Management Corp. and DIALOG in 2016. They plan to impart the revitalized area with 84,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial and community amenity space, including restaurants, cafes, retail, services and a 70-room boutique waterfront hotel. Designed in collaboration with the City, the project's public realm components include a 12,000-square-foot outdoor public skating rink and an 8,000-square-foot water play area. A 140-unit underground parking garage — excavation for which is currently taking place — will also be contained within the development.

A digital look inside the preserved covered structure, image via Quay Property Management Corp.

The 1925-built machine shop, a designated heritage building, has been carefully disassembled and stored in advance of its reintegration and repurposing as an open space covering structure. The commercial component will put retail and restaurant uses on the ground floor to activate the streetscape, with public programming offices for the shipyards precinct occupying the second floor. The third and fourth floors are where the proposed hotel rooms will be situated.

Construction of the development is underway, image by Forum contributor City Of Rain

Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.