A milestone on the massive Sen̓áḵw redevelopment has been reached, with the Squamish First Nation announcing it has achieved a services agreement with the City of Vancouver. While the multi-tower, mixed-use development does not need to follow the municipal government’s planning processes as it is located on the First Nation’s reserve, the development critically depends on the city to provide it with utilities connections, specifically water and storm sewer services.
Additionally, the agreement stipulates “significant upgrades and investments to pedestrian, cycling, transit, and road improvements.”
“Sen̓áḵw has been a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh village site for thousands of years. With the overwhelming support of our Squamish People, the Sen̓áḵw development will generate enormous wealth for our community and see the return of Squamish People to our village that past Canadian governments forcibly evicted us from,” said Squamish Nation elected councillor and spokesperson Wilson Williams in a statement.
In an overwhelming vote of support, the First Nation’s members self-approved the project and development partnership with Westbank in December 2019. There will be a total of 12 buildings on the six-acre (2.4-hectare) reserve at the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge, with the tallest tower reaching up to 59 stories at 172 meters (564 feet).
Altogether, there would be 6,000 homes for as many as 9,000 people, with the vast majority of these units set to be market rental housing. About 300 units are also eyed as below-market rental homes dedicated to the First Nation’s members. Most of the remaining homes could be leasehold stratified condominiums, and some of these condominiums could potentially be made available to Squamish members at below-market as well.
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