A Cactus Club restaurant is coming to the Coquitlam Centre mall parking lot.
Coquitlam city council approved Monday a development permit for the restaurant chain to build a 10,130-sq. ft. standalone eatery at the south end of the mall property, facing the Barnet Highway.
Although the mall’s managers, Morguard Investments, recently announced redevelopment plans for the 54-acre site, the restaurant will be located in an area it doesn’t anticipate developing for another 20 years, according to a city staff report. Morguard is in the initial stages of applying to begin a massive redevelopment including up to nine towers on 16 acres in the northeast corner of its land.
Coun. Dennis Marsden said since development in that part of the property “is still quite a ways off,” he had no problem with the restaurant being built because it would provide a much-needed dining option for Coquitlam residents, something other councillors mentioned in supporting the application (another Cactus Club is located at the corner of Lougheed Highway and Schoolhouse Street in Coquitlam).
The only one to oppose was Coun. Brent Asmundson, who said it is premature to approve the application because the city is in the early stages of developing a community plan for the area. “I don’t think it fits for a lot of what we’re planning for that area," he said.
The plans for the restaurant include a four-season patio along the west side of the building.
Despite the loss of 85 parking spots, the report said Coquitlam Centre would be left with 2,500 stalls.
The city's director of development services, George Fujii, told council preliminary discussions have begun for similar buildings on the west side of Coquitlam Centre but the names of prospective tenants have not been shared with the city.
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