The timing of the Newgen Real Estate Development Inc. office building couldn't be better as the community of Maillardville gets together to talk about its future.
There's nothing like an actual project to prompt bouquets and brickbats, and the result could be better design guidelines for the heritage area.
For years, Maillardville has been in a state of transition from a traditional suburban community with roots in the earliest days of the 20th century to an urban neighbourhood with French character. Still, much work needs to be done.
While the city of Coquitlam has made an effort to revitalize the area with improvements to Mackin Park, rooting out undesirable businesses and refurbishing Place des Arts/Heritage Square, there are still many dead spots along the corridor, the Hell's Angels Clubhouse on Brunette Avenue to name one.
It would appear that Maillardville badly needs some anchor development and new in-fill housing to help it achieve its potential. But according to Coquitlam council, Newgen's cookie-cutter professional building may not be French enough.
Without seeming to look a gift horse in the mouth, Coquitlam councillors may be right in judging the Newgen development to lack the style and panache necessary for a gateway to what is supposed to be a quaint French-inspired character neighbourhood.
But while the scale and mass of the office building may be somewhat overbearing for the corner of Blue Mountain and Lougheed Highway, the developer deserves full marks for bringing a viable project to the table. Private sector development, ultimately, will be the foundation on which the future of Maillardville must stand, and it's up to the city to regulate development but not needlessly get in the way.
Residents cannot be ignored either and they overwhelmingly want French-inspired development in the area. What does that look like, exactly, and how far should Coquitlam go before the area begins to look like a cheap theme park?
Maillardville's Neighbourhood Plan update, which is taking place now, is the perfect opportunity to hash this out and, thanks to the Newgen development, people have something concrete to talk about.
