Roughly 16 years after Vancouver-based Concert Properties started planning the North Harbour community, the first phase of homes is now completed on the North Shore. 

Saturday marked the completion of 375 homes across four buildings, and the opening of a stretch of the North Shore Spirit Trail, as well as public realm and infrastructure upgrades along Harbourside Drive. The development took shape at the former industrial site at the south end of Fell Avenue near the Northshore Auto Mall. 

CEO and president Catherine Roome, who joined the company earlier this year, said seeing residents move into the first condo and rental homes at the site was a great feeling. "That's pretty amazing," she added, noting the project first began the rezoning process in 2010. 

The first four buildings include three condo buildings and a purpose-built rental building. Drift opened to residents in January, with 163 condominium and townhome residences. Aire East and Aire West followed in July, adding 102 condos across the two buildings. Echo adds 110 purpose-built rental homes and is now leasing.

Roome said most of the condo units are now sold, but didn't provide specific sales numbers. The massive project completes within a regional market that has a reported 4,400 unsold condos worth roughly $4.4 billion. 

Roome acknowledged that market conditions are challenging, but for projects that span decades, many cycles can be expected to come and go. It's too early to describe what the next phase will include and whether Concert will produce more or fewer condos, proportionally to rental homes or commercial space, she said.

"Those are exactly the questions that have to go into the planning and design right now," Roome said. "We're really kind of revelling in the fact we've achieved this major milestone."

Roome said North Harbour is a long-term, multi-phase community and discussions are underway with the city to figure out what should come next. 

Infrastructure upgrades and opening of waterfront trail 

North Harbour's first phase also includes utility upgrades, a stormwater treatment facility and new park space. The enhanced section of the North Shore Spirit Trail accommodates people walking, cycling and using wheeled mobility devices, with connections east to Lonsdale Quay and the SeaBus and west toward Park Royal. It forms part of the broader North Shore Spirit Trail, envisioned as a 35-kilometre greenway extending from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove. 

Asked about lessons learned throughout the master-planning process, Roome said the team is glad it focused on sustainability and climate resilience during the outset of the project. The site has been raised to help protect the area against potential future sea-level rise, while Drift, Aire and Echo were built to achieve BC Energy Step Code 3, a higher energy-efficiency standard Concert Properties adopted voluntarily ahead of it becoming a requirement. 

"For the folks on the ground, it was a continual learning process," Roome said. It is a waterfront site, "just this beautiful, sparkling, active port harbour that we face, and because it's on the water, of course, we have to take into account climate change and really harden and make that site resilient to that."

The project also includes 15,000 square feet of commercial space. A JJ Bean Coffee Roasters café at Echo and a 123Dentist location at Drift are both planned to open in 2027. Roome said there is also a space for a waterfront restaurant and Concert is still looking for a tenant to lease that space.

"It faces the water, and there's the nearby marina," Roome said. "There's going to be quite an active commercial hub in that area."

Concert Properties and the City of North Vancouver have worked together on North Harbour since rezoning planning began in 2010. Bosa Construction built the project.

North Harbour helps improve city's connection to its waterfront 

“The completion of phase one of the North Harbour development marks an important milestone for our city,” said City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan in a release. “These investments enhance livability while supporting our residents' health, well-being and quality of life. New multi-use pathways, enhanced road safety features, an improved streetscape and other public realm improvements add vibrancy and better integrate the waterfront neighbourhood in our city.”

The mayor said this investment helped to make the city more connected to its waterfront and more livable.

Concert Properties was founded in Vancouver in 1989 and has grown into a major developer, owner and operator of commercial and multifamily real estate. Its $6.6-billion portfolio and projects span rental apartments, condominium homes, industrial and office properties. 

Concert is owned by union and management pension plans and institutional investors representing over 200,000 Canadians.