Office Construction in Carvolth

This weekend, I was at the Starbucks near 86th Avenue and 200th Street, and noticed construction directly to the east of me. A four-storey and six-storey office building are being constructed as part of the Langley 200 Business Centre which was approved back in June of 2011. Interesting enough in March of 2010, Township staff started the process of updating the neighbourhood plan for the area. The current preferred concept for the area recommends that 86th Avenue become a mixed-use commercial street in light of the new Carvolth Park and Ride.

Site Plan for Langley 200 Business Centre Building Fronting 86th Avenue and 201 Street. Click Image to Enlarge.

While these two new office buildings will provide jobs near the Carvolth transit exchange, I feel that there was a missed opportunity. Because Carvolth is still a business park, all these buildings are surrounded by surface parking. These office buildings also include underground parking which is a good thing, but it would have been better to see the building that faces 86th Avenue, front the sidewalk and greenway with no setback. This would have been a good start to creating a pedestrian-oriented street.

New 6 Storey Office Building (View from 86th Avenue)

New 6 Storey Office Building (View from 200th Street)

I hope that when the Township actually adopts the updated Carvolth plan, they will require more thought around the pedestrian realm along 86th Avenue. I’m glad that there are office buildings higher than two-storey being built near transit in Langley, but I still feel like we are clinging to the business park past.

The latest information on the Carvolth plan update is from last summer and suggests that Township staff are still working on the bylaws and documents needed to update the plan which will hopefully see the creation of an 86th Avenue mixed-use corridor.