Concord condos sport more-than-acre-sized bike room

August 24, 2021


Photo credit: Concord Pacific Developments

A Metro Vancouver condo developer is building a plush 50,000-square-foot indoor facility dedicated to bicycles and their users—among the largest of its kind in the world.
Concord Pacific Developments Inc. announced August 10 that the Concord Metrotown community—a multi-tower project adjacent to the Metropolis at Metrotown shopping centre—will include a more-than-acre-sized facility, which will house above-ground amenities like an indoor bike loop, gear room, spin studio and bike storage.
“We believe people will pick up on this very quick, so the market response will be very strong,” said Concord senior vice president Peter Webb.
It may prove an uphill grind, however. The 2016 census found that only 1.1 per cent of Burnaby residents use bikes as their means to commute to and from work—lower than both the Metro Vancouver regional figure of 2.3 per cent and Vancouver’s figure of 6.1 per cent.
Webb, however, said there has to be a first step, and Concord Metrotown demonstrates Concord’s commitment to a sustainable lifestyle.
“Our concepts are typically taken by other developers and literally taken around the world,” he told Business in Vancouver, adding that items such as the idea of moving the bike facilities to ground-level and above—as well as implementing bike elevators—are a change of perspective Concord hopes will entice more people to begin biking.
Webb said Concord is actively planning for similar measures in all future projects, as officials anticipate municipal governments throughout Canada will increase the bike allowances at condo developments to meet sustainability goals and reduce emissions. With new condo prices at the Concord tower expected to average more than $1,200 per square foot, the bike room is valued at approximately $60 million in space alone.