Construction Complete on First Multi-Story Distribution Center in Canada

Construction is complete on Oxford Properties Group’s distribution center, a multi-story industrial facility located in Burnaby, British Columbia. The project, the latest addition to Riverbend Business Park, is Canada’s first major multi-story industrial project. Ware Malcomb served as the architect of record for the project; Ledcor Construction Ltd. served as the general contractor.

With proximity to urban areas of Greater Vancouver, the multi-story distribution center provides infrastructure for last-mile delivery in a world where consumers have come to expect next-day and same-day delivery. Located near the intersection of Marine Way and Highway 91A in Burnaby, it is ideally situated for attracting labor and serving Vancouver citizens.

The multi-story distribution center is situated on a 23.45-acre site and has a ground floor of 437,000 square feet with 32-foot-clear heights. The second story, accessible to full-size transport trailers via a long service ramp, consists of 270,000 square feet, 28-foot-clear heights and a 130-foot truck court where trucks can circulate. The heated exterior ramp allows for 53-foot trailers to make deliveries. Assorted mechanical rooms, a leasing office and storage space are located below the ramp. Loading docks are constructed of precast concrete and the office areas are made of insulated metal panels.

The building can provide a single tenant with 707,000 square feet of contiguous space. Alternatively, its two floors can be operated and occupied independently and further demised to accommodate multiple tenants as small as 70,000 square feet. Several main entrances allow for flexible demising.

Construction of the building is significant for the 65-acre Riverbend Business Park. The site, which used to be home to a paperboard milling operation and a 14-acre landfill, was purchased by Oxford Properties Group in 2011. Today, buildings on the site comprise more than 1.3 million square feet and are LEED certified. Oxford’s environmentally conscious approach to the redevelopment of the brownfield site earned it the 2019 City of Burnaby Environmental Award.

Photo credits: Luke Potter Photography