Province’s Spring Street rental plan starts to take shape

Nearly three years after first announcing it, the province is filling in the details of a major rental housing project planned for Spring Street in Moody Centre. The roughly two-acre site, sandwiched between Hugh and Williams streets, spans five parcels the province has assembled over the past decade — including about 150 parking stalls it originally bought for park-and-ride use.

The plan calls for a mix of market rental and below-market housing aimed at middle-income and family households, alongside retail space, artist studios, and parks — with potential room for health facilities and childcare still being considered. It’s part of a broader vision for Moody Centre that also includes a plaza fronting the SkyTrain station and a pedestrian overpass to Rocky Point Park, together expected to bring roughly 5,000 new residents to the area.

The province has framed the project as part of a larger push to build near transit: since 2022 legislation let the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure buy land close to SkyTrain stations, it has put $394 million toward these purchases province-wide, aiming for 10,000 new homes on provincial land near transit within a decade. Mayor Meghan Lahti has previously said the project lines up with the city’s own goals around transit use, climate resilience, and affordable housing.

What to watch next: firmer details on unit counts, affordability levels, and construction timelines as the project moves from concept toward formal proposal. (Reporting draws on original coverage by Jeremy Shepherd, Tri-Cities Dispatch.)