Qualico Commercial BC Scoops Up Prestigious Peer Recognition Award

Metro Vancouver, BC – Qualico Commercial BC’s Phase 3 of Willoughby Town Centre in Langley earned much-deserved recognition at this year’s UDI (Urban Development Institute – Pacific Region) Awards for Excellence, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver on November 22. The team took home the award for “Best of the Fraser Valley” for their vibrant, liveable, and environmentally aware development.

Phase 3 of Willoughby Town Centre includes a shopping/commercial plaza with condos in a community that is pedestrian-friendly and offers attractive greenspace. Phase 3 is an important addition to the first two phases of the development, which have attracted numerous residents and commercial tenants alike.

Gary Mertens, Regional Vice-President, BC Region, noted the need for a development like Willoughby Town Centre in the area.

“Willoughby Town Centre is Langley’s first and only walkable, master-planned community comprised of thoughtfully designed residences, quality commercial spaces, and pedestrian-oriented plazas and greenways,” said Gary. “With an increase in population of over 200 per cent in the last seven years, the emerging neighbourhood of Willoughby was in dire need of amenities, services, and restaurants.”

To meet that need, Phases 1 and 2 at Willoughby Town Centre brought in large anchor tenants, such as Independent Grocer, Shoppers Drug Mart, and RBC Royal Bank, as well as high-quality retail tenants like dental offices, fitness and health clinics, a daycare, and a music school. The impressive strides that the Willoughby Town Centre development has made so far earned it some time in the spotlight at the awards gala.

John Anders, Senior Project Manager, Qualico BC, added that there is even more great work to come on Willoughby Town Centre as the development moves into the next phase.

“We are very grateful to have received this peer recognition UDI Award,” said John. “This Phase 3 building, with its striking architecture, complements and defines the retail heart of Willoughby Town Centre. Phase 4, to be finished in 2021, will have its own distinctive architecture with a standalone restaurant building, retail/office building, and mixed-use building with 91 residences,  completing the ‘gateway’ into Willoughby Town Centre.”

The UDI Awards for Excellence celebrate peer recognition of completed development projects in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Vancouver, and the rest of British Columbia. Award categories include ground-oriented, high-rise, commercial/retail/office space, mixed use, and even public art projects.

The panel of judges is appointed by the UDI Awards Committee, and includes representatives from many aspects of real estate development such as planning, finance, design, architecture, and marketing.

All of the nominated projects are measured against the Institute’s values and principles, including: “We respect the natural environment, we create the built environment, and we foster vibrant communities, recognizing that the impact from our developments will last for generations.”

The awards are organized and presented by UDI, which is a non-profit association of members of the development industry and related professions. The Institute focuses its activities in three main areas: government and community relations, research, and professional development and education.

Gary shared that the Qualico Commercial BC team feels an immense amount of pride about their recent UDI award win.

“The UDI Awards for Excellence is the premier and highest form of peer-to-peer recognition of completed developments in British Columbia,” said Gary. “At Qualico, we strive to create better homes and communities for life, work, and play, and are honoured that industry peers have recognized us for doing just that.”