Wesgroup Joins Crombie REIT On Four Safeway Redevelopments In Metro Vancouver

Wesgroup Properties has teamed up with Crombie REIT to co-develop four Safeway sites across Metro Vancouver. The two firms formed partnerships shortly after Crombie released its Q1 2025 results, announcing that Wesgroup will help push these projects through planning, design, and approval stages. Each property is already owned by Crombie in Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Burnaby, and the developer partnership aims to unlock value hidden in the land.

The first site, in East Vancouver at Kingsway & Tyne, includes a standalone Safeway, a BC Liquor Store, and adjacent parking. The 3.74-acre lot is under early concept planning. Wesgroup has picked up a 50 percent interest from Empire Company Limited, Safeway’s parent and Crombie’s top shareholder, in order to assist with due diligence and rezoning.

In North Vancouver, the Lynn Valley Safeway site spans about 2.8 acres next to Lynn Valley Centre mall. Crombie submitted a proposal in November 2021 calling for 479 homes across four mid‑rise towers. That plan is being refined by the joint venture to align with updated municipal policies before a full zoning application is filed.

The Burnaby Heights site on Hastings Street covers 3.3 acres, featuring a Safeway, parking, and a small commercial building occupied by BMO. The property’s assessed value is more than \$66 million. The joint venture will now work to secure development entitlements on the site.

The fourth location, at West Broadway in Vancouver near Kitsilano Secondary, is almost two acres and includes a Safeway plus separate retail space. With assessed value over \$68 million, the project is also heading into the entitlement phase under the joint venture.

Before these new partnerships, Crombie and Wesgroup had already worked together on a major Safeway redevelopment with Westbank near Broadway–Commercial Station. Along with other Safeway sites now being redeveloped by various builders across Metro Vancouver, these four new projects add to a growing wave of supermarket-led big-build proposals set to transform established shopping centres.