Uptown Plaza and Sixth Street Public Realm Improvements

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Consultation has concluded

Project Update, December 2023: The full What We Heard engagement summary report is now available! Click here to read about the engagement activities and all the input we heard from community members through pop-ups, business visits, workshops, and an online survey. The project team is now working to apply the feedback to the final designs for Uptown Plaza and Sixth Street, and construction is planned for 2024.


Project Update, October 10, 2023: The final round of community engagement for Sixth Street and Uptown Plaza has concluded. Many thanks to all who took time to talk with the project team at our pop-ups, business visits, and workshops, and to all who completed the survey.

See below for a sneak preview of the survey results! A comprehensive report about the engagement process and full engagement results will be shared here in the coming weeks. The project team will also work to refine and finalize the designs for the Sixth Street public realm improvements and permanent Uptown Plaza based on your input. Construction is currently planned for 2024.














Project Update, September 18, 2023: The project team has developed designs for the public realm improvements on Sixth Street and the permanent Uptown Plaza. 

We need your feedback to help the project team finalize the designs!


A graphic showing the proposed future of Sixth Street in Uptown New West, with various features such as wider sidewalks, seating areas, trees, lighting and more. 



A graphic showing the proposed design for the permanent Uptown Plaza on Belmont Street.


Click here to view the designs in more detail.


Since 2021, community engagement has been an important part of the project to ensure that design elements reflect the community’s needs and priorities so that Sixth Street and the Uptown Plaza are welcoming to all.

Key themes from previous community engagement have been incorporated into:

  • the proposed Sixth Street public realm improvements design, including new and expanded sidewalks, new lighting, improved crosswalks, more street trees and greenery, accessible parking spaces, and more
  • the proposed permanent Uptown Plaza design, including seating options, new lighting, open programmable spaces, street trees, and more.

Share your feedback on the designs!

  • Take our online survey, open now until October 9, 2023
  • Stop by our pop-up events:
    • Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 1:00-3:00 pm at Uptown Plaza (located on Belmont Street) Note: due to wind, this pop-up was relocated to inside Westminster Centre. We are sorry if we missed you.
    • Wednesday, September 27, 2023 from 4:00-6:00 pm outside of Westminster Centre, 555 Sixth Street
  • Join a workshop:
    • In-person: Wednesday, October 4, 2023 from 5:30-7:00 pm at New Westminster Public Library (716 Sixth Avenue)
    • Virtual: Thursday, October 5, 2023 from 6:00-7:30 pm

We look forward to hearing from you.


Project Overview

Changes are coming on Sixth Street and in Belmont Plaza in Uptown! This project will reimagine Sixth Street between Sixth Avenue and Belmont Street, and Belmont Plaza, to orient this area more clearly towards the public realm and walking, with more flexible uses and improved accessibility. 

Proposed features include an expanded, permanent Belmont Plaza, widened sidewalks, improved lighting, more seating, temporary road closures for special events, and prioritization for pedestrians at the intersection of Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue.

While this project previously focused on this block of Sixth Street, based on feedback from the community we have now combined the project to include both public realm improvements on Sixth Street and an expanded Belmont Plaza. We want to be sure these public spaces work well together.

We’re taking feedback from earlier (2021) engagement on Sixth Street and more recent (summer 2022) engagement on Belmont Plaza to develop two concepts for the plaza space and refine the designs for Sixth Street. The options and designs will be presented to the public for feedback later in 2023.

This project takes direction from the vision set in the City of New Westminster’s Council-approved Uptown Streetscape Vision to create “a vibrant commercial district with a distinct identity, accessible and sustainable transportation, as well as inviting and engaging public spaces that are welcoming to all people." While initial plans for in-person consultation on the Uptown Streetscape Vision were postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, engagement with key stakeholders took place in June 2020. Click here to read the Uptown Streetscape Vision Key Stakeholder Engagement Summary Report.

This project aligns with the City’s Master Transportation Plan goals and Seven Bold Steps for Climate Action - specifically, Car-light Community, Quality People-Centred Public Realm, and Robust Urban Forest.

Project Update, December 2023: The full What We Heard engagement summary report is now available! Click here to read about the engagement activities and all the input we heard from community members through pop-ups, business visits, workshops, and an online survey. The project team is now working to apply the feedback to the final designs for Uptown Plaza and Sixth Street, and construction is planned for 2024.


Project Update, October 10, 2023: The final round of community engagement for Sixth Street and Uptown Plaza has concluded. Many thanks to all who took time to talk with the project team at our pop-ups, business visits, and workshops, and to all who completed the survey.

See below for a sneak preview of the survey results! A comprehensive report about the engagement process and full engagement results will be shared here in the coming weeks. The project team will also work to refine and finalize the designs for the Sixth Street public realm improvements and permanent Uptown Plaza based on your input. Construction is currently planned for 2024.














Project Update, September 18, 2023: The project team has developed designs for the public realm improvements on Sixth Street and the permanent Uptown Plaza. 

We need your feedback to help the project team finalize the designs!


A graphic showing the proposed future of Sixth Street in Uptown New West, with various features such as wider sidewalks, seating areas, trees, lighting and more. 



A graphic showing the proposed design for the permanent Uptown Plaza on Belmont Street.


Click here to view the designs in more detail.


Since 2021, community engagement has been an important part of the project to ensure that design elements reflect the community’s needs and priorities so that Sixth Street and the Uptown Plaza are welcoming to all.

Key themes from previous community engagement have been incorporated into:

  • the proposed Sixth Street public realm improvements design, including new and expanded sidewalks, new lighting, improved crosswalks, more street trees and greenery, accessible parking spaces, and more
  • the proposed permanent Uptown Plaza design, including seating options, new lighting, open programmable spaces, street trees, and more.

Share your feedback on the designs!

  • Take our online survey, open now until October 9, 2023
  • Stop by our pop-up events:
    • Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 1:00-3:00 pm at Uptown Plaza (located on Belmont Street) Note: due to wind, this pop-up was relocated to inside Westminster Centre. We are sorry if we missed you.
    • Wednesday, September 27, 2023 from 4:00-6:00 pm outside of Westminster Centre, 555 Sixth Street
  • Join a workshop:
    • In-person: Wednesday, October 4, 2023 from 5:30-7:00 pm at New Westminster Public Library (716 Sixth Avenue)
    • Virtual: Thursday, October 5, 2023 from 6:00-7:30 pm

We look forward to hearing from you.


Project Overview

Changes are coming on Sixth Street and in Belmont Plaza in Uptown! This project will reimagine Sixth Street between Sixth Avenue and Belmont Street, and Belmont Plaza, to orient this area more clearly towards the public realm and walking, with more flexible uses and improved accessibility. 

Proposed features include an expanded, permanent Belmont Plaza, widened sidewalks, improved lighting, more seating, temporary road closures for special events, and prioritization for pedestrians at the intersection of Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue.

While this project previously focused on this block of Sixth Street, based on feedback from the community we have now combined the project to include both public realm improvements on Sixth Street and an expanded Belmont Plaza. We want to be sure these public spaces work well together.

We’re taking feedback from earlier (2021) engagement on Sixth Street and more recent (summer 2022) engagement on Belmont Plaza to develop two concepts for the plaza space and refine the designs for Sixth Street. The options and designs will be presented to the public for feedback later in 2023.

This project takes direction from the vision set in the City of New Westminster’s Council-approved Uptown Streetscape Vision to create “a vibrant commercial district with a distinct identity, accessible and sustainable transportation, as well as inviting and engaging public spaces that are welcoming to all people." While initial plans for in-person consultation on the Uptown Streetscape Vision were postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, engagement with key stakeholders took place in June 2020. Click here to read the Uptown Streetscape Vision Key Stakeholder Engagement Summary Report.

This project aligns with the City’s Master Transportation Plan goals and Seven Bold Steps for Climate Action - specifically, Car-light Community, Quality People-Centred Public Realm, and Robust Urban Forest.

Consultation has concluded

Check out the FAQs on the right-hand menu of the Be Heard page before submitting your question. We may have already addressed your question. 

Have a question about the Uptown Plaza and Sixth Street Public Realm Improvements? Please add it here and press submit. We will aim to reply within 5 business days. Sometimes answers require information from multiple sources and it could take us longer to reply. If we think your question may be of interest to others, we'll post your question and our response here. Thank you for taking the time to write to us!

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    When we talk about the expansion of this improvement project, does this involve expanding the plaza into 522 Sixth Street (the currently vacant and undeveloped lot)? Was just curious if the potential plaza plans would expand into that area beyond that street! :)

    Kyle asked over 1 year ago

    Hello and thanks for the question. The project team has considered many options for improving and expanding the plaza on Belmont Street, including expanding into the vacant lot at 522 Sixth Street. However, since this is not City-owned land, further discussions with the property owner would need to take place to determine if the lot could be used, and any challenges and constraints that may exist. For the upcoming plaza refresh planned for Spring 2023, the project team will work to implement improvements on City-owned lands only.

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    Why are we not building bike lanes on 6th street for the redesign? Do cyclists not need to get to retail/coffee/grocery stores?

    agnesstreetphantom asked over 2 years ago

    Thank you for your question.  Bike lanes were not identified in the Uptown Streetscape Vision for this part of Sixth Street, with cycling facilities instead planned for Fifth Street as part of the Downtown to Uptown bicycle route.  However, the project recognizes the need for cyclists to access Sixth Street and will consider connecting routes to provide access to Sixth Street as well as amenities such as bicycle parking.

    Enabling people of all ages and abilities to move comfortably and safely on foot, bicycle and other non-motorized wheels in Uptown is one important goal of the projects overall as a group. Related projects such as the Uptown Active Transportation Improvements will include both the improvement of cycling facilities along the Rotary Crosstown Greenway, as well as introduce new cycling facilities such as the new New Westminster Secondary School Cycling Connector. Additionally, the Uptown Streetscape Vision will be realized over several upcoming projects in future years, the details and scope of which are yet to be determined.

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    Why does the project stop at Belmont street and not finish neatly at 5th ave? Is anything happening with the old gas station empty lot? Be nice to see a park space, even if only a temp solution.

    BurningNight20 asked over 2 years ago

    With recent and planned growth in the Uptown area, the City developed a ‘Great Street Vision’ to inform future redevelopment and future City capital project works along Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue. The Uptown Streetscape Vision is planned to be implemented over multiple years, with the timing of improvements depending on available funding, priority among other improvements, opportunities with other projects/developments, etc. The Sixth Ave to Belmont Street segment is considered the core block of Sixth Street, with the bulk of retail/pedestrian activity here, so it is a high priority.

    However, this is not the only area for which the design process is underway, and other related projects include: the Uptown Active Transportation Improvements, which involve Rotary Crosstown Greenway improvements along Seventh Avenue, between Eighth Street and Fifth Street; as well as the new New Westminster Secondary School Cycling Connector, which will link the Rotary Crosstown Greenway on Seventh Avenue to the east entrance of the school on Sixth Street. 

    Regarding the former gas station lot (we have understood this to be the SW corner of the Sixth St and Belmont St intersection at 522 Sixth St), it is privately owned and may be redeveloped as a mixed-use residential building in the future (timing is currently unknown), at which point, there will be opportunities to obtain setbacks for public plaza space.


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    Will there still be two-lane traffic all along Sixth Street? Will there be space to accommodate the annual Hyack Festival Parade route?

    Hyack asked over 2 years ago

    Thank you for your question. Yes, there will still be two-lane traffic all along Sixth Street.

    The design concept in the Uptown Streetscape Vision proposes the use of temporary closures to vehicle traffic on Sixth Street through the section from Belmont Street to Sixth Avenue to create a temporary pedestrian plaza to host special events on the street. However, this is a temporary use intended to promote flexibility in the use of the space, and would not permanently change the two-lane traffic along Sixth Street. 

    The design concept also proposes the use of widened sidewalks that would provide more space for additional seating, enjoying food, and meeting with others, as well as also allowing for other public uses such as events. This widening would not, however, affect the ability of Sixth Street to host the annual Hyack Festival Parade Route.