In Metro Vancouver, where industrial land is in critically short supply, Montrose Industries has made a groundbreaking move. The company transformed a 130-hectare landfill, once used for demolition, construction, and land-clearing waste, into the Richmond Industrial Centre (RIC), the region’s largest single-owner-developed business park. Lauded for its innovative approach to regulatory hurdles and infrastructure development, the project is now considered a model for brownfield remediation across Canada.

Located at Blundell Road and Pierson Road, the site reflects Montrose Properties’ commitment to economic growth through sustainable and responsible redevelopment and the project team has been lauded for its outstanding work.

In 2024, the project was recognized by an awards program that celebrates excellence in brownfield projects nationally. The Richmond Industrial Centre Development received the award for “Best Overall Project” at the 25th annual Brownie Awards.

Hosted in partnership with the Canadian Brownfields Network (CBN) and Actual Media Inc., the Brownie Awards recognize excellence in brownfield redevelopment across the country. Spanning across categories like policy, technological innovation, sustainable design, and community engagement, the awards celebrate the wide-ranging impact of turning contaminated sites into productive community assets.

Industrial land crunch in Metro Vancouver

Metro Vancouver is facing a well-documented, critically short supply of industrial land, driven by population growth, rising e-commerce demands, and the expansion of logistics and warehousing sectors.

This shortage has major economic implications. Industrial lands support over 450,000 direct and indirect jobs, contribute $50.1 billion to GDP, and generate $92.5 billion in economic output, roughly one-third of the region’s GDP, according to a report from the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. With industrial jobs paying over 10 per cent above the national average, the need to repurpose underutilized land has become a pressing issue.

Developers and municipalities are rethinking underutilized or overlooked brownfield sites as opportunities to meet the growing economic demand while maintaining environmental integrity.

Building a hub for industry

Historically, the Richmond Industrial Centre site functioned as a construction waste landfill beginning in the 1970s. Its transformation into a major logistics hub required a long-term vision, extensive engineering, and innovative regulatory navigation. In response to Metro Vancouver’s critical shortage of industrial land, Montrose Properties, working alongside PGL Environmental Consultants, the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Omicron, and the City of Richmond, spearheaded the redevelopment of the 130-hectare site. The project has already delivered 1.4 million square feet of industrial distribution space, with an additional 1.8 million square feet in the pipeline.

A conventional phased development approach conflicted with provincial regulations, particularly in relation to active landfill operations. To resolve this, Montrose and its partners developed a precedent-setting strategy that aligned overlapping regulatory frameworks, including the Landfill Operational Certificate and the BC Contaminated Sites Regulation Instrument, ultimately setting a model for future brownfield redevelopment in British Columbia.

The project underwent a rigorous process of site investigation, remediation, risk assessment, and in-situ risk management. This allowed for the redevelopment of closed sections of the landfill, even while other areas continued to accept waste, an innovative and pioneering regulatory strategy in the province.

To date, five areas of the site have achieved regulatory closure. Four buildings have been completed and are now home to high-profile tenants. At full buildout, the brownfield site will feature 12 industrial warehouse buildings located strategically near Canada’s largest port.

“The project impacts the community in several ways,” explains Tony Morgan, Chief Financial Officer, Montrose Properties. “First, it addresses the regions shortage of industrial land by repurposing a large unutilized brownfield site into a best-in-class industrial park. Secondly, the region benefits from the economic impact of increased property taxes, development cost charges and new jobs. We are deeply honoured that our project has been recognized. This award validates the tremendous effort put forth by our team and key partners in transforming a closed landfill site into much-needed industrial warehouse space. We believe this project provides a valuable template for others to follow in remediating disused landfill sites and converting them into productive lands.”

Economic growth and environmental impact

RIC has significantly boosted industrial productivity and economic growth, attracting major tenants such as Coca-Cola, Wayfair, Canadian Tire, and WorldPac. These businesses bring long-term employment opportunities and have helped expand the city’s tax base. This, in turn, enables the City of Richmond to invest in new infrastructure, improve public services, and support future economic development.

Designed to meet the latest ASHRAE energy efficiency standards, the RIC’s buildings feature sustainable technologies such as LED lighting with motion sensors, insulated tilt-up panels, and electric vehicle charging stations. The site’s tenants hold long-term leases, ensuring their ongoing contributions to local employment and community initiatives.

The environmental benefits of the project extend beyond the buildings themselves. Perimeter restoration work around the landfill has included the removal of invasive plant species and the replanting of native vegetation, enhancing riparian habitat. A long-term monitoring plan will support the establishment of these ecosystems, with future development plans also incorporating a new wetland area.

In addition, the adjacent landfill, still in operation and managed by Ecowaste, a wholly owned subsidiary of Montrose Industries, provides essential recycling and landfilling services for construction and demolition waste. This helps reduce illegal dumping on nearby agricultural lands, cuts down transportation costs for clients, and supports Metro Vancouver’s zero waste goals by diverting material from unauthorized or inefficient disposal.

New future for former wastelands

The Richmond Industrial Centre has redefined how brownfield sites can be regenerated to deliver enduring economic and social benefits. By maximizing the land’s potential, the project has increased local employment, strengthened supply chains, and generated significant tax revenue for both municipal and provincial governments.

The site has seen several transformations over time: initially used for peat mining, then as a landfill for construction and demolition waste, and now as a Class A industrial park home to major distribution centres.

Once destined to remain vacant for generations, the site now generates vital tax revenue, jobs, and public amenities. The project didn’t just deliver industrial space; it reshaped how brownfield reinvestment can meet land demands while supporting long-term sustainability.

Some of the project team members and others, including Tony Morgan, Ken Low, Pavla Quinn, Katie Sccott, Greg McPhail and Meggen Janes.

Brownie Awards 2025

The 2025 Brownie Awards will be held on November 13th, 2025 at the Delta Marriott. Nominations will be accepted until September 5th, 2025. For further information, click here.

Shreejit Shelar is an editorial intern for Environment Journal. He is a writer and a student of Contemporary Journalism at Centennial College.

Featured images credits: RIC, Actual Media Inc. and Getty Images.