New Construction in North Vancouver, BC: What's Coming in 2026

North Vancouver's biggest new construction story of 2026 isn't a condo tower — it's a $230-million community recreation centre that just opened its doors, and the ripple effects for housing, amenities, and neighbourhood value are worth understanding if you're buying, selling, or simply live here. I'm Stephanie Wong, and as a REALTOR® with Luxmore Realty working across the North Shore, I track every major project that changes how a neighbourhood lives, not just how it looks on a site plan.

Key Takeaways

•  The new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre opened July 25, 2026, in Central Lonsdale — a 188,000-square-foot, $230-million facility replacing the aging original.
• The old Harry Jerome site is slated for redevelopment into a mixed-use residential and commercial complex once demolition is complete.
• Longer-range growth plans, including the District of North Vancouver's Lions Gate Village vision near Lower Capilano, point to thousands of additional homes over the next decade.
• The City of North Vancouver grew roughly 12.8% between 2020 and 2024, among the fastest rates on the North Shore, which continues to shape demand for new housing near transit and amenities.

North Vancouver's Biggest New Construction Story: The $230-Million Harry Jerome Centre

The single biggest piece of new construction to land in North Vancouver this year sits at the northeast corner of Lonsdale Avenue and East 23rd Street in Central Lonsdale. The new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre opened to the public on July 25, 2026, after construction that began in 2022, according to the City of North Vancouver's own news release. At roughly 188,000 square feet and a reported cost of $230 million, it's one of the largest civic investments the City has made in decades, built by Smith Bros. & Wilson — the same firm that constructed the original Harry Jerome facility six decades ago — and designed by HCMA Architecture.

The new centre replaces the original Harry Jerome Recreation Centre, which closed earlier in the summer, and brings a long list of amenities online at once: an NHL-sized ice rink with seating for 500 spectators, a 25-metre, 10-lane lap pool, a leisure pool with a lazy river, a full-sized gymnasium, fitness and studio space, a community kitchen, art and youth programming rooms, and outdoor features including a playground and skate park. The adjacent Silver Harbour Seniors' Activity Centre opened the same day. As Mayor Linda Buchanan put it in the City's announcement, "this is more than a community recreation centre, it is a bold investment in our health, wellbeing and shared future."

For home shoppers, a facility like this matters well beyond the ribbon-cutting. Central Lonsdale buyers have asked me for years about the dated original centre; that question is now answered with one of the newest, best-equipped civic recreation facilities anywhere in Metro Vancouver, right in the neighbourhood.

What Happens to the Old Harry Jerome Site

New construction in North Vancouver doesn't stop with the new building. Once the original Harry Jerome Recreation Centre is decommissioned and demolished, the City has indicated the site is intended for a mixed-use residential and commercial redevelopment — effectively turning a 60-year-old single-purpose civic site into new housing supply in one of Central Lonsdale's most walkable locations, steps from the SeaBus-connected Lonsdale corridor. Specific unit counts and a construction timeline hadn't been finalized as of this writing, but it's a project worth watching closely if you're planning a purchase timeline around new inventory in Central Lonsdale over the next several years.

Longer-Range Growth: Lions Gate Village and the District's 2030 Vision

Zoom out from Central Lonsdale and the growth story continues along the Lower Capilano corridor, where the District of North Vancouver's long-range community plan envisions transforming the area around Park Royal into what's been branded Lions Gate Village — a more walkable neighbourhood combining several thousand new residential units with commercial and hotel space over time, according to Business in Vancouver's coverage of the plan. The District's Official Community Plan, adopted in 2011, set 2030 as the horizon for this scale of change, and several individual development applications in the area have been moving forward in stages rather than all at once.

The practical takeaway for buyers: North Vancouver's growth isn't limited to one corridor. Between the Central Lonsdale civic redevelopment and the longer-range Lower Capilano plans, both the City and the District have multi-year pipelines that will continue adding housing variety — from townhomes to higher-density residential — in locations with strong existing transit and amenity access.

Why This Matters for North Vancouver Home Values

New amenities and new housing supply pull in two directions, and neither should be oversimplified. A freshly built $230-million recreation centre is exactly the kind of civic investment that tends to make a neighbourhood more desirable over time — better community infrastructure, more reasons to stay local, and a visible signal that the City is investing in Central Lonsdale specifically. At the same time, any new housing that eventually comes to the old Harry Jerome site or to Lower Capilano adds supply, which plays out differently depending on the specific product type, price point, and timing relative to the rest of the market.

I don't make predictions about where prices are headed based on a single project — no one should, and if anyone tells you otherwise, be skeptical. What I can tell you is that North Vancouver buyers consistently tell me amenities and transit access are at the top of their list, and this year, Central Lonsdale just got a significant upgrade on both fronts.

Population Growth on the North Shore

New construction follows people, and North Vancouver has been adding residents faster than most of its North Shore neighbours. According to North Shore News reporting on Statistics Canada figures, the City of North Vancouver grew by about 12.8% between 2020 and 2024 — adding roughly 7,690 new residents in that span — making it the fastest-growing municipality on the North Shore over that period. The District of North Vancouver added slightly more residents in absolute terms (just under 8,000) over the same stretch, a 8.7% increase. Together, the three North Shore municipalities reached a combined population of just over 215,000 as of mid-2024. That kind of sustained growth is precisely why projects like the Harry Jerome Centre and the longer-range plans around Lower Capilano exist in the first place: the North Shore needs the infrastructure to match the people already choosing to live here.

Frequently Asked Questions About New Construction in North Vancouver

Q: When did the new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre open?
It opened to the public on July 25, 2026, in Central Lonsdale, after construction that began in 2022. The $230-million, 188,000-square-foot facility replaced the original recreation centre on the same site.

Q: What will happen to the old Harry Jerome Recreation Centre building?
The City of North Vancouver has indicated the original site is intended for redevelopment into mixed-use residential and commercial space once the building is decommissioned, though a specific unit count and timeline haven't been finalized publicly.

Q: Is North Vancouver adding new condo and townhome supply right now?
Yes — growth is happening on multiple fronts, from civic redevelopment sites in Central Lonsdale to longer-range density plans in the District's Lower Capilano area tied to the Lions Gate Village vision, which targets a 2030 horizon.

Q: Is North Vancouver growing faster than other North Shore communities?
Recent Statistics Canada data reported by North Shore News shows the City of North Vancouver grew about 12.8% between 2020 and 2024, the fastest pace on the North Shore in that period, with the District of North Vancouver close behind.

Q: Should I wait for new construction before buying in North Vancouver?
It depends entirely on your timeline, budget, and what you're looking for — new supply typically takes years to materialize from announcement to move-in. I can walk you through what's realistically available now versus what's still years away so you can decide what fits your situation.

Ready to Explore North Vancouver?

Between a brand-new $230-million recreation centre, a wave of civic reinvestment in Central Lonsdale, and longer-range growth plans taking shape across the District, North Vancouver continues to be one of the North Shore's most dynamic places to put down roots. Whether you're drawn to the walkability of Lower Lonsdale, the family feel of Lynn Valley, or the newest amenities going in right now near Central Lonsdale, I can help you understand how these changes affect your specific buying or selling decision. I'm Stephanie Wong with Luxmore Realty — reach me at (778) 960-8269 or schedule a free consultation to talk through what's happening in North Vancouver's market right now.