City council greenlights major redevelopment of Richmond Night Market site

The redevelopment of the Richmond Night Market site into a massive entertainment district has been unanimously approved by city council. 

The 3.4-million-square-foot space will be solely used for commercial uses, including hotels, office spaces, entertainment, retail and restaurants.

Richmond city council says they believe the 12-storey development will produce large economic growth for the city and boost tourism.

The project will also include over 10 acres of public parks, including a riverfront promenade.

“To see the transformation plans they have and the amenities including green space and its accessibility to transit and the community and region, we are pretty excited,” said Nancy Small, CEO of Tourism Richmond.

Small adds the development is “groundbreaking” for the city and will attract many tourists to the area.

The location, known as Duck Island, is minutes from the Vancouver International Airport and central to two Canada Line stations.

The site is currently home to the Richmond Night Market.

The night market first moved to Duck Island in 2012 and its lease on the site expires in 2026.

“There is going to be ample space … for the night market to happen as it is now,” said Richmond Coun. Michael Wolfe. “During the three phases, it will occur outdoors as we are familiar with now.”

Wolfe adds that in the long term, the market will likely move indoors, with some outdoor areas, but that won’t happen for 10 to 15 years, when the construction is complete.

“The developers are working very closely with the market organizers and they have submitted a letter of proposal for the project,” he said.

Wolfe compares the development to when Vancouver International Airport was built in the city. He says it will have the same economic benefits and tourism growth for Richmond.

Developers Jignon International purchased the site back in 2011. They have since partnered with Middle-Eastern developer Cayan Group, and they have together formed Cayan Pacific Management as co-developers of the Duck Island project.