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Willoughby Town Centre thriving in Langley

Willoughby Town Centre will be a walkable community with both residential and commercial space.
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Willoughby Town Centre will be a walkable community with both residential and commercial space.

Willoughby Town Centre celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 21, but the neighbourhood has been extremely popular with Langley residents for much longer than that.

Loblaw's Your Independent Grocer, Noma Sushi, Town Centre Liquor, Sassy Nails and several other stores are already operating, while other businesses will soon open up shop.

"This is very much a growing community," says Hugh Carter, vice-president of community and commercial development for Qualico, one of the driving forces behind Willoughby Town Centre. "There are not only major tenants, but also a good collection of independents as well."

Eventually there will be a variety of shops and services available, including an entire building devoted mainly to medical and dental offices, as well as a pharmacy, yoga studio and a variety of shops and boutiques.

Willoughby Town Centre will also include a residential component. The first phase is Kensington, a 65-unit apartment building. Other multi-family projects are planned for the future.

Willoughby Town Centre joins South Surrey's Morgan Crossing and West Vancouver's Park Royal as "lifestyle centres" with residential and commercial space.

"We believe in these walkable communities," Carter says. "There's a broader appeal here that I think is unique in the marketplace."

"The whole idea is to be pedestrian-friendly," says Diane Zarola, sales and marketing manager for Qualico. "We want it to be a gathering place."

John Johnson, owner of Town Centre Liquor, is very happy with his decision to open up shop in Willoughby Town Centre.

"It's a real country setting with a downtown flavour," he says, adding that he's happy that the store can be in the neighbourhood from the beginning.

"This area is growing so quickly. It's really quite amazing," Johnson says.