More than a decade after the Squamish First Nation first proposed a massive shopping mall on its land in the heart of the North Shore, the band is looking to add residential units to a development that may begin construction next year.

This year, independent consultants will finish studying whether the 12-hectare Seymour Creek Village site at the north end of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge could accommodate homes as well as the big-box retailers slated for the $65-million development.

“It’s really about the residential mix; if that’s an opportunity or not,” said Chief Ian Campbell. “It’s taken so many years so far.

“Once we have these studies and once we go back to membership, I think we’ll have a far clearer picture.”

The site is about the size of five football fields and roughly bound by Dollarton Highway, Mount Seymour Parkway, the Upper Levels Highway and Seymour River. If the housing market hardens and a nearby BC Hydro substation can be relocated, housing may be added to the development plans, Campbell said.

Ron Emerson, a spokesman for developer Kingswood Capital Corp., was optimistic the residential study would be done within six weeks and construction on the project will begin by the end of this year. Kingswood holds a 50-per-cent stake in the development of Seymour Creek Village as part of its 99-year sublease. The Squamish First Nation has the option to eventually buy out Kingswood.

North Vancouver District Mayor Richard Walton is keen to help the nation build more housing on the site, which has Capilano University above it, a major transit hub to the south and is flanked by Maplewood and Lower Lynn town centres.

“Looking at some kind of a mixed residential facility that would allow access along the rivershore of the Seymour River’s west side would certainly be consistent with where the district wants to go,” Walton said. “For us, this is like the jewel in the crown.

“Whatever the Squamish First Nation do here is going to hopefully be a very pleasant addition to North Vancouver District’s character.”

The nation first sought development for the Seymour Creek Village project in 1999, and was set to break ground in 2004, but developer Milan Illich became sick and his company Progressive Properties pulled out of the project, Campbell said. In the meantime, the band decided it wanted to stop collecting rents from future developments and instead become owners of its own businesses.

Campbell stressed that any decisions on Seymour Creek Village will go back to the band’s 3,700 members for approval.

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