The Mission Waterfront represents the Lower Mainland's last major Fraser River development opportunity. Chris Hardwicke led an ambitious transformation through an integrated master plan that turned decades of development inertia into an opportunity for innovation.

At the heart of the plan is a transit-oriented development strategy centred on the West Coast Express station. Rather than clustering residential density around transit, the plan creates a carefully balanced mix of homes and jobs that maintains Mission's employment base while fostering bidirectional commuting patterns, ensuring the waterfront remains active throughout the day.

While previous plans stalled, core areas are already being prepared for development, kicking off a 40-year growth trajectory that will transform not just the waterfront but Mission's entire urban fabric. As the Lower Mainland's last major riverfront site, this project sets new standards for how transit-oriented development can harmonise with natural systems, employment preservation, and long-term urban growth.

Two challenges shaped the project. Economic analysis revealed that the highest and best use of the site was industrial, given the scarcity of flat developable land in the Fraser Valley. Presenting this finding to a council that had envisioned a mixed-use waterfront for twenty years required careful navigation. The resulting plan balances mixed-use development along the river with light industrial uses adjacent to the highway.

A provincial engineering shortage delayed the project until Chris secured additional expertise from outside British Columbia to complete the work.