T&T Supermarket construction finally underway at Burnaby's Gilmore Place
After two years stuck in permit delays, the 55,000 sq. ft. store is being built within the SkyTrain-adjacent mixed-use complex.
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T&T Supermarket is finally breaking ground on its long-delayed Gilmore Place location in Burnaby after spending more than two years navigating what the company's CEO described as "permit hell."
Construction is now well underway on the 55,000 sq. ft. retail unit within Onni Group's Gilmore Place complex, which straddles the Gilmore SkyTrain station in the Brentwood district. The announcement came Monday via a candid social-media update from T&T CEO Tina Lee, who revealed the permit approval process was the longest the company has experienced.
The store was originally expected to open in summer 2025. Lee said the delay stemmed partly from announcing the location too early — real estate agents were already marketing the incoming supermarket to condo buyers, building anticipation that extended the company's wait for approvals.
Beyond permitting, the physical complexity of building within a dense mixed-use development posed significant construction challenges. Unlike a standalone supermarket, this location required extensive coordination with the building's infrastructure and systems. The first phase of Gilmore Place includes three mixed-use residential towers with about 1,500 units, plus roughly 180,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space across the first three levels.
When open, the supermarket is intended to serve tens of thousands of residents in the rapidly growing Brentwood neighbourhood and the wider Gilmore Place development. The store will occupy the first level's retail concourse alongside other tenants, including a 36,000 sq. ft. Fitness World gym expected to open later in 2026.
Two years of permits finally cleared — now the real work begins.