Austin Heights and Maillardville Multiplex Buyer's Guide 2026

Drive east on Lougheed Highway from Burnaby and the first thing Coquitlam shows you is its oldest part. Maillardville sits on the slope above the Fraser, a neighbourhood founded by French-Canadian mill workers in 1909 and still home to one of the largest francophone communities in western Canada. Climb the hill north and you reach Austin Heights, a high street of bakeries and coffee shops along Austin Avenue, with the forest of Mundy Park behind it. Together they make up southwest Coquitlam, the part of the city that was built out with single houses long before the SkyTrain arrived, and the part where brand new multiplex homes are now appearing on those same lots.

This guide is for families deciding whether southwest Coquitlam is the right place to buy a multiplex home. Our Coquitlam guide covers the whole city, and our Coquitlam versus Burnaby comparison sets it against its neighbour. This one goes street by street through two neighbourhoods.

Why new multiplex homes are appearing here

The City of Coquitlam adopted new rules on June 9, 2025 that let a house lot hold more than one home. On a lot of 280 square metres or less, up to three homes. On a lot larger than that, up to four. The City says that as of now no bus stop in Coquitlam meets the province's definition of frequent service, so the six-home allowance that applies near frequent transit elsewhere does not yet apply anywhere in the city. Houses built before 1945, lots near creeks or steep slopes, and lots inside the areas around SkyTrain stations follow different rules, and the City asks owners of those properties to check before they plan anything.

For a buyer the result is simple. Austin Heights and Maillardville are made of lots that held one house each for seventy years. Many of those lots are larger than 280 square metres, which means four homes with their own front doors where one house stood. That is the home this guide is about.

Maillardville

Maillardville runs along Brunette Avenue and the streets that climb north from it, between the Lougheed Highway and the river flats. It is Coquitlam's oldest neighbourhood and it looks it, with small pre-war houses and two Catholic churches with French names.

What daily life looks like. Mackin Park is the centre of the neighbourhood, with sports fields, a playground and the Festival du Bois every March, a weekend of francophone music and food that Tourism Coquitlam describes as the neighbourhood's signature event. Place des Arts offers art, music and dance classes for children and adults. The Coquitlam Public Library's City Centre branch is a drive away, and the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex, with its pools and rinks, is a short bus ride up the hill.

Getting around. Braid Station on the SkyTrain Expo Line is across the Brunette River in New Westminster, and the 156 bus connects Braid Station to Lougheed Town Centre Station by way of Poirier, running through the middle of both neighbourhoods in this guide. Lougheed Highway and Highway 1 are both close, which is a convenience on a weekday morning and a source of traffic noise on the streets nearest them. Walk the specific street before you decide.

Who buys here. Families priced out of Burnaby who want a house-scale neighbourhood with a SkyTrain station within reach. Francophone families who want their children near the French-language school and the community's events. Buyers who like an old neighbourhood with a story.

Watch for. The slope. Brunette Avenue is at the bottom and the neighbourhood climbs steadily. A home three blocks up has a view and a walk.

Austin Heights

Austin Heights is the plateau above Maillardville, centred on Austin Avenue. Austin Avenue is one of the few walkable high streets in the Tri-Cities, with a run of independent bakeries, cafés and restaurants that draws people from across Coquitlam on a Saturday morning.

What daily life looks like. Mundy Park is 180 hectares of forest, trails and two lakes at the neighbourhood's eastern edge, by Destination Vancouver's count. Como Lake, with its loop path, is a short bus ride or bicycle ride north, and Como Lake Village beside it has a grocery store and the daily errands. The Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex is on the neighbourhood's edge, and the Centennial Secondary School) campus is beside it on Poirier Street.

Getting around. The 156 bus runs along Austin Avenue toward Lougheed Town Centre Station in one direction and Braid Station in the other. Burquitlam Station on the Evergreen extension is north, up Clarke Road. Neither station is a walk for most of Austin Heights, so plan on a bus or a bicycle to reach the SkyTrain.

Who buys here. Families who want to walk to a café and a park and are willing to bus to the train. Buyers who have looked at Burnaby Heights or Capitol Hill and found a similar high street here for less.

Watch for. The high street is the reason to live here, and the streets within two blocks of it are the ones with the most competition for each new home. A home five blocks away is quieter and cheaper, and the walk is still short.

Schools

Coquitlam's public schools are run by School District 43, and catchment is set by address. Centennial Secondary, at 570 Poirier Street, serves central Coquitlam and parts of Maillardville, and Maillard Middle School is in the neighbourhood. Elementary catchments in this part of the city are small, and a move of three streets can change the school. Check any address in the district's school locator before you rely on a particular school, and read our post on buying near the schools you want for how to weigh a catchment against everything else.

What August 2026 prices look like

Greater Vancouver REALTORS publishes benchmark prices for Coquitlam in its August 2026 statistics package. The published categories are detached, townhouse and apartment. There is no multiplex benchmark, and we do not estimate one.

• Detached house: $1,599,100, down 5.9 percent from August 2025.
• Townhouse: $987,900, down 8.5 percent.
• Apartment: $646,100, down 7.8 percent.
• All types combined: $981,400, down 6.4 percent.

These are city-wide figures, and southwest Coquitlam's older houses generally sit below the city's detached benchmark while its townhouses are scarce. What the numbers say to a multiplex buyer is that the gap between a house and a townhouse in Coquitlam is $611,200. A brand new multiplex home on an Austin Heights lot will sit inside that gap, and its position depends on its size, its floor and its street. Compare the asking price with the townhouse benchmark, which is the closest published comparison.

What a multiplex home here looks like

On a typical southwest Coquitlam lot, larger than 280 square metres, expect a building of four homes across two or three storeys. Some are side by side with a front door each on the street. Others stack two homes over two, with the lower homes opening to a garden and the upper ones to a deck. Our multiplex types guide explains the layouts, and our post on front, back, corner and middle homes explains why the position matters as much as the floor plan.

Parking is a real question in a neighbourhood built for cars. Ask how many spaces the building has and which home each one belongs to. On a sloped Maillardville lot, ask which homes have level entry, because a parent who does not want stairs will care about that more than the view.

How to shop southwest Coquitlam

Choose the neighbourhood by the walk you want. Austin Heights for a high street and a park. Maillardville for the river slope, the festival and a shorter ride to Braid Station.

Count the minutes to the SkyTrain. Take the 156 bus at the time you would commute and time it. Then decide whether a bicycle or a second car is part of the plan.

Read the strata budget for a four-home building. Four households share the roof and the yard. Our strata fees guide shows what is usual for a building this size.

If it is a pre-sale, read the disclosure statement. Our pre-sale guide explains what it is and where the completion date and the deposit terms are.

Walk the street on a weekday evening. Lougheed Highway and Highway 1 are audible on the streets nearest them, and a summer afternoon on Austin Avenue tells you nothing about a February night three blocks from the highway.

What this comes down to

• Southwest Coquitlam is two neighbourhoods: Maillardville on the river slope, with its francophone heritage and Mackin Park, and Austin Heights on the plateau, with its high street and Mundy Park.
• Coquitlam's June 2025 rules allow up to four homes on lots larger than 280 square metres, and no six-home allowance yet because no bus stop meets the frequent-service test.
• The 156 bus is the link to Braid Station and Lougheed Town Centre Station. Neither station is a walk for most homes here.
• August 2026 benchmarks for Coquitlam: detached $1,599,100, townhouse $987,900, apartment $646,100, all down between 5.9 and 8.5 percent in a year. There is no multiplex benchmark.
• Check the school catchment for the exact address, count the parking spaces, and walk the street near the highways at night.

Questions buyers ask about Austin Heights and Maillardville

Is Austin Heights walkable?

The Austin Avenue high street is, and the streets within a few blocks of it are flat enough for a stroller. Beyond that, the neighbourhood was built for cars, and reaching the SkyTrain means the 156 bus or a bicycle.

How far is the SkyTrain from Maillardville?

Braid Station is across the Brunette River in New Westminster. From the lower streets of Maillardville it is a short bus ride on the 156, and from the upper streets it is longer. Time it yourself at commute hour.

What is the francophone school in Maillardville?

The Conseil scolaire francophone, BC's French-language public school board, operates schools in the Tri-Cities. Contact the board directly to confirm the current school and its catchment for a specific address, because the arrangement differs from the English-language district.

Which high school serves Austin Heights?

Centennial Secondary, on Poirier Street, serves central Coquitlam and parts of Maillardville. School District 43's school locator gives the catchment for any exact address, and it should be checked before a purchase.

Are there brand new multiplex homes in these neighbourhoods now?

The City's rules took effect in June 2025, so the first buildings approved under them are recent. Our listings show which multiplex homes in Coquitlam are complete and which are pre-sale, and we update them as new buildings are released.

How many homes can a lot hold here?

Up to three on a lot of 280 square metres or less, and up to four on a larger lot, under the City of Coquitlam's June 2025 rules. The six-home allowance that applies near frequent transit elsewhere does not yet apply in Coquitlam, according to the City.

What is the townhouse benchmark for Coquitlam?

$987,900 in August 2026, down 8.5 percent from a year earlier, according to Greater Vancouver REALTORS. That is the closest published comparison for a new multiplex home, because no multiplex benchmark exists.

Is Maillardville noisy?

The streets nearest Lougheed Highway and Highway 1 hear traffic. Streets higher on the slope are quieter. Walk the specific block at night before you decide.

Does Mundy Park have anything for small children?

Yes. Playgrounds, a spray park in summer, flat trails around Mundy Lake and Lost Lake, and enough forest to feel far from the city. Destination Vancouver's guide to the park lists the trails and the playgrounds.

How does southwest Coquitlam compare with Burnaby for price?

By the August 2026 benchmarks, a Coquitlam detached house at $1,599,100 sat below the Greater Vancouver detached figure of $1,799,400, and Coquitlam's townhouse benchmark of $987,900 sat below the regional townhouse figure of $1,028,800. Read our Coquitlam versus Burnaby comparison for the full picture.

What should I ask about parking?

How many spaces the building has, which home each belongs to, whether any are shared, and whether there is a charger for an electric car. In a neighbourhood where most families own a car, a home with no assigned space is harder to live in and harder to resell.

Where do I start?

Walk Austin Avenue on a Saturday morning and Mackin Park on a weekday afternoon, then take the 156 to Braid Station at commute hour. If the neighbourhood still feels right, look at what is listed.

See what is listed in Coquitlam

We track brand new multiplex homes across the Tri-Cities and can tell you which ones are in Austin Heights and Maillardville, which are finished, and which are still pre-sale. Browse the current homes, or tell us what your family needs and we will send you the ones that fit.