Construction concluded last month on a project that saw the removal of a movator – also known as a moving walkway – previously located across Save-On- Foods on the corner of Shrum Lane and Berton Avenue. The movator provided access to the underground parkade for nearly a decade and a half and has now been replaced with the elevator, a staircase, and a new retail unit.
UBC Properties Trust (UBCPT) said they undertook the renovations to improve accessibility to the parkade. “These improvements will provide safer, more reliable access between the parkade and street level, while also creating space for a new neighbourhood business to add value to the community,” UBCPT said in a press release issued in December 2025 when construction began.
The elevator is now in operation for shoppers to access the parkade, and a new tenant is preparing to move into the recently created retail unit.
UBCPT did not provide specific information; however an entity called Doe Coffee has put up posters at the site.
The Vancouver-based company currently has two locations in the city with two more on the way, including the Wesbrook location. The company offers coffee and other hot beverages, pastries, and has removed options for tipping at the cash register. “Great service comes standard, because this is how we serve our community,” they say on their website.
The company also offers a “Doe Pass,” which is a monthly subscription program where café lovers can pay a monthly fee and receive unlimited drinks and discounts on other goods.
While an exact opening date has not yet been announced, the postering on the windows say “Doe Coffee is coming”.
AMIE BERNAERDT IS A FIFTH YEAR STUDENT AT UBC, MAJORING IN CREATIVE WRITING AND ANTHROPOLOGY. SHE LIVES IN WESBROOK PLACE.