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Suburban Updates - All Other Metro Vancouver Municipalities
I think we need a general thread for Suburban updates.
The main arch of the pedestrian bridge linking Centerpoint to Metrotown is up. I was surprised to see that it's made of wood. |
Industry news
Riverview is getting a $4.5Million dollar update. Apparently there are more updates in the works. Should be interesting to watch especially with redevelopment plans also in the works.
Bby Byrnepark and Southpoint 4 storeys, 26,550M2, 7 acres, parking for 491 cars, 325 townhouses, normally I don't mention projects of this height, but this one seems like a rather large project that some people would like to hear about. |
there look to be some nice projects coming for abbotsford
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http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...6/bc-fire.html
A massive fire broke out in a condominium complex near the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, B.C., late Wednesday afternoon. The complex, which is on Sherbrooke Street behind the hospital, was under construction. Known as the Copperstone, it's made up of three buildings containing 230 units. A massive fire broke out near a hospital on Sherbrooke Street in New Westminster, B.C., late Wednesday afternoon. (CBC) Firefighters from both New Westminster and Burnaby are on the scene. A plume of smoke and flames can be seen from some distance. Fire officials said there are no reports of any injuries at this point and the three-alarm blaze doesn't pose a danger to nearby structures. Hospital officials said patients are in no immediate danger but the air intakes have been shut down to avoid smoke getting into the hospital. The hospital helipad is not being used for now. The cause of the fire is not known at this point. |
Photo of the fire from Production Way-SFU SkyTrain Station
(My photo, taken September 26th, 2007)
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/6784/p1040346ck0.jpg http://creativecommons.org/images/pu...merights20.png I snapped this a few minutes past 6 this evening while waiting for the train home. Also, here is the progress of the Lake City Business Centre. They are forming the sixth and final floor, plus mechanical cap, and they took delivery of large steel beams today. It is likely that the first floor of this 100k sq ft class A office building will begin being framed tomorrow. (My photo, taken September 26th, 2007) http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/7449/p1040345wj8.jpg http://creativecommons.org/images/pu...merights20.png |
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Fire damage
I took the long way home today and stopped by the fire-damaged building to snapped this photo.
(My photo, taken September 27th, 2007) http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3852/p1040368vy2.jpg http://creativecommons.org/images/pu...merights20.png Thank goodness for that cement block party wall. You can see exactly where the fire was stopped. The wreckage was still smoldering and the fire fighters were dousing it wish two hoses. |
Looks almost as bad as the past fires in Edmonton the past couple months.. Something needs to be done about the building code NOW:hell:
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they said the fire doors were not installed so some damage was done to the other side of the firewall
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Huge soccer complex proposed at Tynehead Regional Park
Council to pursue idea with Metro Vancouver Glenda Luymes, The Province Published: Friday, September 28, 2007 Surrey wants to build a soccer sports complex in Tynehead Regional Park. The idea, raised at last week's council meeting, may be a long shot for the green space, which has been the subject of many grand proposals over the years, but "you don't know unless you try," said Coun. Tom Gill. Citing the high demand for soccer fields across the region, Gill broached the idea of a large sports complex, complete with six to eight soccer fields, located on the eastern edge of the 120-hectare park. Council passed a motion to pursue the idea with the Metro Vancouver parks committee next month. "I don't know of any other concept like this in the Lower Mainland," said Gill. "This would be significant for the whole region. "I know Kamloops is called the tournament capital of B.C., but I say let's take that title." Metro Vancouver, the former Greater Vancouver Regional District, has considered developing Tynehead Regional Park as an activity area for residents in the past. The large park, near 96th Avenue and 168th Street, has been the subject of proposals for golf courses, a zoo and at one time, the relocation of the Pacific National Exhibition. But Coun. Bob Bose said he's not sure Metro Vancouver will allow the land to be used for a sports complex. "I don't think I've ever seen the regional district assume responsibility for this type of facility in the past," he said. B.C. Soccer Association competition chairman Don Dancey said it's difficult to find fields to host soccer competitions because "there aren't enough soccer fields to go around." [email protected] © The Vancouver Province 2007 |
a sign went up today along the lougheed for Luxe
liveatluxe.com two towers and townhomes kitty corner to the east from brentwood gate http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/luxe.jpg |
^Wow, nice. Looks different than the usual towers going up in Brentwood.
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there is a permit sign at a strip mall across from infinity that just went up - never got a chance to read what it says but its just gone up in the last couple of weeks
maybe they will doze it? and replace with towers atop retail? |
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wow nice one :) |
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i bet it won't look anything like the rendering when it is actually built.. :p
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Open house to offer info on PoCo project
Oct. 10 meeting will showcase road changes and other aspects of plans for the Coast Meridian overpass More “fine-tuned” drawings of what a Port Coquitlam road will look like once the Coast Meridian overpass is built can be seen at an open house next month. At the Oct. 10 event, the city will present concepts of acoustic walls to reduce noise for homes along Coast Meridian Road; designs for a new park on the road’s west side; and landscaping plans for the medians, boulevards and private properties. The open house will be held at Terry Fox secondary (1260 Riverwood Gate) from 6 to 8 p.m.; city staff and consultants will be on hand to respond to questions. Dave Currie, PoCo’s transportation manager, said the aim is to present more refined drawings based on feedback from last open house May 31 at the school. The open house will come about a week before the tender to build the four-lane, $98.73 million viaduct closes for the three shortlisted bidders: Bilfinger Berger, Peter Kiewet Sons Co. and SNC Lavalin. City council is expect to make its decision in mid-November, with construction due to start early next year. TransLink is paying $60 million towards the cost of the overpass while PoCo is paying $38.73 million through development cost charges and from its major transportation capital reserve and land sale revenue. Other PoCo news: TOWNHOMES PROPOSED A chunk of industrial land straddling the Coquitlam/Port Coquitlam may be lost for more townhouses. Mosaic Avenue Developments wants to build 134 units in both cities off Kingsway Avenue, near the CP Rail tracks and Maple Creek and north of the Riverbend sub-division. City staff have asked Mosaic to host a consultation meeting to gauge the public’s reaction to the bid; a meeting will likely be held in mid-October. According to a report that went before PoCo’s community and economic development committee (CEDC) this week, Mosaic has applied to construct 90 three-storey townhomes on 3.9 acres at 835 Westwood St., in Coquitlam, and 44 units at 2643-2669 Bedford St., in PoCo. The land is currently zoned industrial; however, PoCo’s official community plan calls for apartments on one side. Mosaic’s application involves changing the OCP to townhouse. Earlier this month, Coquitlam city council voted 8-1 to allow the public consultation to proceed (Coun. Richard Stewart opposed), though Coun. Brent Asmundson voiced concern about the potential loss of industrial land. Meanwhile, Mosaic Homes got a development permit from CEDC this week to build 137 townhomes near the Pickton farm on Dominion Avenue. The company still has to obtain a building permit. http://www.tricitynews.com/ |
Burnaby nixes big North Road plans
Brooke Larsen Burnaby Now Wednesday, October 03, 2007 Burnaby councillors want to halt a Coquitlam plan to add condos and shops to North Road. On Monday, Burnaby council asked Coquitlam to nix official community plan changes to 225 North Rd., a 10.8-hectare (27-acre) site. Once used by Crane Plumbing, the site is now home to warehouses and other light industry. Because it calls for high-density housing, the change would allow roughly 2,000 units -- an estimated 4,500 to 5,000 people -- to be added to the site, a Burnaby city staff report says. It would also allow retail, office and light industrial uses. "I'm a little dazed and confused that Coquitlam is seriously considering this," Coun. Nick Volkow said at the meeting. In August, the City of Coquitlam asked for Burnaby's feedback on the plans, which have not yet received approval from Coquitlam council. The Burnaby report notes the site is not included in regional or town centre plans for residential growth, stating it is "disconnected from the current urban centre being (developed) by Burnaby and Coquitlam" north of the Trans-Canada Highway. "The site is strongly associated with the park and open-space system established by Burnaby and New Westminster in the area," the report adds. Volkow said he was surprised that Coquitlam was considering redeveloping the site. "I hope that the council in Coquitlam seriously entertains this report," he added. Coquitlam Mayor Maxine Wilson did not immediately return phone calls Tuesday. The site is bounded to the northeast by a CN Rail line, the SkyTrain Millennium Line and Highway 1. To the south, it is bounded by the Brunette River near New Westminster, and to the west by the Brunette River Conservation Area in Burnaby. Burnaby council recently supported Coquitlam in an application to increase building height and density at 319 North Rd. But Burnaby staff also raised concerns about the impact of the change on traffic and called for a traffic study on North Road. http://www.canada.com/coquitlamnow/n...b249be&k=68783 |
New project turns into sellout
Surrey Now Tuesday, October 02, 2007 Talk about a hot real estate market. Fuse, a 33-flat and 52-townhouse complex in Surrey Central's new Upper University District, sold out in a matter of hours. Buyers snapped up the units at prices ranging from $129,000 for studio flats to $398,000 for the larger four-bedroom town homes. "We are thrilled by the response to Fuse but not surprised," says developer Rav Hayer, president of Hayer Homes. "Surrey Central is a real up-and-coming neighbourhood. When we started searching the Lower Mainland for a new development site, nothing compared to this in terms of cultural and civic amenities, nearby shopping and restaurants and easy access to public transit. The future of Greater Vancouver is right here." Fuse, located near the corner of Old Yale Road and 133rd Street, is just steps from Central City SkyTrain station and a half-hour ride from Vancouver, allowing residents to ditch their cars. Mark Belling, president of Fifth Avenue Real Estate, the project marketers, says his company limited purchases to two homes per customer to avoid bulk buying by real estate speculators. http://www.canada.com/surreynow/news...96f467&k=37922 |
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^^^ lol
i just stumbled across this rendering for The Regency in Cqoutilam - the coq centre area http://pacificmetropolis.typepad.com...he_regency.jpg |
^ Oh man is that ever ugly. Bottom. Of. The. Barrel.
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jesus who is naming parts of the city these days.....christ. :hell: sad state of affairs |
^ It will always be Whalley in my mind.
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^ I prefer the term Cracktown.....but ya Whalley it is ;)
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^It's really not that bad anymore. It's no worse than say downtown New West or parts of East Van (excluding DE). Apparantly alot of the cracktowness has moved along to the Newton area. I agree though that it's hard to shake first impressions. I was first exposed to it 4 or 5 years ago and back then it was full fledged cracktown for sure.
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I'm not sure what Burnaby is concerned about (other than traffic) - the Crane Canada site backs onto the area where there will be huge transit-oriented development - at Braid Skytrain Station. In this Global Air Photo, the crane site is just above the big warehouse at Braid Skytrain Station. The area could be easily linked by a road, driveway or walking paths. As for high density next to parks, Burnaby's own Edmonds area is an example of that.
http://www.globalairphotos.com/image...wh2005_026.jpg Just found these pics at the Civitas Design wesbite for the Crane Canada site. They know that the site is close to Braid Skytrain Station - the first pic shows the catchment areas for Lougheed Station and Braid Station - the TCH divides the two catchment areas. http://www.civitasdesign.com/projects/craneoverall.jpg http://www.civitasdesign.com/projects/craneplan.jpg |
^ Wow, nice find. I agree 100% that Burnaby is making a big deal out of nothing.
_________ I took a crapload of construction pics today. I'll post the builidngs that have already topped out and therefore don't deserve their own threads here, as well as misc. stuff. New Westminster: Quantum http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01234.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01235.jpg The Point http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01236.jpg I got a pic of what is going up at the former London Drugs site, it's not very exciting and a waste of space imo. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01226.jpg Burnaby Central Park office tower http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01222.jpg A quick drive by of Highgate Village . http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01245.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01249.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01248.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01247.jpg West topped out. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01250.jpg Park360 I really don't like the combination of spandrels and painted concrete, pick one or the other. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01252.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01251.jpg |
Also, does anybody know what is going on with Metrotown's facade?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSC01214.jpg |
is whats shown along North road on the north/south side of Lougheed in the works ?
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Thanks for all the pictures, Vanman. |
Lake City Centre - 100k sqft office building at the Production Way-SFU SkyTrain station
(My photo, taken October 4th, 2007) http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1...ructionnq7.jpg http://creativecommons.org/images/pu...merights20.png I snapped this picture today of the building's progress. The steel is coming along. Nothing spectacular but it's a cool 100,000 square feet of Class A office space practically on top of a SkyTrain station. |
ASSC 2 at SFU - Green Wall installation - October 3rd
(My photo, taken October 4th, 2007)
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/2...stallatsi0.jpg http://creativecommons.org/images/pu...merights20.png An interesting panelized green wall system is being used for one of the walls of the new ASSC (Arts and Social Science Complex) 2 building. I wonder if this system will be used for the W43 Woodwards building? ASSC 1 & 2 were designed by architect Peter Busby of Busby, Perkins and Will. It was built to LEED GOLD status and I believe the school is pursing actual LEED accreditation. If you want to see more of the building check out my SFU new building photo thread. |
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^ Leaky Mall Syndrome?
A pox on CMHC! One of the most satisfying moments for me in recent memory was when I asked someone from CMHC (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation) about their new "Super E / R2000 Home" spec during a presentation at the World Urban Forum in Vancouver in 2006. In a room full of housing policy experts and contractors I asked the CMHC presenter: how long were these new building specs tested for in the wet West Coast climate -bearing in mind the abhorrent CMHC failure to ensure that its previous national building code would function correctly in our climate, an oversight that caused the leaky condo scandal and cost homeowners billions of dollars to repair water and mold damage damage to their built-to-code homes and apartments. The guy sort of mumbled that CMHC had learned a lot from their experience and it was unfortunate. To answer my question, the individual components of the new Super E homes have been testing a variety of climates and been have found to be a marked improvement over past iterations of the R2000 home spec. For the uninitiated, in the mid 1970s CMHC (Canada's national housing policy agency) needed to respond to the global energy crisis initiated by the OPEC cartel and set about developing a new national building code for residential construction that would significantly increase mandatory insulation levels and lower home heating costs. They went about this by making homes virtually airtight and doubling or tripling the minimum insulation factor ("R" value) of a dwelling's exterior walls. Such a home was ideal for the climate in Central and Eastern Canada and the Prairies, all places that experience very cold snowy winters and require heating in winter. CMHC did not consider the temperate West Coast climate with its wet winters, general lack of snow, and very moist air. This was a grievous oversight. In the lower mainland the combination of a temperate climate's mild, wet winters and a national residential building code that emphasized an air-tight building envelope led to endemic moisture problems in dwellings built to the new code. Moisture became trapped in walls and window frames, resulting in mold. Many wood frame buildings structurally deteriorated over time as chronic water damage weakened walls, floors, and balconies. The indoor growth of mold, especially types of poisonous black mold, made people sick when they inhaled airborne mold spores. Prolonged exposure led to inexplicable illness and powerful, debilitating seasonal allergic reactions among otherwise healthy individuals, and a general deterioration of the health of some seniors or otherwise infirm people. It took quite some time to identify the existence and severity of the mold problem because in most cases it was within the walls and not readily visible. In many cases structural damage or major mold outbreaks was remedied by rebuilding the affected area to the original condition when it was built while not addressing the underlying design problems that created the problem. In some cases major repairs happened again and again, each time resulting in repairs that would doom the building to further problems. It was a vicious cycle and CMHC squarely denied any culpability, nor would it underwright any repair costs incurred to bring any affected leaky dwellings up to the revised national building codes. It finally took a multi-billion dollar class action lawsuit to compel CMHC to acknowledge that its building code was at fault and that the water damage and mold experienced by tens and tens of thousands of dwellings, many repaired again and again to the proper building code, could not solely be the result of faulty workmanship or poor architectural design. Some definitely was, but the code was just plain wrong for our climate. The approximate span of years that the faulty building code was employed is 1977 - 1997. For thirty years CMHC was ignorant or willfully ignorant of its error and it financially ruined thousands and has made more than a quarter century of building stock highly suspect, not to mention how many people got sick or even died from being exposed to poisonous black mold. In my Mother's housing co-op the repairs cost about $1.6 million and our townhouse alone had about $150,000 of repairs, including a full building envelope replacement, new roofs, and new windows. Fortunately the Co-Op had a healthy replacement reserve and an excellent credit rating and was able to get a good mortgage to fund the repair costs which could then be amortized over a reasonably short repayment period. This meant that individual co-op members weren't hit with an immediate upfront assessment for $50,000, $100,000, or more like in most condos. We were smart too and initiated repairs as soon as the first signs of mold were found. By opting for the most expensive option of a building envelope replacement, essentially taking the building down to its wood frame structure and building a new, climate-correct wall and building envelope system, the co-op exited the cycle of only doing the minimum necessary repairs and later having the same problem reoccur. We essentially rebuilt the co-op while we still lived there to better-than-code levels to fix the problem once and for all. If it was done on an ad hoc basis or only to the level that the co-op members could afford in the short run, we could have found ourselves back at square one in a decade's time. So, with all of that in mind, a new CHMC update of the deeply flawed R2000 residential building code, rebranded as the "Super E Home" standard naturally makes me suspicious. They upped the insulation levels again, which is perfectly fine, and aimed to make the building completely airtight this time. To avoid the "unpleasantness" of the west coast expirences the homes are now designed around a computer-controlled humidifier/dehumidifier ventilation unit that will bring in fresh air from the outdoors, filter it, adjust the humidity levels, and then distribute it throughout the house through air ducts and pull exhaust air out to discharge it outdoors. It promises to further reduce home heating costs, deliver fresh filtered air evenly throughout the house, and lower the home's energy needs by specifying larger windows to supply natural light. All of which is great, but if it hasn't been extensively tested as a complete design, and not just component parts, in the wet west coast climate then I will be extremely wary of the Super E Home building spec. |
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the whole outside needs a renovation anyway
the older metrotown centre just looks old and aged and out of sync with its newer part |
^True. I'm sure it will be awhile before anything happens to the south side facing the skytrain station, the owners wil probably wait for the redevelopment of Metrototown station and once the bus depot moves across the street I 'm sure they'll jump at the chance to expand the mall outwards toward the street.
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What are you doing in Shanghai? |
full page ads in the freebie papers tuesday show the relocation of the new west station bus loop - it says they will be that way for the next 2-3 years due to construction...
looks like the demo of the old salvation army and that block is set to go ahead soon? |
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Top architect designs library
Munisha Tumato, North Shore News Published: Friday, October 12, 2007 The new City of North Vancouver library has been designed by a world-renowned Canadian architect whose portfolio includes Jerusalem's city hall and the Center for Performing Art in Washington, D.C. "He's a visionary. We're delighted to have Jack Diamond on board," said Coun. Barbara Perrault. The famed architect's signature design elements include functional but elegant lines and floating staircases, which will be incorporated in the library's design, as will Diamond's technique of "bringing the outside in," says Perrault. The library to be sited on what is now the north side of the 100-block of West 14th Street will be made largely of glass, not unlike the recently completed, Diamond-designed Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. "It really is like a lantern," said Diamond of his vision for the building. "In the long evenings when it's dark, this building will be glowing." The design will also feature "symbolic aspects that are part of the region," said Diamond. Indigenous wood will be incorporated -- in this case, pieces of Douglas fir will be used for the library's ceiling -- for a distinctly West Coast feel. The new library will be three times larger than the existing space, says Perrault and will have three levels. A balcony on the southwest corner of the third floor will look out over Burrard Inlet towards the Lions Gate Bridge. The ground level will feature a secret garden for children. The other component, says Perrault, will be an enormous amount of technology including wireless computers throughout, and a multimedia room. Funding for the new library came from the sale of land to developers on the east and west ends of the block to the south. The new library is slated to open in the fall of 2008. Despite its celebrated design, Diamond hopes that North Vancouverites will see the library as a community gathering spot. "The library has got to be seen as a community centre and so it's got to feel very accessible and friendly. It should be a beacon in the civic centre complex." |
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...ishtowers.html
Squamish towers would hide famous climbing area, critics complain Proposed highrises would block view of Stawamus Chief rock face from downtown, some say The District of Squamish will vote Tuesday night on a developer's proposal to build three highrise towers that critics say will block the view of the Stawamus Chief rock face — one of North America's most famous rock climbing areas. Pridham Developments is seeking conditional approval to build a housing development for 3,500 people on the old Interfor mill site, about 50 kilometres north of Vancouver between downtown Squamish and the Stawamus Chief Mountain. The proposal for the 21-hectare site includes a marina and three condominium towers, the highest spanning 20 storeys. The towers would be the three tallest buildings in town. Peter Harker, a spokesman for the Squamish Downtown Neighbourhood Association, said Monday that the largest tower would obstruct the view of the Stawamus Chief's towering granite rock face, a local landmark. "The Chief is the second biggest granitic feature in the world and people come from all over the world to climb it," Harker said on Monday. "The development isn't the problem. It's the towers. It's that 20-storey tower where clearly there hasn't been any community process. The community's never been asked about it," said Hawker. Mayor says public meetings held; 28 groups consulted The mayor of Squamish, Ian Sutherland, said the accusation was not true. He said the developer has held more public meetings than the law requires, adding that the meetings have been well attended. He also pointed out that there is a final public hearing Tuesday evening before council votes on the proposal. Sutherland said the proposal has supporters in the community. "There are people who want to sell homes, and downsize to a place like this," said Sutherland. Pridham Development also e-mailed CBC News, writing the company has consulted about the proposal with 28 different groups ranging from B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation to the local watershed society. |
and here is some more on the 3 tower proposal.....which looks to get passed >>
http://www.district.squamish.bc.ca/_...t_landing.aspx very cool rendering here on page 12 >> http://squamish.ca/files/PDF/waterfr...r_Analysis.pdf of all 3 towers and the whole project......someone wanna grab that and upload it? Mr. X? |
sounds like it's time for some squamish view cones! :haha:
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