Burnaby Updates

[jollyburger]

Smilestones junior kindergarten on Norland Avenue is poised to become the safest child-care centre in Burnaby now that the city has decided to build its new $162.5-million RCMP detachment practically right next door.

The city’s plans to build a child-care facility right across the street from the detachment’s current location was also a factor, according to Lota.

"Is putting a child-care right beside an RCMP, is that an ideal thing?" he said.

If you need a good laugh read these two quotes from the article.

[djmk]

Originally Posted by Sheba

From the article:


I could see them expanding the tiny art gallery that's already there and turning it into 'the arts' area of Burnaby.

It is already the arts area of Burnaby thanks particularly to the Shadbolt Center.

Once City hall and RCMP have moved, I would imagine the City would develop this area with housing. There is an incredible amount of amenities here in the middle of suburbia.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Site proposals for three Metrotown locations for the new City Hall are now available and seeking public feedback! Someone not on mobile can maybe post the images, but my order of preference is Bonsor Park, Firefighters Pub and Library Square.

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-new...a-park-7078217

The Library site has been selected.

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-new...y-hall-7518047

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by madog222

The Library site has been selected.

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-new...y-hall-7518047

Thanks.
That was the logical one to me.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Thanks.
That was the logical one to me.

My first choice was Bonsor, followed by the Library site. I was against the Firefighters site as it's way too small.

Hopefully they build something interesting...

Having a virtually unencumbered site also allows for engaging, iconic architecture and public spaces that help define Metrotown as a community with an emerging identity that is representative of the city, while at the same time, could be forward looking in its playful, exciting, timeless, inclusive, and welcoming design. Being set within the heart of the Metro Downtown neighbourhood also allows for the exploration of unique forms and degrees of height without being incongruent with existing and planned development in the area, unlike other sites that may have some limitations from an urban design perspective.

I like this:

The public engagement process indicated public support for existing civic services on the selected site to be integrated with the new City Hall, thus, the Civic Square site must continue to accommodate a public library. ... Integrating the two buildings would be advantageous as it would allow a larger public plaza to be created once the existing library is demolished. This public plaza would have excellent solar access and be more conducive to large gatherings. A larger public plaza would provide greater opportunity to create an exciting, attractive, and well-used Civic Square that would complement the new facilities on site...

Public feedback also indicated support for integrating the following amenities: restaurants / cafés, meeting rooms for public use, a cultural venue, and childcare. From a community planning and urban design perspective, restaurants, cafés, and other small-scale retail shops would add interest and animation along the plaza and street frontages, while community meeting rooms would meet a growing need of various non-profit and neighbourhood groups. Regarding child care, the City’s 2021 Child Care Action Plan notes that quality child care services are critical to the social and economic well-being of our communities and seek to identify actions to address emerging community needs.

It is unlikely a cultural venue can also be integrated into the site without impacting the space available for a public plaza and creating a highly impenetrable block, thereby making it less accessible and welcoming. Additional considerations include design challenges related to acoustics, clear span structural spaces, circulation, and access, as well as building cost considerations such as additional underground parking and loading facilities. A cultural venue can be sought elsewhere in the Metrotown area, in concert with redevelopment.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by madog222

The Library site has been selected.

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-new...y-hall-7518047

Hopefully the construction lines up with the (hopefully) inevitable construction of the underground Metrotown station of the theoretical purple line.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by chowhou

Hopefully the construction lines up with the (hopefully) inevitable construction of the underground Metrotown station of the theoretical purple line.

The timeline they're looking at is:

Project Planning – 1 year (Q3 2023 to Q3 2024)
Design – 1-2 years (Q4 2024 to 2026)
Construction – 3 years (2027-2030)

[Klazu]

With such timeline, they better consider a new station integration with this project.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by madog222

The Library site has been selected.

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-new...y-hall-7518047

Fantastic

[Metro-One]

That was my second choice, so I'm fine.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Sheba

The timeline they're looking at is:

Project Planning – 1 year (Q3 2023 to Q3 2024)
Design – 1-2 years (Q4 2024 to 2026)
Construction – 3 years (2027-2030)

It seems like that timeline is set up to line up with, or account for a possible construction timeline for a potential Purple line extension.
Especially seeing as Construction for this ends right about a year after the Broadway extension line is complete.

I doubt they'd be able to line up Federal and provincial funding in time to enable them to start construction of the two concurrently, but if there's enough momentum to get a Purple line down the road and they know it will be coming in the near future, they can factor it into the poential construction and design of the new City hall.

The only downside would be the lack of a direct pedestrian connection from a potential Willingdon-adjacent station (if it's based near the Library/new City Hall) and the Metrotown Skytrain station. I'm sure they'll want to position it such that it also accommodates a potential future second extension south from a 41st ave./UBC line.
But that's much farther down the road.

As for the new City Hall location, it was to be expected.
The other two locations were so obviously unworkable for various reasons.

Fun times ahead as NIMBY's prepare to have a field day with this and let us all know why this is a very very bad idea and that we should leave the current City Hall were it is.

[SFUVancouver]

That's good to hear that Burnaby has made its decision, which I think was the right one. Hopefully this all results in a great project for Burnaby.

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by Klazu

With such timeline, they better consider a new station integration with this project.

I don't know how deep the line would have to go to pass under the Crystal Mall, Civic Square, and Element parkades, but I think instead of curving at Grange to follow Willingdon to the southwest, the line should continue straight south under those structures. The line could then follow McKay southwest until it would gently curve to head west along 49.

One end of the platform could be near the east corner of Civic Square and the other under the intersection at Central and McKay, allowing for three exits: one integrated into City Hall, and second integrated into the eventual redevelopment of the twin towers between Station Square and McKay, and a third directly under the Expo guideway along the BC Parkway.

Three exits may seem like overkill, but this would be a MASSIVE transfer point if the purple line is built to UBC and North Van. You would get all the traffic between Metrotown and Brentwood (two of the fastest-growing town centres); any UBC student coming in from New West, Surrey, Langley, and south Burnaby; pretty much anyone going between the north shore and a city in Metro Van that isn't Vancouver, SFU students from Richmond and south Vancouver, and more. And that's ignoring the amount of traffic Metrotown alone will generate as more and more people live there and workplaces are (eventually) built.

Again, I don't know the feasibility of passing under those structures or how much more expensive that would be compared to tunneling under or using cut-and-cover along Willingdon, but I think this type of future proofing would be well worth it.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by FarmerHaight

I don't know how deep the line would have to go to pass under the Crystal Mall, Civic Square, and Element parkades, but I think instead of curving at Grange to follow Willingdon to the southwest, the line should continue straight south under those structures. The line could then follow McKay southwest until it would gently curve to head west along 49.

One end of the platform could be near the east corner of Civic Square and the other under the intersection at Central and McKay, allowing for three exits: one integrated into City Hall, and second integrated into the eventual redevelopment of the twin towers between Station Square and McKay, and a third directly under the Expo guideway along the BC Parkway.

Three exits may seem like overkill, but this would be a MASSIVE transfer point if the purple line is built to UBC and North Van. You would get all the traffic between Metrotown and Brentwood (two of the fastest-growing town centres); any UBC student coming in from New West, Surrey, Langley, and south Burnaby; pretty much anyone going between the north shore and a city in Metro Van that isn't Vancouver, SFU students from Richmond and south Vancouver, and more. And that's ignoring the amount of traffic Metrotown alone will generate as more and more people live there and workplaces are (eventually) built.

Again, I don't know the feasibility of passing under those structures or how much more expensive that would be compared to tunneling under or using cut-and-cover along Willingdon, but I think this type of future proofing would be well worth it.

Are the cities (and Translink) capable of that level of forward thinking and planning, though?

The Metrotown Skytrain station alone is already a massive transfer point as is. In the most recent assessments it was/is the second most heavily (foot-)trafficked Transit hub and station in the region after Waterfront station post-COVID, and overtaking the Commercial--Broadway which has been the long-term number 2 in the region.
I'm guessing this may be short-lived until the Broadway extension line is completed, but it's not unreasonable to imagine what impact having a Purple line extension (even just the Brentwood-Northshore half alone) would do to increasing the traffic in the station. And that's not even accounting for the several developments currently in progress and in construction along with those proposed and in various stages of the permit application process that will bring even more people (and riders) to the regional traffic.

When you put it the way you have, while appearing ambitious, it seems obvious that they should of course think in the long-term and future-proof it, but the fact that they're still debating whether the Purple line should be a RapidBus line versus a Skytrain/Subway hybrid shows you that "obvious" thinking and common sense is not always that automatic with these folks.

[djmk]

I was in high school when that library was built. By my standards, that's not that long ago. IMHO, it's pretty wasteful to tear it up for a new one.

Also, if possible, it would be cool to pedestrianize the whole space and get rid of McKay Ave and maybe parts of Kingsborough Street

[Migrant_Coconut]

Theoretically, there's nothing stopping TransLink from doing a conventional Willingdon tunnel, then ripping up the Parkway or Central Boulevard and digging a pedway from there to Metrotown Station. Expensive, and they might have to get creative with the fare-paid zone, but it seems doable.

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

... the fact that they're still debating whether the Purple line should be a RapidBus line versus a Skytrain/Subway hybrid shows you that "obvious" thinking and common sense is not always that automatic with these folks.

Is it a debate though? IIRC the plan is for RapidBus/BRT in the short term and RRT in the long term - right now all the SkyTrain lobbying is going to UBC, so no point in trying to get the Purple Line by 2030.

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Theoretically, there's nothing stopping TransLink from doing a conventional Willingdon tunnel, then ripping up the Parkway or Central Boulevard and digging a pedway from there to Metrotown Station. Expensive, and they might have to get creative with the fare-paid zone, but it seems doable.

Except then you're still left with a 300 metre walk to the Expo line, or 400 metre walk to the bus loop. Not the end of the world, but hardly the seamless transfer major transit hubs deserve.

It drives me crazy that our transfers are terribly long. Expo to Canada at Waterfront and Millennium to Expo at Broadway are miserable. All transfers in the future should aim to be like the future Broadway-City Hall station: one or two escalators up, and a short walk on a concourse.

[madog222]

Civic Square was the top ranked location for 46% of respondents to the public engagement, Bonsor and Firefighters only received 11% and 10% respectively being beat out by none of the above with 33%.

https://pub-burnaby.escribemeetings....cumentId=70285

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by FarmerHaight

Except then you're still left with a 300 metre walk to the Expo line, or 400 metre walk to the bus loop. Not the end of the world, but hardly the seamless transfer major transit hubs deserve...

Heh, you should see some major hubs in other cities - 300m is par for the course. Also pretty sure it can be cut down to 200m depending on station design.

It's definitely not optimal, but so long as it's all one farezone and you don't need to cross the street twice and walk up a block (yes, City Centre, that means you), I'll call it a win.

[Sheba]

SFU emerging as option for Canucks' practice facility

With land at a premium in the city of Vancouver, it appears the Vancouver Canucks are starting to look further afield in their search for a practice facility.

As first reported by hockey news website CanucksArmy, Postmedia has confirmed with several sources that Canucks chairman Francesco Aquilini has spoken several times in recent months with officials at Simon Fraser University about the possibility of the Burnaby campus hosting a new ice rink which would serve as a training centre for the Canucks as well as a home to a varsity hockey program.

It’s understood that Aquilini attended a fundraiser for the SFU men’s hockey team, which does not have full varsity status but has a healthy series of backers and the team itself has been making strides to raise its profile — including scheduling a series of games this season against NCAA Division 1 competitions — with the ambition of becoming a fully-funded varsity program.

Aquilini, who graduated from SFU in 1985 with a business degree, has also met with top university officials, including president Joy Johnson, sources confirmed.

...