River District (East Fraserlands) Updates

[dleung]

Originally Posted by officedweller

https://twitter.com/GBLArchitects

The only reason I buy a condo with no yard is so I can get wide-span open floorplans with wrap-around windows and a view. This building has less windows than most 1970's commie towers...

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

Being separated from the rest of the city has been a blessing in many ways though. It’s pretty tranquil and you get a reprieve from the impact of social issues found elsewhere.

I’ve noticed a security guard at times in the town centre area recently but I’ve never even seen someone I would classify as drunk, let alone dealing with full-blown addiction. I’ve never seen any shoplifters either and I’ve been here for 3 years now.

Ah yes let's remind everyone that there are stores in River District. According to this website it's not complete yet and there's already: "Save-On-Foods, Shoppers Drug Mart, Bosley’s Pet Store, Starbucks, Everything Wine, and Orange Theory Fitness" plus a few banks and restaurants others have already posted about on here.

Also apparently a community centre (with a future library), childcare, and space set aside for two schools ("subject to approval by the provincial government and the Vancouver School Board"). So while funding may be an issue, trying to find space for them won't be.

Then add in that I did a quick check on google maps and riding a bike from the middle of here to Market Crossing to the east in Burnaby is only about a 15 min ride. Or there's the 31 bus up to Metrotown (again only about 15 mins).

This isn't in the middle of a desert with no civilization for hundreds of miles...

[Klazu]

Can I just mention that the Save-On-Foods has a really cool shopping cart lift which I have never seen anywhere else. I sometimes shop there just for that (and free parking).

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Can I just mention that the Save-On-Foods has a really cool shopping cart lift which I have never seen anywhere else. I sometimes shop there just for that (and free parking).

Could be the same as the one at the Richmond Garden City Wal-Mart.

[Lexus]

2023-09-12

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Contrary to popular myth there are plenty of vehicles registered in the City of Vancouver and not everyone needs transit to get around. Just over 316,000. Interestingly, the most popular is Toyota Corolla.

More cars but less driving kms per car and per person. Expensive asset to hold if you don't use it much.

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Then add in that I did a quick check on google maps and riding a bike from the middle of here to Market Crossing to the east in Burnaby is only about a 15 min ride. Or there's the 31 bus up to Metrotown (again only about 15 mins).

This isn't in the middle of a desert with no civilization for hundreds of miles...

Market Crossing is not a very comfortable place if you're on a bike, plus Google maps sends you down Marine Way. Yikes!

River District is a tough place to live if you're relying on a bike to get around. Sure, the paths along the river are nice for recreation, but getting to DT Richmond, Metrotown, or DT Vancouver requires either riding up a very, very steep hill or a trip through an industrial zone. An e-bike helps with the hill, but those are expensive, and the cycling environment is terrible in southeast Vancouver once you exit the safe confines of River District.

As for transit, if you can work from home or are working in Metrotown, this is not a bad place to be. But my coworker used to live in the River District and it took him an hour to get to DT Vancouver by bus + Skytrain. Hardly a quick commute. 45 minutes is the best-cased scenario, but as other forumers mentioned the bus regularly passes up people which adds at least 15 minutes to that commute. I have had to wait for the 240 (which runs every 8 minutes at peak) on West Georgia for 30 minutes before because some buses were full and others were running late, so I can't imagine the frustration if the 80 (which runs every 30 minutes) or the 100 (which is every 15 minutes at peak) has to pass you up or is late. Waiting for a bus could very easily become almost half of your commute!

There are many reasons to live in this neighbourhood, most of which are contained in the neighbourhood itself (parks, walkability). But this development cannot hold a candle in terms of transit to Jericho or Brentwood, or any of the other high density developments that were or will be built with mobility outside of a personal vehicle in mind.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by dleung

The only reason I buy a condo with no yard is so I can get wide-span open floorplans with wrap-around windows and a view. This building has less windows than most 1970's commie towers...

Isn't that due to new climate-friendly policies?

[officedweller]

Yup - smaller windows/vision glass = reduced solar gain. I think the target is only 50% vision glass or less - so covet the older condos with floor to ceiling windows (that get hot in summer depending on exposure).
Weird that Vancouver projects don't have the wrap-around balconies to provide sun shading like those in Burnaby.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Yup - smaller windows/vision glass = reduced solar gain. I think the target is only 50% vision glass or less - so covet the older condos with floor to ceiling windows

that pretty much kills off the benefits of living in a condo; those nice views with all that natural light.

its annoying that we are making policies that really only impact us 1/4 of the year, while the 3/4 is a dark, overcast, grey city. exactly the times you'd want the floor to ceilings windows.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

that pretty much kills off the benefits of living in a condo; those nice views with all that natural light.

Yeah, tell me about it. I would never buy an unit in such a building. There are few units in The Amazing Brentwood that are downright cavernous with their deep balconies.

[Lexus]

2023-09-25

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

[madog222]

That red tower is looking great so far.

[madog222]

Site 19, 3571 Sawmill Crescent, immediately west of the district energy centre.
18 storey tower with 158 strata units and a six storey building with 54 market rental units.

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/3571-sawmill-cres


Image from Wesgroup / Dialog

[dreambrother808]

Looks like this is currently the parking lot beside Save-On.

[Feathered Friend]

It's also a mass timber building, and one that impressed the Urban Design Panel so much that almost all of them wanted to get their fingerprints on it in some manner or another when they passed it on Wednesday.

[Lexus]

2023-11-05

Parks are coming along:

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Prado now seems to be completed:

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

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Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

[Feathered Friend]

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/3398-north-arm-ave

Wesgroup Properties has applied to the City of Vancouver under a Pre Development Permit (PDP)application to develop on this site a new three storey community centre building and two one-storey commercial buildings.

The proposal includes the following:

Community centre with a 74-space childcare facility and one level of underground parking
New plaza and riverfront park
Shoreline walkway with bike path
Under the site’s existing CD-1 (567) zoning(External link), the PDP application is “conditional” so it may be permitted, however, it requires decision by the Development Permit Board(External link).

November 29 2023
In-person open house - LOCAL Public Eatery, 8558 River District Crossing
LOCAL Public Eatery, 8558 River District Crossing from 4-7pm

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/3398-north-arm-ave

[Lexus]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/3398-north-arm-ave



https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/3398-north-arm-ave

I think they will use this crane, they tend to re-purpose many artifacts from the former mill:

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

More photos from today:

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

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Looks like they may do another road crossing north/south by extending Rivergrass Dr


Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

Some work on utilities was done on the past few weeks:

Untitled by Lexus LX600, on Flickr

[madog222]

DP for parcel 30, 8689 River District Crossing, is up; 20 and 12 storey towers with 313 units total. This is directly south of Harlin along River District Crossing.

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/8689-river-district-crossing

Speaking of Harlin, a building permit was stage issued for secant wall installation in September but the full permit is still waiting on issuing the DP.

8689 River District Crossing:

Image from Home Oleksiuk Politano Architects