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[Volksboi]

Central City II on the way
By Kevin Diakiw - Surrey North Delta Leader - March 19, 2008 | | | |

Surrey’s most prominent tower will soon have company, as plans proceed with Central City Tower – phase two.

Coun. Linda Hepner said this week financial backing is forming for a highrise that’s at least as tall as its 25-storey partner.

She expects a report from staff regarding the second office tower in the coming weeks.

In fact, most councillors are counting on that building to become the new location for city hall, as it begins to move services up to City Centre.

City hall officials have long suggested a possible move to the city core in Whalley, and last week, Mayor Dianne Watts renewed her call for the relocation.

Watts later said the move could take place in phases, with some critical elements of city services going north first.

Hepner said Monday those could include legal services, economic development, the city clerk’s office, and the mayor and council.

She doesn’t expect those services to be moved this year, nor does her colleague Coun. Tom Gill, who also wants city hall moved to the phase two of Central City.

The second phase of Central City, which was initially unveiled as a concept almost 10 years ago, is expected to be built in what is now the parking lot of the North Surrey Recreation Centre, on 135 Street near 102 Avenue.

A plan to relocate and rebuild the rec centre would be part of the public consultation process.

Coun. Judy Villeneuve, one of the longest and move vocal proponents of putting city hall in North Surrey, said an exhaustive public consultation process will likely take place before the tower is given the okay by council.

Hepner couldn’t say exactly when construction would begin, but expects it to start sometime in 2008.

“Totally this year,” Hepner said.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/news/16791396.html

[vanman]

^Good news. It would be cool if they combined condos with this tower and built something 50 floors plus. It could be the tallest building in Metro Vancouver at say 700ft and would be a great way of raising the profile of downtown Surrey, especially if the new city hall is incorporated.

[officedweller]

Great News!

[jlousa]

SHOPPING CENTRE & CULTURAL CENTRE Proj: 7168529-9
North Vancouver, Dist Mun, Greater Vancouver RD BC PREPARING PLANS
Seymour Creek Village, Mount Seymour Parkway, Upper Levels Hwy & Seymour River, V7L
$75,000,000 est
Note: The project is on hold. The Squamish Nation is waiting for various approvals from the Federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, and from the BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways. Working drawings and construction schedules are undetermined. Further update in Fall 2008.
Project: shopping centre may include tenants like Home Depot, Winners, Staples, Best-Buy-Future Shop, Home Outfitters, Mark's Work Warehouse, Sports Mart, Roots, Danier Leather & Le Chateau. Food services outlets may include Starbucks, McDonald's, Earl's, Milestone's & The Boathouse. This will also feature a cultural centre on the banks of Seymour River.
Scope: 430,000 square feet; 12 hectares


Can't say I'm surprised this one is on-hold.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by Volksboi

Central City II on the way
By Kevin Diakiw - Surrey North Delta Leader - March 19, 2008 | | | |

Surrey’s most prominent tower will soon have company, as plans proceed with Central City Tower – phase two.

Coun. Linda Hepner said this week financial backing is forming for a highrise that’s at least as tall as its 25-storey partner.

She expects a report from staff regarding the second office tower in the coming weeks.

In fact, most councillors are counting on that building to become the new location for city hall, as it begins to move services up to City Centre.

City hall officials have long suggested a possible move to the city core in Whalley, and last week, Mayor Dianne Watts renewed her call for the relocation.

Watts later said the move could take place in phases, with some critical elements of city services going north first.

Hepner said Monday those could include legal services, economic development, the city clerk’s office, and the mayor and council.

She doesn’t expect those services to be moved this year, nor does her colleague Coun. Tom Gill, who also wants city hall moved to the phase two of Central City.

The second phase of Central City, which was initially unveiled as a concept almost 10 years ago, is expected to be built in what is now the parking lot of the North Surrey Recreation Centre, on 135 Street near 102 Avenue.

A plan to relocate and rebuild the rec centre would be part of the public consultation process.

Coun. Judy Villeneuve, one of the longest and move vocal proponents of putting city hall in North Surrey, said an exhaustive public consultation process will likely take place before the tower is given the okay by council.

Hepner couldn’t say exactly when construction would begin, but expects it to start sometime in 2008.

“Totally this year,” Hepner said.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/news/16791396.html

Haha called it.

Actually the original plan for the Central Surrey mall area that I saw about 5 years ago had 3 towers alone on the main mall area. If you combine that concept with the new transit village concept, I think we could see redevelopment in the next 10 years of the entire parking lot area of Central City mall and the construction of towers in that area.

Going to be interesting. Hopefully momentum isn't lost like it was with the original plan for the site where Infinity is being constructed.

[SpongeG]

i noticed that tandem in burnaby has put new signage all over its building or was it always there???

[jlousa]

Richmond has put out a RFP for the Middle Arm Greenway Design
Sounds like a pretty big project with which improve the area, here is the details of the project.


4.4. Project Objectives

Through the design process, a vocabulary will be developed to express Richmond’s emerging urban identity and unique relationship to the Fraser River. The primary goal of the project is to develop a high quality, urban waterfront that will accommodate increased public use and expanding programmatic needs. The specific objectives of the project are
as follows in order of priority.

First Order Priorities:
• Raise the dike elevation approximately 0.5 M. above existing elevation.
• Construct a universally accessible pedestrian promenade at a minimum 4.0 M. width.
• Integrate cyclist traffic and provide separation between cyclists and pedestrians where space permits.
• Accommodate dike maintenance and emergency access needs.
• Construct 3 pedestrian and cyclist access points up to dike elevation from River Rd.
• Develop 2 plazas for informal and special event use, during the daytime and evening.
• Pedestrian scale lighting for the length of the Greenway (using the same or similar fixtures as specified for the Richmond Oval) with special lighting effects at each plaza.
• Integrate the roof of the enlarged Cambie Pump station into the plaza at Cambie Rd.
• Integrate Olympic legacy elements at key locations.

Second Order Priorities:
• Explore options for, and the feasibility of a pier to enlarge the plaza area at Cambie Rd.
• Explore options for, and the feasibility of spectator seating and amenities on the dike face.
• Integration of heritage references and public art (public art will be commissioned through a separate process).
• Integration of play elements along the Greenway including one dedicated playground area.
• Develop a vocabulary of site furnishings and way finding measures, which may include some custom design and fabrication.
• Develop a strategy to improve and support riparian zones.

[deasine]

Well I remember Richmond wanting to create some plaza/celebration site along the shores of River Road and then wanting to continue this flow into No. 3 Road and all the way up to the Fraser River/Canada Line Bridge.

[officedweller]

Parkade on 'kill' list, but could city afford to get rid of it?
The Record

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Scrap the parkade.

That's one of the recommendations of the draft Livable City Strategy, the economic development plan that's being prepared by Coriolis Consulting Corporation and the City of New Westminster.

Jay Wollenberg, president of Coriolis, recently told city council the city "should get rid of that bloody parkade" in order to improve the viability of the downtown.

"It's the barrier problem we want to solve," he said. "It's not that we don't like parking."

Wollenberg said the parkade's presence provides a wall across the waterfront, creating a visual separation between the downtown and the waterfront.

He said the train tracks running alongside Front Street are less of a barrier.

"There are lots of times there isn't a train there," he said.

Coun. Betty McIntosh said the City of Calgary has built a parkade structure over some of its railway tracks, which have been encapsulated and had parking placed on top of that enclosure. Coun. Lorrie Williams was also a fan of the encapsulation of trains that has taken place in Calgary.

"All the trains disappear and with it all the noise," Williams noted.

Williams agrees with Wollenberg that the parkade should be removed and believes the city should hold out for that to happen. She said that encapsulation of the railway tracks, removal of the parkade and construction of a pier would go a long way toward improving the downtown.

Coun. Bob Osterman would support removal of the parkade but doesn't believe it's feasible because of the millions of dollars that would be required.

"I think it is a nice idea," he said. "I don't think it is practical or doable."

© The Record (New Westminster) 2008

[SpongeG]

without that parkade parking is a nightmare in new west

i could understand if there was something to get to on the river side but there is nothing

what is there is all fenced off and tresspassing is not allowed

unless they extend the quay side developments to the north its a waste to pull the parkade down

and its not like there is anything to attract people to downtown new west - its once thriving antique row is now an antique dud as store after store has pulled out or closed down to be replaced by nothing

i think withe riverboat casino gone its even more hurting

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

without that parkade parking is a nightmare in new west

i could understand if there was something to get to on the river side but there is nothing

what is there is all fenced off and tresspassing is not allowed

unless they extend the quay side developments to the north its a waste to pull the parkade down

and its not like there is anything to attract people to downtown new west - its once thriving antique row is now an antique dud as store after store has pulled out or closed down to be replaced by nothing

i think withe riverboat casino gone its even more hurting

/agree

I don't go to New West very often but I've noticed at the base area the parking is just a nightmare. I can't imagine how people would park or where if it was removed. You can't really develop that portion of the waterfront anyway without 1) removing the train tracks and 2) rerouting the truck route so they may aswell keep the parkade.

I think that until Surrey pushes forward with really developing the Scott Road area and turning that into a viable town center with vibrant waterfront (what maybe by the year 2085??) New West will continue to suffer on that side with its waterfront.

It's not really like Vancouver where it has the pure population and size. It really could get a boost from having a vibrant front on the other side of the river instead of the trailer parks and barren industrial land that are there now (Surrey side). I'm hoping the SFPR will kick start some development on the flats Surrey side and attract development to the river front area. We'll see I guess.

[David]

I'm trying to picture what it would be like without a parkade, but isn't the grade between Columbia and the Waterfront really steep anyways ?

[SpongeG]

yeah its quite steep

i remember hearing they wanted to extend 4th street down to the waterfront

i always wondered how they planned to do that

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by jhausner

/agree

I don't go to New West very often but I've noticed at the base area the parking is just a nightmare. I can't imagine how people would park or where if it was removed. You can't really develop that portion of the waterfront anyway without 1) removing the train tracks and 2) rerouting the truck route so they may aswell keep the parkade.

I think that until Surrey pushes forward with really developing the Scott Road area and turning that into a viable town center with vibrant waterfront (what maybe by the year 2085??) New West will continue to suffer on that side with its waterfront.

It's not really like Vancouver where it has the pure population and size. It really could get a boost from having a vibrant front on the other side of the river instead of the trailer parks and barren industrial land that are there now (Surrey side). I'm hoping the SFPR will kick start some development on the flats Surrey side and attract development to the river front area. We'll see I guess.

There are 5 towers by Larco that were approved more than a decade ago for the waterfront between 8th and 6th with a extended esplanade and a park at the base of 6th and the river. A couple years ago Larco reduced the number of units from 1000 to 911 and increased the width of the extended esplanade along the waterfront. However there has been nothing new in the last few years but the project is still approved and ready to go. Personally I think it would be nice if the rail way was removed with the construction of the new crossing(which willhappen within the next decade) and a rail tunnel to Richmond from Delta to connect up with the planed port. The only problem is that the port expansion in Richmond could still be years away which means a rail tunnel connecting it and Anacis island would be too expensive for the time being. BUT the sale of the two rail yards in Burnaby and New Westminster and the right of way should be enough to offset the costs of building the tunnel early and connecting Anacis island/auto port and the Richmond spur to the network. The rest of the railway west of big bend is only occasionally used and is ready to be decommissioned...or it could remain connected over the current big bend rail bridge, but I cant see the line becoming profitable anyways. Really its the railway that hurts New Westminster the most, it basically cuts all of it off from the river, and the rail yard is even worse.

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by David

I'm trying to picture what it would be like without a parkade, but isn't the grade between Columbia and the Waterfront really steep anyways ?

[officedweller]

Yup - what'll eventually happen is a new structure will be built (over the North Fraser Perimeter Road) with the Larco towers and a new riverfront promenade. Strange that the removal of the parkade and the Larco project weren't mentioned together in the article - i.e. has the Larco project died?

BTW - just noticed in that last pic you can see the streecars exiting/entering the old interurban building. Lower left corner. The new condo development on the site will have a ouple of blank walls fronting the parkade/promenade sides from what I can see from the models and renderings at the Interurban's website

[Volksboi]

Some New pictures or Holland Park in Central City - Still alot to finish on the site, but its coming along.

[Volksboi]

New Central City Mall Wing - New Stores Coming....

[zivan56]

Is that the part that used to hold TechBC/SFU? Whatever happened to that part?

[Volksboi]

The InterUrban Tower Site in New Westminster