River District (East Fraserlands) Updates

[SpongeG]

photobucket says you need to update

[jbrizzy]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

photobucket says you need to update

Well that's new.. Anyone have suggestions for a different hosting site ?

[officedweller]

From Wesgroup July 28th:


1TC interior finishing for tower + midrise is ongoing, along with window install for 3TC. Some great progress, over past few weeks.
https://twitter.com/wesgroup


https://twitter.com/wesgroup


https://twitter.com/wesgroup

[SpongeG]

nice updates thanks

that railway track that runs there, is it currently used for something?

[jbrizzy]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

nice updates thanks

that railway track that runs there, is it currently used for something?

A short train pulling only 2-3 cars makes the trip in out something like twice a week (not sure but it's not very often). Not sure where it heads though.

[jbrizzy]

Also bonus photos:

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by jbrizzy

A short train pulling only 2-3 cars makes the trip in out something like twice a week (not sure but it's not very often). Not sure where it heads though.

ah ok thanks, I've always wondered cause I've never seen any trains down there

[officedweller]

Thanks for the pics!

I drove past Marine Way & Boundary the other day and was surprised how tall the building on that corner is.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Thanks for the pics!

I drove past Marine Way & Boundary the other day and was surprised how tall the building on that corner is.

Again, it's just a matter of relative perspective. Put that building in Metrotown or Brentwood and it would be a teeny structure. Place the same building in Mount Pleasant/Commercial/Maple Ridge and it would be a behemoth.

[officedweller]

Currents
by Polygon:


https://twitter.com/GBLArchitects

[jbrizzy]

Update from today:











Looks like a fountain in the plaza which seems to be a generous size:







R+R and Rhythm:

[MIPS]

I have not parked on that side of the city to sleep for the night in almost five years but this weekend I thought of going back and holy CRAP the area grew up fast. My old parking spots were now either well lit or now had developments on them. I still remember not even a decade ago this was still largely undeveloped.

[NewfBC]

I dropped into the wine store last night.. very nice. HUGE! Very empty though.. 2 staff and maybe 3 people in the store.

Ron.

[whatnext]

It's hard to think of a less appealing location for this rental, at the NW corner of Boundary and Marine. And what happened to encouraging development near transit? Isn't there like a grand total of one bus route that services the River District?

[IMG]River District Rental by whatnextyvr, on Flickr[/IMG]

[osirisboy]

I think they can still encourage development near transit as well as developments like this

[casper]

I thought the River District was to have a future street car line running through it sometime in the very distant future.

[rickvug]

Originally Posted by casper

I thought the River District was to have a future street car line running through it sometime in the very distant future.

All signs point to that still being the plan, although you don't hear much about it given the unknown far future time period. It is more of an envisioned route than anything else.

In Arbutus Greenway planning I've seen cursory mentions of a future connection to a continuous Fraser River Greenway. I even recall planning for that greenway being on the work plan after the Arbutus plan is finalized. I did a quick search and couldn't find the exact mention but I remember being excited to see the mention. Like many Metro Vancouver transit projects, look to the past for an idea of what the route and stops might be: http://maps.nicholsonroad.com/bcer. Compare the Arbutus Greenway section for yourself: http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/arbut...ions-vancouver. Mostly the same with stops shifted here or there. I'd expect something similar for Fraser River extension of the Arbutus Line. It would be an extremely logical connection between various transit lines, which is probably why the Westminster-Eburn line was already running way back in 1909.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by rickvug

In Arbutus Greenway planning I've seen cursory mentions of a future connection to a continuous Fraser River Greenway. I even recall planning for that greenway being on the work plan after the Arbutus plan is finalized. I did a quick search and couldn't find the exact mention but I remember being excited to see the mention... It would be an extremely logical connection between various transit lines, which is probably why the Westminster-Eburn line was already running way back in 1909.

Problem is that CP was only willing to sell the ROW up to Milton Street. I think the City's counting on the Arbutus-downtown tram route to do well; once it does, that's public support and further pressure on CP to sell other segments all the way to New West.

[rickvug]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Problem is that CP was only willing to sell the ROW up to Milton Street. I think the City's counting on the Arbutus-downtown tram route to do well; once it does, that's public support and further pressure on CP to sell other segments all the way to New West.

You might be right, assuming the city is actually that strategic in their thinking. On the other hand, there's a good chance they simply don't have the budget and resources to plan for something so low on the priority list.

The other big issue is land use. The route is directly along Vancouver's biggest tract of industrial land that they want to protect. A passenger rail route, especially along the waterfront, would greatly increase pressures to convert to residential and office uses. This may be inevitable at some point but it makes sense to hold on to the industrial land for as long as possible.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

well the Interurban used to go all the way past River District, my guess the plan is to recreate that sometime in the far, far, far future. the Downtown Line would probably happen first.

CP still uses the Marpole Spur fairly frequently, compared to the Arbutus Spur which they had stopped using in 2001.