Suburban Updates - All Other Metro Vancouver Municipalities

[CoryHolmes]

Originally Posted by Volksboi

I would suggest that anyone interested come to the Central City open house on Sept 11 and 14th as they will have 3D models of central city and what they have planned in the coming years! I am sure you will all be pretty impressed with what you see.

Is this open house going to be in Central City mall itself or somewhere else?

[Volksboi]

I think its gonna be in the main enterance for SFU....right by the Urban Village sales center...

[CoryHolmes]

Excellent.

[officedweller]

From the Model Shop website - Surrey Memorial Hospital Out Patient Facility:

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/X2000/X2014/X2014-1.htm

[hollywoodnorth]

interesting thats the site here with the trees >>

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=49.177744,-122.832781&spn=0.002073,0.004764&t=h&z=18


this area will change ALOT in the next 10 years. Skytrain, Hospital Projects like this one, RCMP HQ. Crazy!

[SpongeG]

i was out at sutterbrook in port moody at the new thrifty foods on saturday

its really quite nice - the store was really busy and there were a lot of people walking around and the patio at the new starbucks was full - there is a cobs bread still under construction but close to opening, a chocolate shop, a td bank and an insurance place as well... the office tower looks ready for tenants, some of the towers and condos above thrifty have people in them already - i am guessing the shorter building in the complex is the hotel - looks like it has a way to go but could be done by christmas?

turning out nicely

[SpongeG]

Viewing tower at lake is coming down soon

An old fixture on the shores of Burnaby Lake is about to come crashing down, and a local parks association wants help cleaning up the mess.

The lake's wooden viewing tower is marked for demolition soon.

The Burnaby Lake Park Association is calling for volunteers to pick up the pieces on Sept. 14, after the tower is destroyed.

The tower is near Piper Avenue and the lake's nature house. It stands about two stories tall and overlooks the lake.

It was built in the '70s by Burnaby Central Secondary students and a teacher.

Tony Fabian, a longtime member of the lake association, is sad the tower will be destroyed.

"It's like an old shoe: when you wear it for a long time, you hate to get rid of it," he said.

But the tower is in poor shape; it's coming down to make way for a replacement that will have a wheelchair ramp, signs for visitors and enough space to fit a class of children. The vantage point provides views of the lake, surrounding marshes and forests.

To get involved in the post-demolition cleanup, call the Metro Vancouver office at Burnaby Lake at 604-520-6442.

Volunteers will get lunch after the day's work, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon.

Coveralls, safety glasses and gloves will be provided, but bring your own sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate clothing.

http://www.canada.com/burnabynow/news/story.html?id=9d673631-7e0d-4699-ab7a-810028578906

[paradigm4]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i was out at sutterbrook in port moody at the new thrifty foods on saturday

its really quite nice - the store was really busy and there were a lot of people walking around and the patio at the new starbucks was full - there is a cobs bread still under construction but close to opening, a chocolate shop, a td bank and an insurance place as well... the office tower looks ready for tenants, some of the towers and condos above thrifty have people in them already - i am guessing the shorter building in the complex is the hotel - looks like it has a way to go but could be done by christmas?

turning out nicely

Speaking of Sutterbrook, I do believe I took a pic of the village with the iPhone today on the B-Line. Please correct me if I'm wrong though cause I don't know anything about the developments in the Tri-Cities.



I was in absolute shock at all the towers going in behind Coquitlam Centre. Amazing transformations going on there - you guys definitely need the Evergreen Line ASAP.

The prices are outrageous though! Condos going from 350+, especially when the single family homes are starting at around 400... Insane...

[Tom Bombadil]

The prices are outrageous though! Condos going from 350+, especially when the single family homes are starting at around 400... Insane...

[/QUOTE]

Where are SFH's going for 400 in that area?

[phesto]

Of all the single-family detached homes for sale in Coquitlam, only about 5% have an asking price less than 500k.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by paradigm4

Speaking of Sutterbrook, I do believe I took a pic of the village with the iPhone today on the B-Line. Please correct me if I'm wrong though cause I don't know anything about the developments in the Tri-Cities.



I was in absolute shock at all the towers going in behind Coquitlam Centre. Amazing transformations going on there - you guys definitely need the Evergreen Line ASAP.

The prices are outrageous though! Condos going from 350+, especially when the single family homes are starting at around 400... Insane...

yes thats it

its unbelievable the change in 5 years - there are two more towers just west as well

i believe the short one between the two talls will be the hotel - it looks really cool - nice area compared to what wasn;t there before - it was just undeveloped for as long back into the 80's as I can remember

and yes coquitlam centre is going up like crazy - must be half a dozen towers with more planned

[SpongeG]

Canada way and boundary road are going through some changes - an old strip mall/restaurant on the north side is being demolished to make way for townhouses and condos and i think retail at the base

another old strip mall across the street and to the west is all boarded up now - I assume for demo soon and more condos or whatever

and that new building in the business park is coming along fast - glass is going in now

and some condos just off gilmore are going up fast too

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by phesto

Of all the single-family detached homes for sale in Coquitlam, only about 5% have an asking price less than 500k.

That number will go up shortly, as for the 350+ for townhouses, well that should also drop a tad bit to say the least...the only problem will be that new construction will dry up, I expect many more projects to begin to be canceled or put on hold...this is a good thing though for those that get in to financial trouble because they overstretched them selves. The tide has begun to turn, and what do you know its mid 2008...guess I got lucky with that prediction back in oh 2003 or something.

Anyways not to take away from this thread since I know that these subject can get kind of bloody and out of hand I will change the subject.

Silouhet or what ever its called near Lougheed mall is close to topped out, it looks really high from the number one and towers over everything else. I will try to take some pictures.

[flight_from_kamakura]

hmm, i don't know. my cousins just bought in port coquitlam at 335k for a pretty nice sfd... 1600sqf, wood floors, 9ft ceilings, yard, garage, 12 minute walk to the wce. i couldn't bear to live out there for more than a week, but it really is just a 10 minute drive from these 800sqf apartments going in at coquilam station at the same price... and that's something weird.

[nickinacan]

Just in case anyone needs more details, Here's the link for the Surrey City Centre Open House at Central City. Should be an interesting event.

http://www.surrey.ca/Doing+Business/Land...City+Centre+Plan+Update+-+Open+House.htm

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by officedweller

From the Model Shop website - Surrey Memorial Hospital Out Patient Facility:

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/X2000/X2014/X2014-1.htm

An interesting note I see in the images is that they have 140th street curved across Fraser Highway. It may indicate the fact (and my assumption) that the widening of Fraser Highway through Green Timbers (and across 140th) will happen in cunjunction with the building of the new outpatient hospital.

I hope they are fully complete with Fraser Highway widening by the end of next year. It's been such a bloody long project.

[CoryHolmes]

Originally Posted by nickinacan

Just in case anyone needs more details, Here's the link for the Surrey City Centre Open House at Central City. Should be an interesting event.

http://www.surrey.ca/Doing+Business/Land...City+Centre+Plan+Update+-+Open+House.htm

Outstanding! I'll be able to attend both!

Normally they have these big presentations and open houses on Saturdays, which I can't attend.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jhausner

An interesting note I see in the images is that they have 140th street curved across Fraser Highway.

I was wondering about that too - may be just normalizing the intersection to reduce the angles of some of the turns.

[SpongeG]

they've been doing that already

adding much better turning lanes

no sign of them widening fraser highway yet

but the section between 144th or 148th and 152nd is now doubled in the final stages before its done

i have never had that many problems along the forest section of fraser hwy - it moves fast

[Rusty Gull]

Well, the North Shore nimbies are in a snit over this development, no doubt...

City approves Extra Foods tower
240-foot central Lonsdale highrise will top OCP height limit by 60 feet

Stephanie Mosley
North Shore News

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Nearly two years in the making, a controversial plan to redevelop the Extra Foods site at 17th Street and Lonsdale Avenue was passed by City of North Vancouver council after a crowded Monday night public hearing.

Council voted 6-1 in favour of rezoning that will result in roughly 200,000 square feet of residential development and the replacement of the existing 25,000-sq.-ft. grocery store with one nearly double its size.

Council's approval will allow the residential highrise to reach 240 feet -- 60 feet above the present official community plan limit.

Several speakers at the overflowing public hearing said they were opposed to amending the OCP and drastically changing the skyline of North Vancouver.

"I am really glad to see some sort of configuration of the 17th street . . . but I am very disappointed about the height of the building," said Gloria Atkinson, a local resident for 59 years.

"I feel that if (a height increase) is approved by council, where does it end? We are the North Shore, please keep us distinct," said Atkinson. "We don't want a concrete jungle."

Other speakers said they were concerned that council members were jumping too quickly at the opportunity to secure affordable housing in exchange for an increase in density and height for the developer.

The city will receive approximately 8,800 sq. ft. of non-market rental housing from the joint venture between owner Loblaws and developer Anthem Properties. A decision on how the suites, possibly 12 to 13 in total, will be managed is yet to be made by council.

Ken Hawthorne, a Lower Lonsdale resident, called the process a "total destruction of the official community plan in the neighbourhood in the name of affordable housing.

"I hear people say, from council, that (the OCP) is a guide. Well if it's a guide then why isn't it called a guide? It's an official community plan," he said.

It was the issue of affordable housing, however, that caused several speakers, some of whom wore green placards that read GO! Redevelopment of Extra Foods, and members of council to support the development.

"I commend a development like this that allows people to work downtown and live in the area," said resident Blaine Barden. He said this type of residential development allows people to get "a foothold in the market."

Coun. Sam Schechter also supported the proposal, citing concerns over a lack of rental housing in North Vancouver.

"Senior governments aren't playing the game of providing affordable, subsidized housing," he said. "We should deal with these issues; we should tackle them head on."

Coun. Barbara Perrault agreed. "A lot of young people who have grown up here cannot live here anymore. This will give them a leg up to find housing here," she said.

The development includes a green roof (among other sustainable initiatives), a publicly accessible plaza area and an underground parking garage which consists of right in, right out parking access on Lonsdale Avenue. The current site has a right out exit onto Lonsdale Avenue.

Concerns over how this change will affect traffic and pedestrians were raised several times by speakers from the community.

"(Allowing this access) flies in the face of what council has been working to achieve," said William Caulfield, who lives and works in the area. "Loblaws' proposal is unsafe for pedestrians and unnecessary."

The city's existing policy has been to eliminate driveways across Lonsdale sidewalks and to develop the avenue as a pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

But Dallas Wingerak, director of real estate development for Loblaw Properties, told council that the Lonsdale access is critical for the store to regain customers when it reopens.

"When we're looking at a decision where we will close a store that is profitable for 18 months and build a more expensive store that doesn't have what we deem to be successful access, it becomes a very difficult decision for us," she said.

A traffic impact study conducted by Bunt & Associates Engineering supported the Lonsdale access option. So also did a second traffic study, commissioned by Loblaws, through Opus Hamilton, a third-party independent firm.

Both studies show improved overall traffic safety by relieving pressure on 17th Street. However, in a July 22 report to council, city staff recommended against the Lonsdale access chiefly because of pedestrian concerns.

Coun. Bob Heywood voiced concern over the potential for vehicular and pedestrian conflict.

He said, however, that if Loblaws was willing to conduct safety audits and continue to improve the right in, right out access after the project was complete that he would be more inclined to support it.

Loblaws' Wingerak said working with the city on safety audits had already been discussed.

Coun. Pam Bookham, the only councillor to vote against the proposal, said there are too many unanswered questions as to how the city's non-market housing will be managed.

"When we look to use density bonusing as a tool, we need to be able to explain to the community the benefit that we see," she said. "Judging by comments made tonight [the community] has not received the answers they were looking for."

Anthem Properties say it will take 2-3 months to develop a construction schedule. Building should take 18 months.

© North Shore News 2008