Suburban Updates - All Other Metro Vancouver Municipalities

[SpongeG]

the site for LUXE on lougheed - near brentwood gate is starting to get cleared - one of the old buildings is mostly gone the one beside it looks ready to go

whatever LEDMAC is building at lougheed and beta is starting to rise - its wood so its not going to be very high

and the site for Perspectives is started on - looks like excavation is starting

Brentwood gate is getting more landscaped day by day, looks like people are living in some of the lowrises now - since about august

the third lowrise next to water colours - beta and dawson - looks like its almost complete

[LeftCoaster]

Thanks SpongeG

Yeah i noticed that the other day too, Luxe and Perspecitves are both getting started, site clear and excav respectively.
There is even a light crane up at the Perspectives site.

Should be two nice sized projects.

[mr.sandbag]

i enquired a while back about the site behind the perspective presentation center and yes the it is a 4 story low rise, its being built by ledmac. its thier last piece of property i believe in the area.

[Smooth]

Noticed today that they are re-painting the refurbished tower that is part of new Burnaby Villa Casino. This is the old Radisson hotel that's by the Willingdon interchange on Highway 1.

The tower was painted a dark beige about a year ago and I was worried that the colour wasn't going to match the lighter beige of the casino at the base. Fortunately it is now going to match and they are also adding new detailing to the tower. I still wouldn't call the tower a looker by any stretch but it is an improvement.

On a side note, I checked out the website for this project (http://www.gatewaycasinos.com/casinos/villa.html) and it states that the casino is to include a 4-star Delta Hotel.

[SpongeG]

Valley homeless get some shelter


First homeless shelter between Abbotsford and Richmond will offer shelter for pets and be energy efficient

The Salvation Army homeless and treatment centre in Langley City will have a green approach to giving when it opens next year.

The $14-million Gateway of Hope will have a therapeutic rooftop garden and geothermal heating which will make it the greenest in Western Canada.

"This is more than three hots and a cot. The Salvation Army has never had anything this advanced," said executive-director Gary Johnson Wednesday.

Fossil fuels will be needed for just 10 per cent of the power needed to heat its 31,000 square feet.

Last week's Metro Vancouver homeless survey showed there were 350 more people without homes across the region than in 2005.

In Langley City and Langley Township, numbers jumped from 54 to 77, an increase of 43 per cent.

The cities have 125,000 residents.

"We need the centre so badly because we have so many homeless," said Johnson.

The innovations are not all green-oriented.

An expanded crawl space will allow the needy to lock up their shopping carts and house their animals in a kennel so they don't have to worry about thefts while they seek help.

Fifty-five beds will be available, with accommodation for up to six months while recovering.

There will be training programs for chefs and custodians; and free meals daily for up to 150.

"We want to get people out of their survival mode and start building relationships with them. After a few nights in a clean bed, they start to think differently," said Johnson.

The facility will be the only Sally Ann between Abbotsford and Richmond.

"We've never had a [permanent] shelter in Langley. It's pretty tough on these folks. A homeless person died three weeks ago on the street. That's not good enough. It's overdue," said Johnson.

The centre is a four-way partnership among the two Langleys, the province and the feds.

Langley City donated land in the 5700-block of Langley Bypass and provided other long-term benefits totalling $2.5 million.

Langley Township contributed $1 million, the province $11 million and the feds $1.75 million.

"We wanted to be part of the solution," said Langley City Mayor Peter Fassbender.

"We took a leadership role." A building permit was granted despite environmentalists' concerns that the site, on the edge of town, infringed on salmon-bearing Logan Creek.

Fassbender said the environment will benefit once mitigation measures are completed.

"This will have a positive environmental impact," he said.



http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=d6758408-4ae9-4ca9-91c7-cf4a526c86fc

[dreambrother808]

The Salvation Army does good work.

[Hong Kongese]

The pedestrains overpass on Kingsway between Metrotown and Best Buy was officially opened on Sept 20.



mario bartel/burnaby news leader.

[CoryHolmes]

There's a new sign on West Walley Ring Road in Surrey. It's across the street from D'Cor and D'Corize. It's name? D'Corous.

Are we at all surprised? Naaaaaaaaah

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by Hong Kongese

The pedestrains overpass on Kingsway between Metrotown and Best Buy was officially opened on Sept 20.



mario bartel/burnaby news leader.

wow, great shot!

[osirisboy]

I walked over it on the weekend and it was really cool. however, as i have said before its sooo pointless. on the way back i just used the intersection to cross kingsway along with a dozen other people.

[vanman]

^Why wait for a light when you don't have to?

[officedweller]

Depends if you are on the upper level to begin with - why climb stairs if you don't have to - case in point - jaywalking Pacific Blvd or using the overhead walkways.

[Hong Kongese]

The whole idea of having this overpass is it will eventually be connected to Sears, but who knows when?

[SpongeG]

looks good

[vanman]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Depends if you are on the upper level to begin with - why climb stairs if you don't have to - case in point - jaywalking Pacific Blvd or using the overhead walkways.

I don't know, personally I would rather climb up a flight of stairs and walk across a covered walkway then wait for a light to change at an intersection in the rain. Now if you were a mother with a stroller or an old person you would have a different view.

[SpongeG]

is there a thread for the surrey outpatient hospital?

ANyway have passed it a couple times the last week or so and its not where people were saying its across the street the northeast corner not the southeast treed lot as speculated

[officedweller]

I've seen ads in the paper for a court ordered sale of condos for a project called Amadeo.

http://www.courtorderedsale.ca/

[officedweller]

Westminster Pier - this is apparently the site zoned for 8 (?) highrises along the waterfront - I think it was owned by Larco. Could facilitate upgrading of Front Street as the North Fraser Perimeter Road under an elevated waterfront Promenade.

City puts option on property
Westminster Pier deal became public after Voice member saw people on site

Theresa McManus, The Record
Published: Wednesday, October 01, 2008

The City of New Westminster is putting forward an option to purchase the Westminster Pier property.

The seven-acre site, located on the waterfront between Sixth and Elliott streets, has been vacant for years.

On Thursday, Voice New Westminster issued a press release that revealed the city was involved in discussions to purchase the site and raised concerns that the public hadn't been consulted about plans for the site.

New Westminster resident Paul Johansen works on the waterfront as he's a fisherman and saw marine surveyors at the site. He started asking questions, as he wondered whether it would affect his property.

Because the area has experienced a lot of crime, he said he was curious when he saw people on the site.

After surveyors told him about the city's plan to purchase the site for park and a pier for pocket cruise ships, he said he contacted city administrator Paul Daminato.

Daminato said he couldn't discuss the issue because it was being considered in closed sessions.

Johansen, a member of Voice New Westminster, then contacted its mayoral candidate, Blair Armitage, with the information. Voice New Westminster's press release raised questions about how a property matter being discussed in closed meetings had made it into the public realm and resulted in a press release.

On Monday, Johansen appeared before council to inquire whether the city's plans would affect his property.

"Good question," said Mayor Wayne Wright. "Questions we can't answer today because we haven't consummated any business dealings."

Coun. Betty McIntosh told Johansen that he "might want to stay and listen" to the reminder of the council meeting as the issue would be discussed later on.

Later in the meeting, Daminato said council brought a recommendation out of a closed meeting to inform the public that the city will be putting forward an option to purchase the Westminster Pier site.

All councillors expressed support and excitement about the possibility of purchasing the waterfront property.

Coun. Jonathan Cote said this is extremely exciting news for the city as it's been trying for years to reclaim the waterfront.

He said it was a "bit unfortunate" how the information was released and hoped it wouldn't jeopardize the sale.

Coun. Bill Harper is pleased the city is moving forward with an option to purchase a piece of property that's been sitting derelict. He said restoring and redeveloping the site would be a "huge win" for the city.

"This has been a long time coming," said Coun. Bob Osterman. "We, as a council, have worked on this for a long time."

Osterman said the seven-acre site will help address the city's need for park space.

"I don't see any roadblocks," he said. "We have our fingers crossed."

Coun. Lorrie Williams said the idea of acquiring the land has seemed out of reach and impossible. "Instead of being saddened and maddened by the whole thing, I am gladdened."

McIntosh said the city has a strategy in place to create a trail or greenways system along the river. She said she'd like staff to report back on sites the city already owns on the river.

Coun. Calvin Donnelly the purchase is a "fantastic opportunity" to increase public access to the waterfront. He thanked staff for getting the job done.

"There is a time and place for all these things," he said about a public process.

"I want to assure the public this is not something that happened yesterday."

© The Record (New Westminster) 2008

[jlousa]

SkyTowers is on hold until 2009 now, but still expected to proceed. Should be interesting to watch how this one plays out.


Also the Labatt brew site in New West is apparently approved and ready to go, I'm kind of surprised as I thought this one would be shelved for the time being. Anyone able to confrim that the city of NW has stamped this one.

[nickinacan]

Originally Posted by jlousa

SkyTowers is on hold until 2009 now, but still expected to proceed. Should be interesting to watch how this one plays out.

Makes sense. By the time they finish Infinity 2&3, it will be 2009. Sky towers will be built, especially considering it holds the record for most units sold in one day, not to mention that both buildings sold out in two days.