Burnaby Updates

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I haven't heard anything since they first put the proposal forward - and that was when Sears owned the property and was going to work with Concord on redeveloping it. Since then they've sold it to Concord and are leasing the store from them. So it's up to Concord now and they haven't said anything about it.

It wouldn't surprise me if the deal to sell the lots and the store to Concord include a deal for prime leasing space for a new store in the event of a new re-development down the road - even though Sears have been having a rough go of it with their stores and commercial properties all over the US and Canada.

Their current store at the mall is really showing its age (as is the one at Lougheed mall) and is literally falling apart, as is evident from the facelifts they're doing on the exterior.

It's rough out there for the big box retailers like the Targets and the Sears and such, which is probably why Sears looked hard at getting into the residential/mixed-use property development business.

Concord on their part have the luxury of sitting on the property for however long it suits them while they assess the market or while they see through their other projects in the area and in Brentwood.

[VanK]

The Sears redevelopment I heard is very complicated venture due to the many easements on title such as parking/roads with the Mall (Ivanhoe Cambridge). May be many years before that one gets going.

[VarBreStr18]

Originally Posted by phesto

"I love GOOOOoooold!"

This is one of those projects that could wind up looking great, or horrendously awful and tacky...

Tacky indeed if they put those goldfish on the facade. Goldfish...fishing for gold/money , money, money. Think they better off put a gold dragon there instead, since it is likely 99% oriental buyers anyway. IMHO

[officedweller]

From Yellow Fever at SSC:

The Park Metrotown - 6300 Nelson Avenue, Metrotown, Burnaby
Just south of Met 1 as shown on the above map.

Originally Posted by Yellow Fever

20151124_151240 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr

20151124_151319 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr

Originally Posted by Yellow Fever

20151124_151344 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr

20151124_151303 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by urbancanadian

Thank you indeed for the map! This area will be amazingly dense and towers will be looking at each other. I wonder if people that bought east/south units in MET towers had any clue what the very near future holds for the area... Not much views for those people.

[TourOdeon]

This is a prime example that condo buyers shouldnt count on paying premium on having nice views when they will eventually get blocked by other towers

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by TourOdeon

This is a prime example that condo buyers shouldnt count on paying premium on having nice views when they will eventually get blocked by other towers

I'm pretty sure most don't. They are more than likely aware that these low rises will be torn down and replaced with towers

[officedweller]

Of interest - apartment towers near Lougheed sold:

https://www.biv.com/article/2015/12/...-70-million-p/

[urbancanadian]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Thank you indeed for the map! This area will be amazingly dense and towers will be looking at each other. I wonder if people that bought east/south units in MET towers had any clue what the very near future holds for the area... Not much views for those people.

No problemo. Red-paladin was asking about a map for the properties south of Beresford, so I made another one for there. Like before, Yellow = Recently Completed, Green = Under Construction, and Blue = Approved/Proposed. Oh, and the red/pink line is meant to represent Burnaby's plan to have McKay Avenue connect under the SkyTrain guideway. And then keep in mind Metrotown Station is under construction right now too.



And for context I quickly re-drew the properties from the earlier map and added Station Square.



Cheers!

[officedweller]

Nice work, thanks!

[WBC]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Nice work, thanks!

Are there any pedestrian connections planed between Nelson and Marlborough Avenues in between all those new towers?

[red-paladin]

Originally Posted by urbancanadian

No problemo. Red-paladin was asking about a map for the properties south of Beresford, so I made another one for there.

Great work! Thanks!

[VanK]

Originally Posted by urbancanadian

No problemo. Red-paladin was asking about a map for the properties south of Beresford, so I made another one for there. Like before, Yellow = Recently Completed, Green = Under Construction, and Blue = Approved/Proposed. Oh, and the red/pink line is meant to represent Burnaby's plan to have McKay Avenue connect under the SkyTrain guideway. And then keep in mind Metrotown Station is under construction right now too.



And for context I quickly re-drew the properties from the earlier map and added Station Square.




Cheers!

Nice map - one thing is incorrect however. The site in white *owned by Concord is incorrect. they do not own that building.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by WBC

Are there any pedestrian connections planed between Nelson and Marlborough Avenues in between all those new towers?

Currently there's no pedestrian connection or laneways in between the three towers on Nelson (Met 1 and 2 and Park).

I don't know if any has been planned for the North side of Met 2 which is currently under construction ( I doubt it) or the South side of Park, also under construction.
You have to go all the way down till one block North of Imperial to find a laneway from Nelson; and that one only goes as far as the lane in between Marlborough and Nelson.
Which is obviously pretty stupid and terrible planning.

I'm not sure what the plans are for the Towers proposed for Marlborough or if there are anyplans for laneways between them (which would be pointless without any connection in between the 3 towers on Nelson).

As has been mentioned before, this part of Burnaby/Metrotown has terrible planning for walkability and pedestrian access.
This just continues the trend.

You'd think the city would have some incentive to change that.
But I guess not.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by VanK

Nice map - one thing is incorrect however. The site in white *owned by Concord is incorrect. they do not own that building.

Yeah, I thought that too.

I think they (or is it some other developers?) want to buy that lot, but the current owner of that lowrise (or is it the adjacent one) has no plans of selling at any price or at any time in the near future.

I'd imagine that strip of lowrises between Telford and Dow sitting adjacent to Beresford, are prime targets for developers wanting to replace them with towers and condos.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Yeah, I thought that too.

I think they (or is it some other developers?) want to buy that lot, but the current owner of that lowrise (or is it the adjacent one) has no plans of selling at any price or at any time in the near future.

I'd imagine that strip of lowrises between Telford and Dow sitting adjacent to Beresford, are prime targets for developers wanting to replace them with towers and condos.

Makes sense. Wait for the glut of condos that will hit the market over the next 5 years to be fully absorbed and then sell when you have one of the last prime real estate lots in the area and with a precedent for high density. The land will be worth so much more in a decade than it is now.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Makes sense. Wait for the glut of condos that will hit the market over the next 5 years to be fully absorbed and then sell when you have one of the last prime real estate lots in the area and with a precedent for high density. The land will be worth so much more in a decade than it is now.

It currently IS the last prime real estate lot with that proximity to the mall and the Skytrain.

That lot and the one next to it sitting between Sussex and Telford pretty much it when it comes to towers in that particular area since nothing is going east of Moda (with the school right there) and with nothing seemingly happening on the North side of Kingsway, unless the city starts allowing rezoning for more of the lots further south towards Maywood and Imperial to change from Mid to lowrise to allow for high rises the closer you get to Imperial, this will pretty much be it for a while.

Also unless Sears are somehow able to get their 7 tower project with Concord off the ground, I don't think Metrotown will see much tower activity for a while once the current slate of projects currently in construction (or planning/permit application, as shown on that map) are done.

In contrast to say, Brentwood, where even after most of the big projects currently going on there now (Solo, Brentwood Towers, Concordia's mega project),...there's still a lot of Industrial zoned lots right now which will slowly get converted to residential and have Condos or even Mid-rises come up.

If and when the owner(s) of that lot and the adjacent one decide to sell, they'll command a King's ransom for it and a price that I imagine will be way way waaay above market value.
Maybe that's the whole plan with not wanting to sell any time soon.

[VanK]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Currently there's no pedestrian connection or laneways in between the three towers on Nelson (Met 1 and 2 and Park).

I don't know if any has been planned for the North side of Met 2 which is currently under construction ( I doubt it) or the South side of Park, also under construction.
You have to go all the way down till one block North of Imperial to find a laneway from Nelson; and that one only goes as far as the lane in between Marlborough and Nelson.
Which is obviously pretty stupid and terrible planning.

I'm not sure what the plans are for the Towers proposed for Marlborough or if there are anyplans for laneways between them (which would be pointless without any connection in between the 3 towers on Nelson).

As has been mentioned before, this part of Burnaby/Metrotown has terrible planning for walkability and pedestrian access.
This just continues the trend.

You'd think the city would have some incentive to change that.
But I guess not.

Actually that's incorrect -

From the Intergulf application: "As noted in the initial plan of development, access to the proposed high-rise apartment tower is oriented towards the lane, which will be opened from Nelson Avenue to Dunblane Avenue. The subject lane also provides access to the adjacent development site to the north, which is currently under construction (Met I at 6560 Nelson Avenue). The subject lane includes a pedestrian walkway to enhance neighbourhood connectivity to Lobley Park, Bonsor Park, Metrotown SkyTrain Station, Metropolis at Metrotown and other civic and commercial amenities within the Town Centre."

There will also be another Lane to the south of Midori, providing the same East to West pedestrian connectivity.

[WBC]

Originally Posted by VanK

Actually that's incorrect -

From the Intergulf application: "As noted in the initial plan of development, access to the proposed high-rise apartment tower is oriented towards the lane, which will be opened from Nelson Avenue to Dunblane Avenue. The subject lane also provides access to the adjacent development site to the north, which is currently under construction (Met I at 6560 Nelson Avenue). The subject lane includes a pedestrian walkway to enhance neighbourhood connectivity to Lobley Park, Bonsor Park, Metrotown SkyTrain Station, Metropolis at Metrotown and other civic and commercial amenities within the Town Centre."

There will also be another Lane to the south of Midori, providing the same East to West pedestrian connectivity.

Excellent - that's great news! That also makes sense together with the new mid block ped crossing on Nelson

[officedweller]

As a side note to the Riverview Hospital redevelopment project, the facilities in Burnaby that will be closing are the ones on land near Canada Way & Willingdon that the City of Burnaby wanted for a new hospital, but the Province sold to a couple of First Nations. After the facilities close in 2017, they may be redeveloped in conjunction with Aquilini for office park use similar to Discovery Parks nearby.

http://www.burnabynow.com/news/provi...view-1.2136540