Burnaby Updates

[officedweller]

Eventually will be in the long term - I just hope it isn't built out as residential.
Luckily, with Ivanhoe Cambridge, it'll probably remain commercial
(although they do own Oakridge and sold residential development rights to Westbank)

[Sheba]

There's already a lot of residential going in. The thing with Station Square and Beresford is that they could flatten what was there and dig down without any major issues.

With building on the parking lots at Metrotown, you're dealing with underground parking and retail who isn't going to be happy if you take out parking and / or block access to their store in any way. That's going to be a gong show. That's why I suspect there won't be much building along Kingsway other than the Sears proposal (whenever that happens... ).

It would be interesting if something was built on the Woodwards / Zellers / Target parkade site. It's in a quieter location between retail and residential towers. Sure it would take out some parking but access would be minimally affected. I haven't heard anything happening there though.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Sheba

........

With building on the parking lots at Metrotown, you're dealing with underground parking and retail who isn't going to be happy if you take out parking and / or block access to their store in any way. That's going to be a gong show. That's why I suspect there won't be much building along Kingsway other than the Sears proposal (whenever that happens... ).

It would be interesting if something was built on the Woodwards / Zellers / Target parkade site. It's in a quieter location between retail and residential towers. Sure it would take out some parking but access would be minimally affected. I haven't heard anything happening there though.

Doesn't Sears own all of that parking (both above and below ground)?
Or at least didn't they until they sold it to Concord Pacific?

The rest of the mall may have some right of way and easements to access the mall from the Kingsway side, but I was under the impression that all of that land pretty much belonged to Sears/Concord.

[Klazu]

I remember reading that Metropolis has something like 8800 parking spaces, which is a ridiculous amount. How utilized those are? Are they all only needed just under Christmas or how busy is it normally in there?

Those above ground spaces are for sure convenient (have used them in the past), but they account just for a teeny tiny amount of the total. Sure, people will complain, but develop them!

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I remember reading that Metropolis has something like 8800 parking spaces, which is a ridiculous amount. How utilized those are? Are they all only needed just under Christmas or how busy is it normally in there?

Those above ground spaces are for sure convenient (have used them in the past), but they account just for a teeny tiny amount of the total. Sure, people will complain, but develop them!

During busy periods they definitely are used quite a bit.

The weekends as well tend to see lots of people parking and then walking around the area and the mall.

I'm not too sure about the dead periods (like in the middle of the day during the weekdays).
It wouldn't surprise me if this sort of usage rate, was part of the reasoning behind Sears decision to sell the property (and their store) to Concord and redevelop.

Regardless, any new development would have to build new parking for both residential and any commercial/office property, and the plan was to have towers with both residential, commercial and office space.

So you could be looking at even more parking when all is said and done.
It would be a behemoth of a beast of a project though - probably something on the scale of an Amazing Brentwood Town.
They would definitely have to phase it big time and stretch it out over the better part of a decade or more (if the plan is still to do 7-10 towers).

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Doesn't Sears own all of that parking (both above and below ground)?
Or at least didn't they until they sold it to Concord Pacific?

The rest of the mall may have some right of way and easements to access the mall from the Kingsway side, but I was under the impression that all of that land pretty much belonged to Sears/Concord.

From a March 2015 article

The chair of Burnaby's community development committee says it's too soon to tell what Sears' sale of its property at Metrotown might mean for redevelopment of the 8.9 acre site.

...

In 2013 Sears unveiled a vision for its Metrotown property that included a new flagship store, five mixed-use, high-density residential towers and two office towers on top of podiums containing retail and commercial space.

But Coun. Colleen Jordan said the department store company had never made a formal application to the city to begin the redevelopment process.

"They'd been in discussions with our staff about potentials," said Jordan. "They seemed like they were turning into a bit of a developer."

The Metrotown property Sears sold on Wednesday includes the store, which was originally built in 1954, the space underneath where Toys R Us is located, surface and underground parking, loading facilities and the public plaza at the corner of Kingsway and Nelson Avenue.

Under Burnaby's Metrotown Town Centre Redevelopment Plan, the Sears property is designated for high-density, mixed-use redevelopment with commercial spaces along Kingsway.

"It is expected that the proposed redevelopment will include significantly enhanced street frontages, publicly-oriented plaza/gateway areas, and contemporary architectural building forms and structures which strongly relate to street level areas," said the plan.

In a letter to the city, Sears' vice-president of real estate, Stephen Champion, said in May, 2013 the company "is committed to working with the City of Burnaby staff in determining the appropriate neighbourhood needs, and to designing an iconic mixed-use development appropriate for this important gateway location."

Since then, said Jordan, the proposal has gone quiet.

[vanman]

A shot of the growing Metrotown skyline I took earlier this week. You can make out the cranes for the second phase of Station Square to the left as well as Modello to the right.

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

Originally Posted by BodomReaper

Townline have a 41 storey tower in the works for 6050 Sussex St. in Metrotown. Massive resolution rendering here: http://www.townline.ca/en/homes/new-homes/sussex

Oh man, there goes that old church. Although it isn't really historic, a part of me is slightly upset. Do these new towers have any commercial components? A small cafe would be nice.

[WBC]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

During busy periods they definitely are used quite a bit.

The weekends as well tend to see lots of people parking and then walking around the area and the mall.

I'm not too sure about the dead periods (like in the middle of the day during the weekdays).
It wouldn't surprise me if this sort of usage rate, was part of the reasoning behind Sears decision to sell the property (and their store) to Concord and redevelop.

Regardless, any new development would have to build new parking for both residential and any commercial/office property, and the plan was to have towers with both residential, commercial and office space.

So you could be looking at even more parking when all is said and done.
It would be a behemoth of a beast of a project though - probably something on the scale of an Amazing Brentwood Town.
They would definitely have to phase it big time and stretch it out over the better part of a decade or more (if the plan is still to do 7-10 towers).

The true gong show will happen during the December shopping season - which is already a gong show to begin with (I live across the mall). When that surface parking is gone and when all the cars are funneled underground it's going to be a gong show of gong shows...But I will stock up on pop-corn...

With all this super high density development in Metrotown and Brentwood one would think that building a SkyTrain line between them and then proceeding down Hastings to Downtown would be in the cards...But that only exists in the Transit Fantasy thread.

[WBC]

Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog

Oh man, there goes that old church. Although it isn't really historic, a part of me is slightly upset. Do these new towers have any commercial components? A small cafe would be nice.

Ugh...Another all glass tower...What's up with that? Is it cheaper/faster to build? I mean these new buildings literally have zero insulation yet somehow that is OK in the "greenest city in the world"...

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog

Oh man, there goes that old church. Although it isn't really historic, a part of me is slightly upset. Do these new towers have any commercial components? A small cafe would be nice.

The new church and one tower will be on one lot, and while they don't say so I'd suspect it'll be a condo tower. Would they put retail that close to the church?

The other tower and townhouses will be on the lot next door and will be rental, joining the existing rental towers. There isn't retail there now and I doubt they'll add it due to it not being a very spacious lot to begin with (although it is more spacious than the church plus tower lot).

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by WBC

The true gong show will happen during the December shopping season - which is already a gong show to begin with (I live across the mall). When that surface parking is gone and when all the cars are funneled underground it's going to be a gong show of gong shows...But I will stock up on pop-corn...

With all this super high density development in Metrotown and Brentwood one would think that building a SkyTrain line between them and then proceeding down Hastings to Downtown would be in the cards...But that only exists in the Transit Fantasy thread.

I don't eat popcorn but can I join you with another choice snack?

Generally when I'd going from one end of the mall to the other I'll exit at Superstore or Chapters and walk across the parking lot to Sears instead of walking both ways through the mall. I've had countless times when drivers ask if I'm heading to my car - and that isn't even in December.

Personally I prefer the idea of having a Skytrain line go from Phibbs down to Brentwood and Metrotown, and then turn west to the Canada Line.

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

Originally Posted by WBC

Ugh...Another all glass tower...What's up with that? Is it cheaper/faster to build? I mean these new buildings literally have zero insulation yet somehow that is OK in the "greenest city in the world"...

I'd really love to see some new-classicism in Vancouver or simply a building that uses more masonry. I think the reason why people say Metrotown is lacking an "urban vibe" is because it's new and sterile, and there isn't too much interaction with the streets when all the retail in a mall.
A simpler solution to the glassiness would be to incorporate some more colour into the tower like the Gold House in Maywood, although it's really hit and miss.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog

I'd really love to see some new-classicism in Vancouver or simply a building that uses more masonry. I think the reason why people say Metrotown is lacking an "urban vibe" is because it's new and sterile, and there isn't too much interaction with the streets when all the retail in a mall.
A simpler solution to the glassiness would be to incorporate some more colour into the tower like the Gold House in Maywood, although it's really hit and miss.

Huh? Sure the newer towers going up are all glass, but the older towers in the area aren't. It'd be nice if a more classical looking tower were built but a lack of one doesn't make the area sterile.

Metrotown mall is a huge box but Station Square right next door isn't. That's going to all be towers on retail podiums when it's finished in the next few years or so (last I saw was between 2018 and 2020). Beresford is also going for the tower / podium combo, complete with a public art walk along those blocks.

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

You're right, Metrotown is becoming more urbanized and I really like what's going on at Maywood and Station Square. But it seems like the towers themselves are kinda sterile. If you look at Metrotown from far away there isn't any landmark (other than the buildings are tall). I'd simply like to see the next tall development (over 150 metres) to have masonry. It would really stand out from the crowd. One would be enough.

[Spr0ckets]

So a little update on a project I posted about a while ago.

It seems these guys are fairly confident their rezoning application to combine two lots at the corner of Nelson and Imperial (And flanked by Dunblane) and build a 35-40 storey tower with Townhomes/Work-Live spaces will go through.
Especially since they've now put up a billboard in front of the existing lowrise - which is always the harbinger of evictions and demolitions.
The rezoning application was submitted (or read) on Jan 25h by IBI Group on behalf of the developers, Transca (Can't seem to find any other projects by them).






....and the billboard they've recently put up (last couple of days, actually)......



When all is said and done, there's going to be seven towers between Nelson and Marlborough.
I guess most of the developers are starting to look East as lots become more and more scarce closer to Metrotown and the mall.

[domusile]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

The rezoning application was submitted (or read) on Jan 25h by IBI Group on behalf of the developers, Transca (Can't seem to find any other projects by them).

They have a site at 33rd and Cambie.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by domusile

They have a site at 33rd and Cambie.

Built or in process?

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

I wonder if this building will we the last highrise on the southeast corner on Metrotown, or will they add 5-10 story midrises from Dunblane to Royal Oak?

On an unrelated note, isn't the area inside Imperial, Royal Oak, Dover and Nelson called the Marlborough neighbourhood?

[domusile]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Built or in process?

Same as Burnaby...just have a sign up.