Burnaby Updates

[GilmoreStation]

Who cares about the poor.. The govt will take care of them. We are here for the shiny brand new luxury construction projects. Don't be a cry baby keep asking for govt intervention, work your butt off.

[sburnaby33]

Originally Posted by GilmoreStation

Who cares about the poor.. The govt will take care of them. We are here for the shiny brand new luxury construction projects. Don't be a cry baby keep asking for govt intervention, work your butt off.

Work harder: the Horatio Alger story will be yours one day. Just say that to the millions of Canadians and Americans who are currently working harder, which means longer hours, but yet continually see the goal posts moving further and further way as the cost of living and rent extraction by corporations and the rich go unheeded. Wages are insufficient hence why our debt ratio has reached 166%, fully 6% less than Greece before its economic collapse. Poverty is not a choice. It is systemic to the capitalist system where the good jobs are harder and harder to come by due to skyrocketing tuition, the continual need for more skills, etc.

As for the government taking care of the poor just look at what is done in Scandinavia to see how effective our policies have been. The government does a great job taking care of corporations and the rich with tax cuts, bail outs, inside deals, etc., but not those who don't have access to such a system of nepotism.

I do agree that this thread should go back to discussing future proposals and not delve into the politics of housing, economic theory, and government policies. I have said all that I needed to say and will say no more.

[rofina]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Absolutely not. With regards to income inequality, it's not necessarily a bad thing. If a rich person's quality of life increases by 500% but a low income earner's quality of life increases by "only" 100%, his quality of life still increased 100%. The problem with your collectivist socialist way of thinking is that incomes must increase in a uniform standardized manner or else it's "unfair".

Quality of life and income are two separate arguments.

The way you frame this is inaccurate.

There is a plethora of issues with excessive wealth accumulation;

- Disproportionate access to elected officials.
- Disproportionate ability to affect public policy.
- Reduction in consumption
- and many more that are of equal significance.

As for quality of life; I would be curious how you could quantify quality of life increasing for the North American 99% in the past 2-3 decades?

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Caliplanner1

Which studies Jebby.....ones by capitalism/private sector supporting researchers? Rent control gave affordable housing to the working poor in World War II related industries during the 1940s and persisted even into recent times as a function of high (Cold War era)economic inflation/high interest rates during the 70s and 80s (to help the poor with affordable housing).

In today's global economy just removing rent control will NOT automatically result in more affordable housing for the the local working poor (as seen in NYC where wealthy local and foreign investor have pushed out the ordinary worker as their obscene effective demand fuels a housing construction boom there).

Now who is regurgitating in simplistic black/white fashion here....??

This is true of Canada aswell. After WW2 a number of government funded housing projects were built in the west side of Vancouver in Kits etc. for returning war veterans. This is not including the Jericho military lands. I had several branches of family living in these developments until the 70's when they started to tear them down. Balfour properties still manages a couple of these remaining developments. I had cousions living in this one on W, Broadway near Larch. An excellent example of a safe family townhouse complex. Still there though I'm sure it's days are numbered.

Here it is:
https://goo.gl/maps/jepW9Sgvq3K2

How do you insert an image from google street view?

[Skygazer]

Does anybody know when the City of Burnaby plans on rezoning the areas in Metrotown north of the SkyTrain between Patterson and Willingdon?

I seem to recall that those old wood-frame buildings there are going to be turned into highrises eventually and I'm pretty sure it was sometime later this year that they were planning on rezoning the area but I haven't been able to find that info again.

Once the rezoning is approved, how long does it take for developers to buy out buildings, evict tenants, and begin construction?

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Skygazer

Does anybody know when the City of Burnaby plans on rezoning the areas in Metrotown north of the SkyTrain between Patterson and Willingdon?

I seem to recall that those old wood-frame buildings there are going to be turned into highrises eventually and I'm pretty sure it was sometime later this year that they were planning on rezoning the area but I haven't been able to find that info again.

Once the rezoning is approved, how long does it take for developers to buy out buildings, evict tenants, and begin construction?

They're probably not in any hurry, what with pretty much the whole area between the Beresford and Imperial being up for construction. I'm guessing more attention will be paid to the "downtown core (mixed use)" first.

Have you done the survey yet? Metrotown Development Plan Update and Survey

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

Originally Posted by Sheba

They're probably not in any hurry, what with pretty much the whole area between the Beresford and Imperial being up for construction. [/URL]

The plan is supposed to be released at the end of this year, according to various news outlets.

Also, just call that area "Maywood".

[officedweller]

From the Gold House thread:

Originally Posted by Sheba

Metrotown Development Plan Update

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Speaking of which....



I saw this recently in print media.

There's nothing online (not even on their site that only has registration information), but seeing as they're apparently this far along in their marketing process (they've also taken over the old showroom of The Park on Imperial and seem to be preparing it for their own tower), it shouldn't be too long before this project also requires its own page.

I guess that view is Imperial Street facing.
26-30 storeys (if that's how tall it really is) isn't as tall as the other towers and proposed on that mega block, but the fact that it is shorter lends credence to the notion of short height the farther away from transit stations you head.

I'm not sure how tall the other two towers proposed for just North of it in the same block will be (Midori, and the Polygon tower), but with the 35-40 storey Mets and Park, I guess they will be just shorter than those.

Location refresher for Imperial by Amacon.

Originally Posted by urbancanadian

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

Noooooooooo. I was hoping for some damn commercial podiums. Instead I get this frigging "Tower in the Park" bs.

[mgbcca]

Took some random shots walking my dog today near brentwood.

Milano Burnaby



The Dawson



Madison and Dawson



Solo District

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog

Noooooooooo. I was hoping for some damn commercial podiums. Instead I get this frigging "Tower in the Park" bs.

Why? It's surrounding the biggest mall in the region. Not everyone needs a nail salon and a coffee shop at the base of their building.

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

The mall isn't going to last forever. Plus, coffee shops add character to a neighbourhood, I don't know why you'd be against that.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog

The mall isn't going to last forever. Plus, coffee shops add character to a neighbourhood, I don't know why you'd be against that.

Metrotown and Station Square will last, simply because they are constantly being updated.

Originally Posted by Sheba

Why? It's surrounding the biggest mall in the region. Not everyone needs a nail salon and a coffee shop at the base of their building.

When a lot more residents are added to a a neighbourhood, they should be entitled to the same proportion of retail space as what was there before, not only to add more character to the neighbourhood like what Bob suggested, but also to ensure that there won't be a tight squeeze for retail in the future, like what downtown Vancouver is experiencing now.

[WBC]

Originally Posted by Vin

Metrotown and Station Square will last, simply because they are constantly being updated.




When a lot more residents are added to a a neighbourhood, they should be entitled to the same proportion of retail space as what was there before, not only to add more character to the neighbourhood like what Bob suggested, but also to ensure that there won't be a tight squeeze for retail in the future, like what downtown Vancouver is experiencing now.

I think that we are far, far away from any kind of retail squeeze. In fact one could claim the opposite. There is a ton of retail space outside of Metrotown mall that is either sitting empty or is underutilized or hosts revolving door of business that don't seem to last 6 months to a year. There is also a ton of street level space that is filled with local non profit outfits (which should really occupy office space).

When I moved to Metrotown 20 years ago you had London Drugs on one end and Shoppers on the other. London Drugs was busy with 3-4 registers regularly open. Nowadays, with two more Shoppers, one Rexall, and one Pharmsave open the same London Drugs has 1 maybe two registers open any given day and is largely empty (despite all the population growth). How all these places make any money is beyond me, but that is somebody else's problem I guess. The one thing that seems to have business no matter how many you open is Starbucks. A lot of local mom and pap coffee shops don't even come close to what Starbucks generates.

At the end of the day not every street and not every building needs retail. Some of that street facing space can be nicely used for townhouses (a form that is increasingly rare in Metrotown). For that matter, not ever building needs to be the same thing - a glass tower with a podium.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by WBC

I think that we are far, far away from any kind of retail squeeze. In fact one could claim the opposite. There is a ton of retail space outside of Metrotown mall that is either sitting empty or is underutilized or hosts revolving door of business that don't seem to last 6 months to a year. There is also a ton of street level space that is filled with local non profit outfits (which should really occupy office space).

When I moved to Metrotown 20 years ago you had London Drugs on one end and Shoppers on the other. London Drugs was busy with 3-4 registers regularly open. Nowadays, with two more Shoppers, one Rexall, and one Pharmsave open the same London Drugs has 1 maybe two registers open any given day and is largely empty (despite all the population growth). How all these places make any money is beyond me, but that is somebody else's problem I guess. The one thing that seems to have business no matter how many you open is Starbucks. A lot of local mom and pap coffee shops don't even come close to what Starbucks generates.

At the end of the day not every street and not every building needs retail. Some of that street facing space can be nicely used for townhouses (a form that is increasingly rare in Metrotown). For that matter, not ever building needs to be the same thing - a glass tower with a podium.

This is true.

Station Square has two (for the moment) - or at least it will have two when the one on Kingsway side opens...

....barely a block away from the one in Indigo/Chapters in the mall....

.....which itself is one of 3 that exist inside the mall. (used to be 4 before Target closed down)

And amazingly enough (or maybe not so much), they are all almost always busy and filled with people.


Just how much coffee do people drink? (or need, for that matter).

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by WBC

I think that we are far, far away from any kind of retail squeeze. In fact one could claim the opposite. There is a ton of retail space outside of Metrotown mall that is either sitting empty or is underutilized or hosts revolving door of business that don't seem to last 6 months to a year. There is also a ton of street level space that is filled with local non profit outfits (which should really occupy office space).

Burnaby is keeping retail to the mall, Kingsway and Beresford. Is there really a need for more anytime in the next few decades? Parts of Kingsway are bound to be redeveloped sooner rather than later, what with Cactus Club and Earls being confirmed for Station Square. Just redoing that ground scraping middle section between McKay and Sussex similar to some of the other newer developments would increase retail along with residential.

[red-paladin]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Burnaby is keeping retail to the mall, Kingsway and Beresford. Is there really a need for more anytime in the next few decades? Parts of Kingsway are bound to be redeveloped sooner rather than later, what with Cactus Club and Earls being confirmed for Station Square. Just redoing that ground scraping middle section between McKay and Sussex similar to some of the other newer developments would increase retail along with residential.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Burnaby is keeping retail to the mall, Kingsway and Beresford. Is there really a need for more anytime in the next few decades? Parts of Kingsway are bound to be redeveloped sooner rather than later, what with Cactus Club and Earls being confirmed for Station Square. Just redoing that ground scraping middle section between McKay and Sussex similar to some of the other newer developments would increase retail along with residential.

Let's not forget that the 7-10 tower Concord-Pacific/Sears megaproject for the large parking lot and Sears store on the Kingsway side of the Mall (which seems like it might also be moving forward soon) is also proposed to have retail and commercial space on the podiums along with office space on the in some of the towers.


And that (along with the mall itself) would be enough retail to last the area for quite a while.
And that's not even counting any retail that might come with the redevelopment of the area just north of Kingsway.

[VanK]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Let's not forget that the 7-10 tower Concord-Pacific/Sears megaproject for the large parking lot and Sears store on the Kingsway side of the Mall (which seems like it might also be moving forward soon) is also proposed to have retail and commercial space on the podiums along with office space on the in some of the towers.

Curious to know where you heard that Concord Sears might be moving forward soon. I am under the impression that it still has a long time to go before any moves forward there with all the mall easement issues etc.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by VanK

Curious to know where you heard that Concord Sears might be moving forward soon. I am under the impression that it still has a long time to go before any moves forward there with all the mall easement issues etc.

The City of Burnaby Planning Department major projects and developments listing page (most recent update as of last month - July 25th - literally, a little over two weeks ago) shows that they've initiated a Rezoning application process and have submitted a conceptual master plan framework.

It's on page 7 and line 116

https://www.burnaby.ca/Assets/city+servi...velopment+Projects/01+-+2016+July+25.pdf

That's a lot farther along in the process than they've progressed in the prior reports I've seen.
Like you, I was also under the impression that it had been put on the backburner and on hold while they tried the sort out the easement issues with the Mall (and also while they were focused on getting Concord Brentwood project up and running), but it seems like with the Brentwood project selling out faster than they had expected for the initial towers and the first phase at least, maybe they've decided to get the wheels rolling on this project.

Just to be clear, they may still be dealing with sorting out the easement issues in the background, but initiating a Rezoning application tends to mean they're trying to get the project off the ground.

Not really sure how the new tax is going to affect it at this point though (not them specifically, but rather the overall market itself, and thus any projections on them moving forward versus holding off for a while again) since this update was from before when the govt. announced the tax.
And there are indications that the tax might actually be slowing the market, (but just not in the way they expected it to).