Suburban Updates - All Other Metro Vancouver Municipalities

[dleung]

Originally Posted by libtard

Neither of the areas you mentioned in Richmond are the downtown part. Although I wouldn't say the towers going up near Capstan Station are horrendous at all. But I digress, 3 Road and Westminster is the focal point. 4 corners with 1 tower on each (3 of them office towers so it has some economic muscle). That is where the downtown starts and moves outward. Londsdale doesn't even come close

3 and Westminster is busy, but no one lingers there. All that density and not one sidewalk patio anywhere in downtown Richmond. Don't get me wrong, it's still more urban than any suburb in Canada, but no it does not yet have the street life of Lonsdale.

[Metro-One]

New West is the most urban suburb in Canada by far IMO.

But we are obviously never king to get a consensus on the 2nd.

Both Richmond and Lonsdale make good cases for very different reasons. I personally lean towards Richmond, but I can see why someone would lean towards Lonsdale.

Overall Metro-Vancouver does a far better job with urbanizing its suburban cores than most other places in North America.

People often compare Metrotown with Mississauga, but after seeing many incredibly dreary pictures of Mississauga (despite the tall towers) on the Canada section, Metrotown would win urbanism in a landslide between the two.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

New West is the most urban suburb in Canada by far IMO.

But we are obviously never king to get a consensus on the 2nd.

Both Richmond and Lonsdale make good cases for very different reasons. I personally lean towards Richmond, but I can see why someone would lean towards Lonsdale.

Overall Metro-Vancouver does a far better job with urbanizing its suburban cores than most other places in North America.

People often compare Metrotown with Mississauga, but after seeing many incredibly dreary pictures of Mississauga (despite the tall towers) on the Canada section, Metrotown would win urbanism in a landslide between the two.

The Metrotown - Mississauga comparison is hilarious. Mississauga is the prototypical greenfield suburb; wide roads, surface parking everywhere, etc. Metrotown is missing a grid, but at least its streets are pedestrian-scaled and the development is oriented to the streets, not parking lots.

It baffles me that people on an urban affairs forum can still conflate skylines with urbanity to such a degree. Even worse when it's height.

[logan5]

I don't think Richmond will ever vibrant to any great degree. You need colourful and interesting storefronts. Richmond doesn't have that at all, so you won't attract the right mix of businesses that make a place vibrant. A good example to look at is Central Broadway. Plenty of density and plenty of older more affordable buildings, but because of the generic look of the retail strip, you're left with a dead zone.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by logan5

I don't think Richmond will ever vibrant to any great degree. You need colourful and interesting storefronts. Richmond doesn't have that at all, so you won't attract the right mix of businesses that make a place vibrant. A good example to look at is Central Broadway. Plenty of density and plenty of older more affordable buildings, but because of the generic look of the retail strip, you're left with a dead zone.

But just about all new builds are built with homogeneous storefronts like this. Do you think that means they'll never be capable of hosting interesting retail uses? Or will it evolve over time, as they become cheap enough for independents to move in, and as facades slowly get personalized.

Not asking to defend Richmond, but just because this is an important discussion. Is it possible to provide Commercial Drive level street experiences in new builds, at least at some point in the future as they're worn in? Or does the architecture inherently prevent that?

[SpongeG]

i think saba road is good, cafes, salons, stores, banks, that little park at saba & buswell.

-------

New Westminster supports downtown development – but wants new name

Theresa McManus / New West Record
MARCH 7, 2018 12:00 PM

A local business fears it will be upstaged by a new development in downtown New Westminster.

Domus Homes’ project for 813 to 823 Carnarvon St. includes 204 market condominiums in a 32-storey building and 66 non-market rental units in an eight-storey building, as well as commercial space facing Carnarvon Street. The developer is building the non-market housing for Performing Arts Lodges (PAL) Vancouver, a non-profit that will provide affordable housing for veterans of the performing arts industry.

...

http://www.newwestrecord.ca/news/new-wes...evelopment-but-wants-new-name-1.23194395

[logan5]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

But just about all new builds are built with homogeneous storefronts like this. Do you think that means they'll never be capable of hosting interesting retail uses? Or will it evolve over time, as they become cheap enough for independents to move in, and as facades slowly get personalized.

Not asking to defend Richmond, but just because this is an important discussion. Is it possible to provide Commercial Drive level street experiences in new builds, at least at some point in the future as they're worn in? Or does the architecture inherently prevent that?

In Mt. Pleasant the only dead zones are the generic strips of retail between 15th and 17th (roughly). These retail units have been around for over 30 years and they still host the same type of businesses that are common to these units. So yes, I believe they will never be capable of hosting interesting retail uses.

[libtard]

Originally Posted by logan5

In Mt. Pleasant the only dead zones are the generic strips of retail between 15th and 17th (roughly). These retail units have been around for over 30 years and they still host the same type of businesses that are common to these units. So yes, I believe they will never be capable of hosting interesting retail uses.

The generic strip of retail on Broadway and Fraser under the new social housing project would fall into your criteria of a dead zone

[logan5]

Yes. That's another example. It's independent small businesses (or pseudo independent) that give a neighbourhood life. If they can't customize their storefront, they won't move in. It's their biggest form of advertising.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

New Westminster supports downtown development – but wants new name

Theresa McManus / New West Record
MARCH 7, 2018 12:00 PM

A local business fears it will be upstaged by a new development in downtown New Westminster.

Domus Homes’ project for 813 to 823 Carnarvon St. includes 204 market condominiums in a 32-storey building and 66 non-market rental units in an eight-storey building, as well as commercial space facing Carnarvon Street. The developer is building the non-market housing for Performing Arts Lodges (PAL) Vancouver, a non-profit that will provide affordable housing for veterans of the performing arts industry.

...

http://www.newwestrecord.ca/news/new-wes...evelopment-but-wants-new-name-1.23194395

This is a fantastic development and hopefully it'll bring a little bit of "urbanism" to Carnarvon Street, which is really quite crappy right now. The only thing wrong with it is the name -- they decided to name it Stage New Westminster, when there's a local performing arts school called The Stage New West that's been around for five years. Their hunt for a name apparently didn't involve a five second Google search.

Oh and the development has way too many parking spaces for being literally across the street from a SkyTrain station. 275 spaces for 270 units is a terrible ratio.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

This is a fantastic development and hopefully it'll bring a little bit of "urbanism" to Carnarvon Street, which is really quite crappy right now. The only thing wrong with it is the name -- they decided to name it Stage New Westminster, when there's a local performing arts school called The Stage New West that's been around for five years. Their hunt for a name apparently didn't involve a five second Google search.

Oh and the development has way too many parking spaces for being literally across the street from a SkyTrain station. 275 spaces for 270 units is a terrible ratio.

Hopefully the name issue gets sorted out without people resorting to behaving like small children.

Parking is still considered pretty essential. I'm guessing that means 1 parking spot for every unit and then 5 guest parking spots. That's an improvement over the years - my building has a worse ratio and it's a pretty short walk to the train.

[officedweller]

Burquitlam Capitol

By City of Rain at SRC
March 8th:

Originally Posted by City Of Rain, post: 1317664, member: 70034

DSC05637 by Hung Lam, on Flickr

DSC05647 by Hung Lam, on Flickr

DSC05654 by Hung Lam, on Flickr

DSC05667 by Hung Lam, on Flickr

DSC05554 by Hung Lam, on Flickr

[officedweller]

From BIV:

... well, duh, it's Coquitlam...

https://biv.com/article/2018/03/high-hop...opment-driven-evergreen-line-falls-short

High hopes for office boom thwarted as development driven by Evergreen line falls short of expectations
SkyTrain extension has yet to deliver on planners’ commercial space ambitions

By Peter Mitham | March 20, 2018, 2:00pm

When pre-sales began in late 2009 for M1, the first tower in Cressey Development Group’s four-tower Metropolitan project adjacent to Lincoln station in Coquitlam, a new rapid transit line was among the amenities tipped as making the location – in the words of the marketing copywriter – “ideal for professionals, couples and families.”

The fourth tower would have 65,000 square feet of office space, anchoring the commercial heart of the Tri-Cities.

“If it wasn’t for the Evergreen line we would not be building the office tower,” Hani Lammam, Cressey’s vice-president of development and acquisition, said in 2013. “Transit is crucial.”

But five years later, the tower has yet to appear.
...

Ken Moffat, vice-president of asset management with Morguard Investments Ltd., oversees Coquitlam Centre from his office in Mississauga. While the Evergreen line is an exciting development, Morguard says it’s too early to identify any boost to foot traffic or sales at the mall. It continues to study redevelopment options for the 57-acre site. A makeover akin to what Shape Properties Corp. is undertaking at Brentwood and Lougheed town centres remains distant.

...

https://biv.com/article/2018/03/high-hop...opment-driven-evergreen-line-falls-short

[SpongeG]

They should replace it with a hotel, central coquitlam could really use one.

[SpongeG]

Re the burquitlam park development, It says that there will be included a park N ride for the skytrain, is that a first for the skytrain system? I thought they didn't want to have park n rides.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Re the burquitlam park development, It says that there will be included a park N ride for the skytrain, is that a first for the skytrain system? I thought they didn't want to have park n rides.

A first Park & Ride associated with a development? Because there are a few Park & Rides along the SkyTrain system, I can think of the ones at Scott Road and Coquitlam Central off the top of my head.

[SpongeG]

yea I guess but park n rides not just parking lots. Portland and seattle have huge park n rides at almost every outlying station

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

yea I guess but park n rides not just parking lots. Portland and seattle have huge park n rides at almost every outlying station

What's the difference between a park n ride and a parking lot?

[SpongeG]

they build parking structures


Andersen Construction

[BodomReaper]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

They should replace it with a hotel, central coquitlam could really use one.

Too bad Port Moody council killed a hotel proposal, because it would have meant also allowing 2 additional high rises adjacent to a rapid transit station