[Burnaby] Station Square | 35,38,48,41,52 fl | Completed

[officedweller]

By City of Rain Oct 8th:

Originally Posted by City Of Rain, post: 1386653, member: 70034

DSC01207 by City Of Rain, on Flickr

DSC01212 by City Of Rain, on Flickr

DSC01215 by City Of Rain, on Flickr

DSC01218 by City Of Rain, on Flickr

DSC01220 by City Of Rain, on Flickr

[WBC]

I am not sure if it has been mentioned before, but Silver Drive has now been open (I noticed a few days ago). So now it is possible to walk/drive from Kingsway to Station Square Mall proper (Best Buy / PetSmart). No new retail spots are open on Silver Drive east side, but they seem to be working on them - I think that is where new restaurants will go.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by WBC

I am not sure if it has been mentioned before, but Silver Drive has now been open (I noticed a few days ago). So now it is possible to walk/drive from Kingsway to Station Square Mall proper (Best Buy / PetSmart). No new retail spots are open on Silver Drive east side, but they seem to be working on them - I think that is where new restaurants will go.

Silver Drive has been open in some form since halloween. That section is indeed their planned 'restaurant row' - there are four spots and two have them have been taken by Cactus Club and Earls (as shown on their still not updated pdf).

[Klazu]

Both towers 2 and 3 are now completed and move-ins have been happening for the last 1+month. I can slowly see more and more lights in windows, but it must take MONTHS for all people to move in considering that the 48-storey tower 2 must have 400+ units.

There are so many 1BR units flooding the rental market right now, so if you are looking for one, there is definitely a supply of hundreds of new units in the Metrotown area. Hopefully this will push down prices.

I hadn't realized, but it looks to me that the taller tower 2 has some kind of amenity space at the very top? I have only seen one blurry photo from up there, but that would explain the strange shape of the top. Any idea what is located up there?

With over 400 units in the building, I really hope they have more than the standard 3 elevators. Like how many floors and units there must be before some code starts requiring the 4th elevator?

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Both towers 2 and 3 are now completed and move-ins have been happening for the last 1+month. I can slowly see more and more lights in windows, but it must take MONTHS for all people to move in considering that the 48-storey tower 2 must have 400+ units.

There are so many 1BR units flooding the rental market right now, so if you are looking for one, there is definitely a supply of hundreds of new units in the Metrotown area. Hopefully this will push down prices.

I hadn't realized, but it looks to me that the taller tower 2 has some kind of amenity space at the very top? I have only seen one blurry photo from up there, but that would explain the strange shape of the top. Any idea what is located up there?

With over 400 units in the building, I really hope they have more than the standard 3 elevators. Like how many floors and units there must be before some code starts requiring the 4th elevator?

I don't believe it's a code issue per se, since elevators are not used for fire evacuation or to evacuate the building during any emergency (if anything they're reserved for firefighters and emergency first responders).
As such there isn't a minimum number required as such outside of the required elevators for accessible units (which are usually on the lower floors) and for disability considerations.

However, the industry rule of thumb is to require or provide (a minimum) one elevator per every 90 units in a residential high-rise building not counting any freight elevators (for the buildings that require or have them).

So for a 400 unit building you're looking at 5-6 elevators.
High-end luxury buildings will naturally tend to have an extra one or two elevators depending on what their floor layout can spare.
Most developers will go for the minimum requirement for obvious reasons.

There is one consideration, though.
For ultra-tall buildings and skyscrapers (300 meters and taller) it's the standard practice (and indeed code in some countries where such supertall skyscrapers are common like in Asia) to actually designate and require some elevators to be used for and during fire evacuation emergencies since the distance to descend by stairs would take too long during an emergency.
In such situations therefore, you'll find additional elevators (above the industry minimum standard) provided with extra fire safety protection provided.


This building obviously doesn't qualify for that nor is that standard used in BC residential buildings.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

However, the industry rule of thumb is to require or provide (a minimum) one elevator per every 90 units in a residential high-rise building not counting any freight elevators (for the buildings that require or have them). So for a 400 unit building you're looking at 5-6 elevators.

Thanks for all the facts, but I would still be surprised if tower 2 has more than the standard 3. I have been to quite a few of the new 35-45 floor towers in Metro Vancouver and I haven't seen any with more than 3. Only one I can recall is Capitol Residences with 4.

It is a really painful thing for buildings this size, as every move-in (which there are many per month) and elevator breakdown (which are VERY common) always cause long waiting times.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Both towers 2 and 3 are now completed and move-ins have been happening for the last 1+month. I can slowly see more and more lights in windows, but it must take MONTHS for all people to move in considering that the 48-storey tower 2 must have 400+ units.

A realtor page I found says it's 490 units from 513 - 995 sq ft. There are some listings and the two bedrooms are all corner units.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Thanks for all the facts, but I would still be surprised if tower 2 has more than the standard 3. I have been to quite a few of the new 35-45 floor towers in Metro Vancouver and I haven't seen any with more than 3. Only one I can recall is Capitol Residences with 4.

It is a really painful thing for buildings this size, as every move-in (which there are many per month) and elevator breakdown (which are VERY common) always cause long waiting times.

Yeah, well there's also a cost issue related to their implementation in buildings.

Elevators tend to be rather expensive - both figuratively and literally.
To design for, to build and even after construction, for maintenance and power costs.

As a developer you'll find they eat up a lot of your sale-able floor space area (with all the required corridor/landing area and adjoining mechanical rooms), they add up to the amount of concrete cost for the larger size vertical core (typically the most expensive part of the building in terms of construction costs) and then the service costs for maintenance to keep them running or fix them when they break down.....

You can see why developers will go for the absolute minimum they can get away with, and only in really high-end residential condo buildings will you find them splurging for more elevators.

On the flip side, it's a great business model for the Elevator manufacturing companies since, much like their cousins - the Escalators - Elevators almost always, ALWAYS break down and you'll tend to have the elevator company as your service people to repair them when it happens.
If the building had more elevators, they'd break down less and you probably wouldn't need the elevator company to come fix them as often, so it's funny that while it's the elevator companies that recommend that minimum number that I quoted above, when they usually know full well that the developers are going to skimp on one or more elevators in their building - which for them means more breakdowns and service and maintenance fees.
Win-win!

[tothetop]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I hadn't realized, but it looks to me that the taller tower 2 has some kind of amenity space at the very top? I have only seen one blurry photo from up there, but that would explain the strange shape of the top. Any idea what is located up there?

Actually, Tower 3 (north side of site) is the taller building. Both buildings have an outdoor garden taking up about 1/3 of the floor space up top. The remainder is reserved for mechanical service spaces.

[tothetop]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Thanks for all the facts, but I would still be surprised if tower 2 has more than the standard 3. I have been to quite a few of the new 35-45 floor towers in Metro Vancouver and I haven't seen any with more than 3. Only one I can recall is Capitol Residences with 4.

Tower 3 has 4 cars serving the residential tower, Tower 2 has 3.

[Klazu]

That is good to hear since 490 units crammed in one tower is almost a joke. That is so much elevator traffic that even with all four in operation, they will be running constantly. With that many units, move-in days will also be almost constant, meaning residents can basically only enjoy 3 elevators at most times. That must be tough once everyone has moved in.

Elevator business must be good business to be in and there is no shortage of maintenance they need. It almost makes one think whether there is any planned obsolescence there, as those things are down at least once a month.

It really sucks for everyone living in the building when the elevator capacity has been poorly planned, as there are only few floor on a tall tower like this that can really survive without taking the elevator on daily basis. Keeping elevators operational is one of the highest priority for Stratas, as it is so crucial piece of infrastructure and every new building should have a top-of-the-line elevators for maximum reliability. That is, if anyone would really care what it's like to live in these towers...

Elevators were a big issue on Metroplace and living on the 46th penthouse floor there wasn't any other option to it. I was very impressed with how reliable and fast the elevators in the Trump Tower are and there was no single day of downtime during our 5 months living there. It has so far been fine in our current place, although I see elevators in this building being the same unreliable ones that also Metroplace had...

[SpongeG]

There was an article last month about elevators in Toronto that there is a shortage of elevator techs due to the large amount of construction and the industry hasn't kept up with training more techs. I wonder if the same thing will or is happening here.

[s211]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

There was an article last month about elevators in Toronto that there is a shortage of elevator techs due to the large amount of construction and the industry hasn't kept up with training more techs. I wonder if the same thing will or is happening here.

Vancouver is suffering just as much, and has been for at least ten years. I've seen projects in process literally delayed by years because of lack of qualified staff in that sector.

[vanman]

Elevator maintenance seems to be a huge issue. In my 3 year old, 29 story building both elevators have been down for months at a time. As soon as one is fixed the other one goes down from being overworked I assume leaving only 1 working elevator. It is extremely irritating and the one aspect of highrise living I hate.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by vanman

Elevator maintenance seems to be a huge issue. In my 3 year old, 29 story building both elevators have been down for months at a time. As soon as one is fixed the other one goes down from being overworked I assume leaving only 1 working elevator. It is extremely irritating and the one aspect of highrise living I hate.

That seems pretty bad for a newbuild. I wonder if the construction boom is causing corners to be cut?

[LeftCoaster]

The elevators are still the same spec as before the boom. The issue is that service technicians are stretched to the limit and there are not many entering the field so relief is nowhere in sight.

If you're looking for a decent paying job in high demand go get your elevator cert!

[fredinno]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

The elevators are still the same spec as before the boom. The issue is that service technicians are stretched to the limit and there are not many entering the field so relief is nowhere in sight.

If you're looking for a decent paying job in high demand go get your elevator cert!

Uhh, it might be a little too late for that...

[vanman]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

If you're looking for a decent paying job in high demand go get your elevator cert!

No kidding.

[SpongeG]

yikes

Missing panel on new Burnaby highrise shocks mom whose young son was on balcony


Jennifer tells NEWS 1130 she's still shaking, thinking about what could have happened two her three-year-old son if her husband hadn't noticed a missing glass panel on the 31st floor balcony of a brand new highrise in Burnaby's Metrotown area. (Source: Facebook)


SUMMARY

Jennifer says her husband told her to hold her son close after he noticed a glass panel missing on the 31st balcony


'It's someone's life we're talking about,' says Jennifer, who wants to know units at Metrotown's Station Square are safe


Anthem Properties admits the panel should have been there, says contractors are ensuring it is put in

full story/source: https://www.citynews1130.com/2018/12/03/burnaby-highrise-mom-son-balcony/

[Vin]

I just saw this on FB too. Anthem: That's not acceptable at all!

I wonder if this is an isolated incident with the panel falling over. It's just hard to believe that they forgot to install the glass panel at the balcony.