River District (East Fraserlands) Updates

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by vanman

Every new masterplanned development is marketed as the next Yaletown Yaletown is what it is because it is downtown. No shitty suburban location will ever be able to replicate it.

That rendering really exemplifies why I'd never buy in this development. Being so close to the river on what is essentially a floodplain, it's probably not the smartest place for a high density residential development.

Funny you say "no shitty suburban" when I read your comment I was actually thinking the opposite.. why do new areas always say they are the new "Yaletown" like Yaletown is amazing. It is walkable I'll give you that but it is grossly overpriced and ridiculously pretentious.

It only made the headlines because of how insanely quickly the property values jumped up and how people that bought in from day 1 made a killing. Anyone buying into Yaletown now as an investment ain't making much. So they really are trying to sell suburban areas as being the next "Yaletown" only in trying to convince investors to drop loads of money to force land prices up ridiculously.

People are just living in a fantasy world if they think Yaletown is anything more than that.

Personally I'd rather all areas of Metro-Vancouver outside "Yaletown" stop trying to be "the next." Be themselves and make their own communities.

[vanman]

Originally Posted by jhausner

Funny you say "no shitty suburban" when I read your comment I was actually thinking the opposite.. why do new areas always say they are the new "Yaletown" like Yaletown is amazing. It is walkable I'll give you that but it is grossly overpriced and ridiculously pretentious.

It only made the headlines because of how insanely quickly the property values jumped up and how people that bought in from day 1 made a killing. Anyone buying into Yaletown now as an investment ain't making much. So they really are trying to sell suburban areas as being the next "Yaletown" only in trying to convince investors to drop loads of money to force land prices up ridiculously.

People are just living in a fantasy world if they think Yaletown is anything more than that.

Personally I'd rather all areas of Metro-Vancouver outside "Yaletown" stop trying to be "the next." Be themselves and make their own communities.

I lived on Richards and Nelson for almost two years. Yaletown is a lot less pretentious then people make it out to be. Yes it is expensive but I wouldn't consider it overpriced. Being walking distance from the CBD, entertainment district, parks, seawall and skytrain in a modern neighbourhood certainly has its value. And I definitely would'nt say it is a bad investment. Prices may not be rising as quickly as they once did but rents definitely are. 1 bedroom condos in the area I used to live in are going for upwards of $1800 a month now when I used to pay $1500.

I agree with your last point though that neighbourhoods should just try to be authentic and not the "next" anywhere.

[logan5]

I wonder where the "high street" is going to be. River District will be more densely populated than the West End, so I believe a pretty significant retail street could be supported. Residents shouldn't need to leave the neighbourhood too often.


http://www.wesgroup.ca[/QUOTE]

[Vancity]

Originally Posted by Klazu

This is the latest rendering used in marketing this project. They marketing is quite interesting, focusing on making an example how Yaletown used to be industrial waste land, but look at it now! As if this area would ever really be anything like Yaletown.


http://www.wesgroup.ca

Rendering looks great.

But. Are there going to be schools in the area? Grocery stores? Shops? Coffee shops? etc, etc. If those elements are all in place. It'll be a great area, where residents don't have to drive to get anywhere. They can walk to get their groceries, or go shopping, etc.

Offices in and around the area? Probably not. In that sense, people will still ahve to commute to work. But that's kind of like everywhere else in the city.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by Vancity

Rendering looks great.

But. Are there going to be schools in the area? Grocery stores? Shops? Coffee shops? etc, etc. If those elements are all in place. It'll be a great area, where residents don't have to drive to get anywhere. They can walk to get their groceries, or go shopping, etc.

Offices in and around the area? Probably not. In that sense, people will still ahve to commute to work. But that's kind of like everywhere else in the city.

The Official Development Plan for the River District (née East Fraserlands) does indeed plan for retail and two schools.

Here's the link to the policy documents, including the policy statement, official development plan, and design guidelines: link

The ODP calls for 163,000 ft2 of retail in sub-areas 1-3 of the Central Town Square Precinct.

[apesta]

There is an elementary and a high school planned for this district. But no one knows when it will be built. However the current vision of the whole district is shaping up pretty good. There is little bit of everything and it's walkable distance.

About the noise issue, I'll probably know in 3 months time and see if it's really that disturbing. The one potential worrisome I have currently is the frequency of the trains at night running along river road.

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by apesta

There is an elementary and a high school planned for this district. But no one knows when it will be built. However the current vision of the whole district is shaping up pretty good. There is little bit of everything and it's walkable distance.

About the noise issue, I'll probably know in 3 months time and see if it's really that disturbing. The one potential worrisome I have currently is the frequency of the trains at night running along river road.

I am sure it will be fine if you are not overly sensitive to noise like some people. Its just I get this feeling they are marketing this like this quite next to the river development overlooking tranquil farm land. Well that's just not the case (and to be fair the Richmond mayor is right, this area never should have been rezoned, its a flood plain, silt, in a industrial area). As for the trains you can definitely hear them at night because they blow their horn 3 times at the crossings they pass but I dont see how it can wake someone up, having said that its impressive how well the noise carries because I am talking about the rail tracks across the river north of the south arm. The ones through the development are not really used, and certainly not at night.

Originally Posted by Homeowner

Would this noise be equivalent to people living near the SKYTRAIN? When you live in the city, you have to expect that it's not all peace & quiet.

a) skytrains don't run at 3am
b) industrial noise is louder

But like I said, I am ok with it, but not everyone grew up in environments like me so who knows.

[WarrenC12]

Looks great, but very much in isolation. No transit, no real job sources nearby. There's the mall area towards New West, but not walkable.

[vanciti]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Looks great, but very much in isolation. No transit, no real job sources nearby. There's the mall area towards New West, but not walkable.

??? No Job sources? You have MetroTown a 7 minute drive. You have the east end of the development with office and industrial uses and then you have hundreds of acres running east from Boundary to the Queens borough Bridge of Office, Light Industrial and Manufacturing. Including Best Buy, Ritchie Brothers, Garibaldi Glass, etc etc etc

How do you figure there is no job sources?

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Looks great, but very much in isolation. No transit, no real job sources nearby. There's the mall area towards New West, but not walkable.

Plus a rail ROW running through the development. That's going to create a fair number of complaints. Though it could present opportunity to develop some sort of Light Rail service? Probably not for a while though.

Originally Posted by vanciti

??? No Job sources? You have MetroTown a 7 minute drive. You have the east end of the development with office and industrial uses and then you have hundreds of acres running east from Boundary to the Queens borough Bridge of Office, Light Industrial and Manufacturing. Including Best Buy, Ritchie Brothers, Garibaldi Glass, etc etc etc

How do you figure there is no job sources?

Come on man, a 7 min drive? Closer to 20-30min in the traffic.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Plus a rail ROW running through the development. That's going to create a fair number of complaints. Though it could present opportunity to develop some sort of Light Rail service? Probably not for a while though.

Long term that would be great, N/S along Arbutus ROW then E-W along Kent-ish into New West.

I have friends and family that live in the area now. Great park space and stuff, but really suburban feel (ie: drive everywhere).

[vanciti]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Plus a rail ROW running through the development. That's going to create a fair number of complaints. Though it could present opportunity to develop some sort of Light Rail service? Probably not for a while though.



Come on man, a 7 min drive? Closer to 20-30min in the traffic.

sorry, 10 minutes. I was just out there and drove it. I stand corrected.

If it takes you 30 minutes to drive to Metro-Town you need to learn the streets a bit better. From River District I can be in Mt Pleasant in 20 minutes, without blowing through red lights and speeding. Its all about route selection, which people seem to be pretty lazy on in this City.

Bottom line is there is employment in the 10s of thousands within 20 minutes of River District. Is it downtown? no, but to say there is no direct employment in close vicinity is un-informed. Further when River District builds out there will be a village centre with office, retail, and commercial uses as well.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by vanciti

sorry, 10 minutes. I was just out there and drove it. I stand corrected.

If it takes you 30 minutes to drive to Metro-Town you need to learn the streets a bit better. From River District I can be in Mt Pleasant in 20 minutes, without blowing through red lights and speeding. Its all about route selection, which people seem to be pretty lazy on in this City.

Bottom line is there is employment in the 10s of thousands within 20 minutes of River District. Is it downtown? no, but to say there is no direct employment in close vicinity is un-informed. Further when River District builds out there will be a village centre with office, retail, and commercial uses as well.

I assume we are talking about driving into the Metrotown complex? I briefly lived near there. If you go up either Kerr or Boundary during rush hour, it will still take some time to reach your destination (anywhere between 15 to 30 min on a bad day). I found Nelson was often the least congested road. Though to be fair, there was a swath of road work being done in 2012, so maybe traffic is moving better nowadays.

Originally Posted by vanman

Every new masterplanned development is marketed as the next Yaletown Yaletown is what it is because it is downtown. No shitty suburban location will ever be able to replicate it.

That rendering really exemplifies why I'd never buy in this development. Being so close to the river on what is essentially a floodplain, it's probably not the smartest place for a high density residential development.

Hey, at least this one has a river beside it! Beats a stagnant Creek....
Funny, these were industrial and farming zones for a reason. The floods of 1894 and 1948 brought flooding to some parts of Queensborough and likely where these developments are.

[officedweller]

It's also pretty close to Knight St. Bridge and the office parks in Richmond.

[Tetsuo]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

I assume we are talking about driving into the Metrotown complex? I briefly lived near there. If you go up either Kerr or Boundary during rush hour, it will still take some time to reach your destination (anywhere between 15 to 30 min on a bad day). I found Nelson was often the least congested road. Though to be fair, there was a swath of road work being done in 2012, so maybe traffic is moving better nowadays.

The trick is to avoid 49th/Imperial, and don't enter Metrotown from Patterson/Willingdon since the lights at Imperial/Patterson and Willingdon/Central BLVD take ages

There's a ton of side streets like Rumble, the southern portion of Patterson and like you said Nelson that will get you from Fraserlands to a parking spot in Metrotown in 10-15

[Klazu]

There is the Glenlyon Parkway office park to the east, but you are right that not much more. My fantasy is that there would be one day a streetcar running along the Fraser River from Marine Gateway to New Westminster. Just how fantastic would that be?

[apesta]

I'll be moving into River District this coming August in one of the newly built apartments. Im really looking forward to it. Since I own a car , I don't quite care about public transit. When Marine Gateway is finished, it'll be more convenient with just 10-15 min drive from where I'll be. 15 drive to metrotown and same amount of time to Richmond. I'd say it is very reasonable travel times.

[Vin]

North of the train tracks, the ground is actually pretty high up, and a lot higher than the Olympic Village, anywhere in Richmond, Spanish Banks and even parts of downtown (like Yaletown and West End near English Bay). At least they can always put in a flood-control dam at the estuary should the sea level rise one day to mitigate water levels up-river. As for seasonal spring overflow flooding, well, a levee can also be built along the banks.

[SpongeG]

that strip running down the middle is that reserved for a future streetcar?

[Alex Mackinnon]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

that strip running down the middle is that reserved for a future streetcar?

Or current freight rail.