[Surrey] King George Hub | U/C

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by xd_1771

I'm just saying - I think you guys are expecting too much by thinking that CC HQ will revolutionize the area. I think it was a seriously missed opportunity to bring that revolution.

That's not what will revolutionize the area. The CC HQ is Phase 1 of 5 of this massive project that will bring an entire shopping center, restaurants, a movie theater, 3 office towers, and 4-5 residential towers with 1000+ units, in addition to Park Avenue adding 4 more towers to the area, and another tower next to Park Avenue. There are 4 residential towers at King George station today. In 10 years there will be 14 residential towers and 3 office towers (not including Holland Park if that gets built.)

If Holland Park gets built in the 10 year time frame bump that to 16 residential towers and 4.5 office towers.

That's what will revolutionize the area.

I don't disagree with you though in station integration and have advocated for it in the past (including praise for Plaza 88), but Plaza 88 isn't perfect nor do I think it absolutely would have worked in that area in its current form. I do think you need to have services easy to access from SkyTrain though.

To me there are 2 benefits of Plaza 88 over other stations. 1) The movie theater and 2) the Safeway. My wife can stop at the Safeway and grab a few small things on her way home from downtown Vancouver vs when she gets home either having to hop the B-line up to Superstore and back taking 30+ minutes round trip, or run over to T&T which also takes more time than the Safeway run.

And for the Movie Theater, that benefits us and anyone on the SkyTrain line including those right around the theater. Truth is though the business model of that theater is also attractive not just the location so location is really 50% but the assigned seating and low prices are the other 50%.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by xd_1771

I'm just saying - I think you guys are expecting too much by thinking that CC HQ will revolutionize the area. I think it was a seriously missed opportunity to bring that revolution.

Likewise, did the VanCity office tower (and CityGate residents) - on their own - revolutionize Main & Terminal?
I don't think so (just look at the retail on the Main St. side).
The area is only now going to approach critical mass with the build-out of Central, Lido and the Olympic Village.

[jlousa]

I even doubt that, until the easy park is developed and the east side of Main I think we will see limited activity, dead space really dampens things.

[Levelmind]

The crane went up yesterday.

[GMasterAres]

Well going up. This is 5 minutes ago:

[officedweller]

Thanks!

That Revenue Canada Building is gonna look even smaller than it already does once the area builds up.

[matrix_dot_ca]

How many floors is this building gonna be?

[officedweller]

9 storeys, with taller condos in behind (and hopefully taller future office phases).

Originally Posted by zivan56

Here is a 3D rendering/video of the new Coast Capital HQ.

• Video Link

[xd_1771]

That's not what will revolutionize the area. The CC HQ is Phase 1 of 5 of this massive project that will bring an entire shopping center, restaurants, a movie theater, 3 office towers, and 4-5 residential towers with 1000+ units, in addition to Park Avenue adding 4 more towers to the area, and another tower next to Park Avenue. There are 4 residential towers at King George station today. In 10 years there will be 14 residential towers and 3 office towers (not including Holland Park if that gets built.)

Okay, I think that it's evident then that this development is actually going to be quite good.
...if it ever reaches the 5th phase.
I'm sure it will, actually, but I guess the main concern here is do we have the ability to wait 10 years. Seeing as keeping this region financially, economically and environmentally sustainable really means no more cars right away, I don't think so.

Likewise, did the VanCity office tower (and CityGate residents) - on their own - revolutionize Main & Terminal?
I don't think so (just look at the retail on the Main St. side).
The area is only now going to approach critical mass with the build-out of Central, Lido and the Olympic Village.

Vancity's Office Tower didn't do much, I think we can all agree. It was an office tower that happened to be built over SkyTrain with no retail development or residential, which makes it no different than any other near-SkyTrain development. Of course it wouldn't have been revolutionary in any way. It doesn't integrate with the SkyTrain anyway, it was just built over it. It's not an exceptional, distinct development design - and neither is this one.

[officedweller]

It would have provided a lot of workers looking for lunch...

[GMasterAres]

http://www.catstatic.com/demos/PCI_KG.html

That's the link to the direct online model. You can zoom around and such on your own instead of just watching the youtube video.

[GMasterAres]

Also can someone point out to me what sky train station outside of New Westminster has a development built as part of the station? I can't think of any others.

I went through the list of all the other sky train stations on each line and nothing outside of Plaza 88 is actually integrated with the surrounding area in any way near Plaza 88. Downtown Vancouver stations would be an argument by some but just because they are underground doesn't actually make them integrated with anything. Waterfront for example, when you exit a train and walk to the nearest "retail location" in the main building, you have actually walked 3-4 times the distance it would be from King George Station platform to the front door of the new Coast Capital building. So the retail in the Concord building facing KGS is technically 'more integrated' and more accessible than even Waterfront.

Granville is even further from anything and it isn't integrated in the mall, it just happens to pass beside it just like Vancouver City Center. So after really looking at other stations even ones being redesigned, modified, or constructed (Evergreen), I don't see anything more integrated or better than what is happening around King George or even Surrey Central.

Could development be better? Absolutely! Should they integrate more imo? Absolutely! But the King George development doesn't surprise me at all I guess is what I'm driving at, and I think ultimately the station itself won't be an issue. The actual King George station footprint is tiny compared to many other stations out there. Main Street for example spans an entire block. Or others like Scott Road with giant parking lot next to it or 29th with a field on 1 side and bus loop on the other. Out of all of them I think King George is going to not be that bad actually when completed. When you exit the station (only place you can go) retail will in essence be right there and the busses are on the major roads (King George and Whalley Boulevard) so no massive wasted space by a huge parking. To me it will be actually closer to Burrard or maybe Joyce.

[Whalleyboy]

Originally Posted by jhausner

http://www.catstatic.com/demos/PCI_KG.html

That's the link to the direct online model. You can zoom around and such on your own instead of just watching the youtube video.

thanks for the link. I just finally saw that video.
I really can't wait for the second phase with the major retail and the theater(last i ask they still weren't sure what was going in there though). Personally i think a theater will add something good for night life in there though.

also the model in the link is is a little different then the video

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jhausner

Also can someone point out to me what sky train station outside of New Westminster has a development built as part of the station? I can't think of any others.

None to the same extent as Plaza 88:

• Gateway Tower at Gateway Station connects to the mezzanine of the station.
  
• Aberdeen Centre expansion connects to the northbound platform of Aberdeen Station.
  
• Marine Gateway will also connect to the mezzanine of the Marine Drive Station.

which essentially provide the same linkages as underground connections do.

There's arguments either way.

When the M-Line was being built, Lougheed Station was originally going to be at the mall. It was built on public land instead. Arguably, it serves the surrounding area better by being more centrally located (esp. for those south of Lougheed Highway) and not dependent on mall access for station access. There are also more eyes on the street for a standalone station in the off-hours when an integrated project's businesses may be closed.

The same applies to Brentwood Station as well. It provides connectivity to both sides of Lougheed Highway better than a station at the mall would have done.

[Jebby]

IMG_5674 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5675 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5676 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5677 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5702 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5704 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5705 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5706 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5707 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5708 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5710 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_5711 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr

[Nites]

The construction is moving pretty fast. Are they going to be upgrading the actual station platform as well? It would be cool if they could replace the platform with a Brentwood type platform.

[GMasterAres]

No changes to King George station at all.

[Nites]

Originally Posted by jhausner

No changes to King George station at all.

You should set up a live webcam in your condo for this project.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by skymaster

You should set up a live webcam in your condo for this project.

Probably could would just need a really long USB cable. I have 100mbit Internet so no problem sharing a live feed.

[CoryHolmes]

Originally Posted by jhausner

Probably could would just need a really long USB cable. I have 100mbit Internet so no problem sharing a live feed.

*waves fingers hypnotically* Doooo iiiiiiiiit.

Wait. You're married. I know how to make this happen.

*ahem* Mrs. Jhausner? Would you please convince your husband to do this? Thanks.