Burnaby Updates

[vanman]

Originally Posted by Changing City

But that's a relatively recent policy change. For decades Burnaby effectively encouraged the loss of affordable rental buildings and the creation of condo towers.

Really? Where?

Up until about 5 or 6 years ago only vancant lots, warehouses, strip malls and parking lots were being redeveloped into condo towers. Maybe the odd single family home. I don't recall any walk up being demolished before the boom on Beresford Street started.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by vanman

Really? Where?

Up until about 5 or 6 years ago only vancant lots, warehouses, strip malls and parking lots were being redeveloped into condo towers. Maybe the odd single family home. I don't recall any walk up being demolished before the boom on Beresford Street started.

The Metrotown Plan, for one - all the new towers south of Central Boulevard used to be walkups. There was a big backlash in 2017-18 that cost Derek Corrigan his job.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

The Metrotown Plan, for one - all the new towers south of Imperial used to be walkups. There was a big backlash in 2017-18 that cost Derek Corrigan his job.

*north of Imperial

South of Imperial is all SFH's


And you probably mean the Marlborough neighbourhood between Nelson Ave to the west and Marlborough to the East and between Imperial to the South and Bennett to the North. (The Met towers, Park, Polaris, Vittorio, Imperial and I forget the other one)

I think the key with that cluster of towers versus the (newer) ones on the Beresford Tower row, is that these ones have almost no rental or non-market component at all. They were all built as strata.

Most of the new tower proposals or currently under construction in the Maywood area either have some rental replacement in their podiums or a separate shorter tower that's all non-market and rental replacement units.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by vanman

Really? Where?

Up until about 5 or 6 years ago only vancant lots, warehouses, strip malls and parking lots were being redeveloped into condo towers. Maybe the odd single family home. I don't recall any walk up being demolished before the boom on Beresford Street started.

Check the data table on page 85 of the Metro Vancouver Housing Data Book. Between 2007 and 2018 Metro Vancouver added a total of 7,205 purpose-built rental units. The City of Vancouver added 47% of them; 3,372 more in 2018 than in 2007. Burnaby had 875 fewer - a much bigger loss than any other municipality.

[SpongeG]

is there a plan for all the SFH's between The Amazing Brentwood and Hastings street?

It's quite the stark difference between the Towers of Brentwood and the next street is all houses.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

is there a plan for all the SFH's between The Amazing Brentwood and Hastings street?

It's quite the stark difference between the Towers of Brentwood and the next street is all houses.

At the moment, they'll stay just as they are (maybe with a laneway added). It's the 1960s Grand Bargain.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

*north of Imperial

South of Imperial is all SFH's

Fixed, thanks.

[jollyburger]

Stantec... yuck

There's 60 level 2 charging spots in the underground parking

BCIT INSPIRE Campaign celebrates the soft opening of the Health Sciences Centre

BCIT is excited to celebrate the soft opening of the new Health Sciences Centre on the Burnaby Campus. With generous support from industry leaders and the philanthropic community, the INSPIRE Campaign raised $11.7 million towards the development of the state-of-the-art facility. The Province also provided an investment of $66.6-million into the project.

The Health Sciences Centre, standing at four-storeys and 111,460 square-feet, is a critical hub for providing transformative, applied education to current and future generations of healthcare students in BC. Come fall 2022, the integrated and comprehensive Centre is expected to welcome BCIT Health Sciences students into its learning spaces, as well as to support 32 programs.

https://commons.bcit.ca/news/2022/06...iences-centre/

Several other buildings under development:

https://www.bcit.ca/inspire/prioriti...redevelopment/

[Lexus]

2022, July 10
Alaska St & Willingdon Ave

Untitled by Lexus LX570, on Flickr

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by Lexus

Alaska St & Willingdon Ave

Does anyone know what the plan is for where the Willingdon west side sidewalk ends at the railroad overpass? When construction started they removed the stairs down towards Alaska St, and the bike lane and sidewalk imply a continuation over the rail bed.



Source: Me

[jollyburger]

Wouldn't it go down and connect to that Beta/Still Creek Overpass?

https://pub-burnaby.escribemeetings....cumentId=33643

Alaska's rezoning didn't really mention any plan for the lane

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/me...2018/92633.PDF

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Wouldn't it go down and connect to that Beta/Still Creek Overpass?

https://pub-burnaby.escribemeetings....cumentId=33643

Alaska's rezoning didn't really mention any plan for the lane

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/me...2018/92633.PDF

Thanks for this. I have the opposite analysis as you though, the Beta property doesn't seem to mention anything about an overpass, just a connection with Alaska. The Alaska rezoning however has the following section:

The Director Engineering will be requested to prepare an estimate for all services necessary to serve this site. The servicing requirements will include, but not necessarily be limited to:
• construction of Willingdon Avenue across the development frontage to its final Town Centre arterial standard with separated sidewalks and bicycle lanes, street trees, rain gardens, street and pedestrian lighting, and related publicamenities;
• construction of a staircase / landscaped connection between Willingdon Avenue and Alaska Street;
• construction of Alaska Street frontage to its final Town Centre local road standard with concrete curb and gutter, separated sidewalks, street trees, enhanced boulevards, street and pedestrian lighting across the development frontage;
• consolidation of two overhead transmission lines across the development frontage on Alaska Street into a single set of lines on a steel tower from Willingdon Avenue, across the CN Railway, to the BC Hydro Corridor on the western side of the CN Railway;
• a contribution towards the proposed pedestrian and cycling overpasses within the Brentwood Town Centre across the CN/BNSF Rail Lines; and,
• storm, sanitary sewer and water main upgrades as required

Does anyone have any information on the "proposed pedestrian and cycling overpasses within the Brentwood Town Centre across the CN/BNSF Rail Lines"?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by chowhou

Thanks for this. I have the opposite analysis as you though, the Beta property doesn't seem to mention anything about an overpass, just a connection with Alaska. The Alaska rezoning however has the following section:



Does anyone have any information on the "proposed pedestrian and cycling overpasses within the Brentwood Town Centre across the CN/BNSF Rail Lines"?

Well the rezonings for properties down there have similar wording for an overpass but specifically mention a Beta crossing. There was some property dedication on the north side of the road for that overpass.

Concord's rezoning

"Improvments to Lougheed Highway would facilitate Town Centre standards for separated bicycle and pedestrian facilities, improvemnts to Yukon Crescene with a stair and elevation connection to Lougheed Highway, a pedestrian overpass on Beta over the rail line..."

https://pub-burnaby.escribemeetings....cumentId=45284

And in Burnaby's transportation plan 2021

https://www.burnaby.ca/sites/default...2021-Draft.pdf

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Well the rezonings for properties down there have similar wording for an overpass but specifically mention a Beta crossing. There was some property dedication on the north side of the road for that overpass.

I see, there definitely seems to be plans for a Beta overpass, but that doesn't mean there isn't plans for an expanded Willingdon overpass. The current situation crossing Willingdon is not acceptable.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by chowhou

I see, there definitely seems to be plans for a Beta overpass, but that doesn't mean there isn't plans for an expanded Willingdon overpass. The current situation crossing Willingdon is not acceptable.

Personally I wouldn't be surprised if that bike lane stops there for 10-15 years

It'll be curious how they fit a Skytrain down Willingdon.

[Lexus]

Setback definitely leaves enough room to add an overpass.

Untitled by Lexus LX570, on Flickr

[NetMapel]

Just wanted to post those photos here as well at the Douglas/Lougheed intersection. Given Douglas’ connection to Central Valley Greenway and the existing separated bike lane on Etoile condo down along Douglas, I wonder if they will be adding a bike lane down along here. There are certainly space for it.

[officedweller]

I seem to recall that the Douglas / Lougheed intersection will be closed and Douglas diverted into Dawson - but I could be wrong.
If it's closed, a bike path could be built through there.

[Lexus]

Originally Posted by chowhou

Does anyone know what the plan is for where the Willingdon west side sidewalk ends at the railroad overpass? When construction started they removed the stairs down towards Alaska St, and the bike lane and sidewalk imply a continuation over the rail bed.



Source: Me

Sidewalk is super narrow on both sides. Further south the overpass over HWY 1 has a wide multi use pathways on both sides. Would make a lot of sense to match it over Still Creek

Untitled by Lexus LX570, on Flickr

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by Lexus

Sidewalk is super narrow on both sides. Further south the overpass over HWY 1 has a wide multi use pathways on both sides. Would make a lot of sense to match it over Still Creek

It's not even as though these sidewalks are infrequently used either. There's a bus stop on both sides of the overpass and whenever I walk across on the "sidewalk" there's always someone coming in the other direction; It almost feels cruel to force the other person to pass you on the traffic side.