Burnaby Updates

[jollyburger]

March 2022

Luke Harrison, president of Catalyst Community Developments Society, has partnered with Burnaby on two of the city-owned sites. Once funding is obtained, his organization would enter into a lease agreement with the city and build the housing.

Mr. Harrison said they were large projects, both requiring north of $50-million in funding. They are now trying to obtain federal CMHC funds in order to begin construction on the Burnaby projects by the end of the year. If they can’t get federal funding, they would probably have to look at market lending, which would erode the affordability.

The organization has seven projects in development, and two of them obtained CHF funding. Mr. Harrison, who previously worked in banking and for private development, said that CHF funds are limited, so Catalyst doesn’t put all its eggs in one basket.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real...y-funding-gap/

Seems like they had two city owned properties but then bought out that land from Bima.

Rezoning Reference #19-54 included only the two properties located at 6857 and 6875
Royal Oak Avenue. However, the Public Hearing report noted the desirability and
possibility of including the property to the north at 6837 Royal Oak Avenue for inclusion
as part of the development site. As such, the property at 6837 Royal Oak Avenue has
been included in this rezoning application. The details confirming the acquisition of this
property and inclusion in the development site will be included in a future report to
Council.

https://pub-burnaby.escribemeetings....cumentId=48694

This is their recent project in Coquitlam so you assume it'll look similar to this.



https://www.tricitynews.com/local-ne...dville-5556753

They owned 6857 since at least 2011. 6837 was privately owned at the time.

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/vi...e&phrase=false

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Probably 4-6 storeys.

But since it's three assembled lots and not just the one that the Bima properties had proposed prior to this, and with retail on the ground floor side facing Royal Oak, I'd say 4 storeys is a safer bet with possibly some parts having a 5th floor.

Obviously given that it's on the west side of Royal Oak they can go higher if they wanted to, but since it's non-market housing, I doubt very much that upzoning the site and maximizing density is what they're going for.

Although they really should.

Actually the Metrotown plan only goes as far south as Imperial and this is south of there. Hopefully they upzone that bit of Royal Oak (all the newer buildings over to Nelson on that side of Imperial are low rise - which is more density than what was there before - so unlikely to suddenly become towers anytime soon).

Originally Posted by jollyburger

March 2022

This is their recent project in Coquitlam so you assume it'll look similar to this.



https://www.tricitynews.com/local-ne...dville-5556753

So similar but slightly taller than what's on the other side of Royal Oak. I'm hoping for more than 4 storeys (3 storeys of residential plus 1 floor of retail) as that's what all the lowrise buildings in Burnaby have been and I'd really like to see a bit of variety on building heights.

[jollyburger]

I was watching the presentation for the McCarthy Plaza site and they said Tower 1 was around 63 stories. Tower 2 (54 stories) 3 (45 stories). They said the other phases are 50-100 years out due to tenant leases. Tower 3 might go up to 51 stories with density bonuses.

https://pub-burnaby.escribemeetings....ab=attachments

[jollyburger]

Conceptual Master Plan for Buchanan West (White Spot, Staples, Cactus Club) west of Brentwood. They envision 12 towers.

The opportunity provided by the redevelopment of the Buchanan West Site is to transform this underutilized commercial area into a new mixed-use neighbourhood within the Town Centre, that maximizes its strategic location adjacent to major transportation infrastructure, emerging commercial and residential hubs, and significant public open spaces.

Fundamental goals for the Buchanan West Site are the facilitation of necessary transit, road, pedestrian and cycling linkages within the Town Centre, including the improvement of Lougheed Highway, Gilmore Avenue, Halifax Street, and Madison Avenue/Douglas Street to their Town Centre standards, the realization of new north-south and east-west streets to create a finer grained movement network
within the area, and the creation of a neighbourhood public space that is centrally located within this community. However, the most significant goal of the Buchanan West Conceptual Master Plan is the realization of a truly pedestrian oriented neighbourhood where a diverse mixture of residential, commercial, and open space uses come together to support a vibrant pedestrian neighbourhood within the Town Centre.

https://pub-burnaby.escribemeetings....cumentId=63865

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Conceptual Master Plan for Buchanan West (White Spot, Staples, Cactus Club) west of Brentwood. They envision 12 towers.



https://pub-burnaby.escribemeetings....cumentId=63865

Between that and (a fully built out) Gilmore Place, they're going to make for a really dense western edge of the Brentwood Town Center.

Gilmore Place is also 12 towers, or is it 10?

And that's not even talking about what's going to happen as you move slightly East towards (and past) Amazing Brentwood, with Brentwood West, Solo District, Grosvenor Brentwood, The Yards, and Concord Brentwood.

Not to mention whatever will end up happening on the car dealership just south of Amazing Brentwood.

It'll be interesting to see what tower heights they're proposing.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Between that and (a fully built out) Gilmore Place, they're going to make for a really dense western edge of the Brentwood Town Center.

Gilmore Place is also 12 towers, or is it 10?

And that's not even talking about what's going to happen as you move slightly East towards (and past) Amazing Brentwood, with Brentwood West, Solo District, Grosvenor Brentwood, The Yards, and Concord Brentwood.

Not to mention whatever will end up happening on the car dealership just south of Amazing Brentwood.

It'll be interesting to see what tower heights they're proposing.

I think Gilmore is 10 towers. The Thornton tunnel runs under the Staples building so they'll have to build around that as well.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I think Gilmore is 10 towers. The Thornton tunnel runs under the Staples building so they'll have to build around that as well.

Gilmore has twelve towers, but two are supposed to be office (Gilmore 4 and Gilmore 9), only ten are residential.

There are already two submissions on the Buchanan Plan area; #22-06 on 4141 Lougheed and #19-35 on 4265 Lougheed. Neither had any details yet.

[Lexus]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I think Gilmore is 10 towers. The Thornton tunnel runs under the Staples building so they'll have to build around that as well.

It is already reflected on the conceptual sire plant. Towers will be right beside the tunnel.

[jollyburger]

I only count ten from the various site plans I saw.



Credit: Onni



https://vancouvermarket.ca/2020/01/2...gilmore-place/

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I was watching the presentation for the McCarthy Plaza site and they said Tower 1 was around 63 stories. Tower 2 (54 stories) 3 (45 stories). They said the other phases are 50-100 years out due to tenant leases. Tower 3 might go up to 51 stories with density bonuses.

https://pub-burnaby.escribemeetings....ab=attachments

If I had to put money on it, I'd bet you that some of those long-term lessees will get bought out or come to some financial agreement to get new leases and tenant space in the new development when its built out.

They include both the RBC and TD bank branches on the plaza across from the London Drugs.

TD bank also had a branch on the old Station Square on the other side of Metrotown that was similarly a long-term lease, but they eventually came to an agreement for new space in the new Station Square once it got built out (Tower 1 podium)
So I could see a similar thing happening here especially when you start to see a run on your foot traffic business thanks to all the construction activity from the phase one construction next door.

Makes one wonder how much of an effect the Concord Metrotown construction is having on something like Uncle Wily's restaurant's business.
They still seem like they get quite a few diners there from the couple of times I've passed by.

[Lexus]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I only count ten from the various site plans I saw.



Credit: Onni



https://vancouvermarket.ca/2020/01/2...gilmore-place/

Check my post #1516 from the appropriate thread:

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...postcount=1516

[djmk]

as discussed already above, here is a burnaby now article about the proposal for the Buchanan West master plan.

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-new...y-site-6429705

The 10.68-acre site between Gilmore Avenue, Halifax Street, Madison Avenue and Lougheed Highway is larger than any of the Brentwood master plans approved last year.

The site would see up to 12 mixed-use residential and commercial towers, with “upwards of 6,000 homes,” a new neighbourhood park, two new streets connecting Gilmore Avenue to Madison Avenue east-west, and Halifax Street to Lougheed Highway north-south.

The development would include a variety of uses beyond residential, such as retail, office and hotel space.

[Klazu]

May sound crazy to say, but I think proposals have gotten a bit out of hand recently. All if the sudden there are so many 60-storey towers being proposed in Brentwood alone, that I am starting to think it is a bit too much density.

Burnaby also needs to seriously consider adding daycare and school space in town centre areas, as current ones won't be able to support tens of thousands of more people. Not to mention road space.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by Klazu

May sound crazy to say, but I think proposals have gotten a bit out of hand recently. All if the sudden there are so many 60-storey towers being proposed in Brentwood alone, that I am starting to think it is a bit too much density.

Burnaby also needs to seriously consider adding daycare and school space in town centre areas, as current ones won't be able to support tens of thousands of more people. Not to mention road space.

Mayor's Council put on the docket the "Purple Line" extension so you're safe. Connecting these 2 lines through Burnaby will be a good save for Brentwood.

[chowhou]

There's also a new community centre already on the way, and tentative plans for an elementary school but nothing concrete. I looked at the Kitchener and Brentwood Park enrollment numbers and they're definitely going up so that probably needs to be addressed.

[Klazu]

It was recently mentioned somewhere that 60,000 people are planned to live in the fully completed Brentwood alone. That is such a ridiculous number and requires several new schools at all levels, loads of daycare places and something more than two roads and three SkyTrain stations. I hope Purple Line would happen, but let's be frank, tthat will be closer to 2040 earliest. There are going to be some really tough years and even decades ahead when everyone's livability will be decreasing with more congestion and lack of services is only getting worse.

Two things I think this province is at least trying to be ahead is water system and hospital capacity. I am fully aware of the overall healthcare staffing challenges, it is pretty remarkable how much hospital construction in taking place in so many municipalities.

[mcj]

Originally Posted by Klazu

It was recently mentioned somewhere that 60,000 people are planned to live in the fully completed Brentwood alone.

Quote from the NOW article djmk posted:

Originally Posted by djmk

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-new...y-site-6429705

Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley told the NOW the overall plan for Brentwood will see about 60,000 people reside in the neighbourhood.

“Now – who knows when it will all get built, depending on the economy,” Hurley said.

“But certainly, that’s why we’re building the new community centre, because we want to make that a walking community.”

[SpongeG]

I wonder if Staples will move into the retail at Gilmore place?

Right now trying to get through that area is a nightmare, hopefully, the work going on right now ends sometime this year and now another big development and it's just never gonna end lol.

[hollywoodnorth]

interesting location of the new BFD Hall #4 >> https://www.burnaby.ca/our-city/projects/fire-station-4

and then the new #8 Univercity Fire Hall is apparently set to be under construction like the one above in early 2023 >> https://www.burnaby.ca/our-city/projects/fire-station-8

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I was watching the presentation for the McCarthy Plaza site and they said Tower 1 was around 63 stories. Tower 2 (54 stories) 3 (45 stories). They said the other phases are 50-100 years out due to tenant leases. Tower 3 might go up to 51 stories with density bonuses.

Where exactly is McCarthy Plaza?