[Burnaby] Concord Metrotown (Former Sears site) | 65,45,33 fl | 230.1m | U/C

[e-clam9]

It is going to upset some people when their cars are towed away from these pay parking lots. If I can't find free parking, I won't shop there. City of Burnaby should be mediator in this lawsuit.

[officedweller]

There' enough parking elsewhere on site that you don't need to use those surface lots.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by officedweller

There' enough parking elsewhere on site that you don't need to use those surface lots.

Exactly


Parking

Certain areas of the parking used to access Metropolis at Metrotown are owned by Concord Pacific and managed by Westpark. Effective May 1, 2019, the EAST surface East Parking along Kingsway between Sussex and Nelson will offer two hours of free parking, with required licence plate registration, followed by paid parking for durations longer than two hours. There will be signage and pay stations present in these areas. Metropolis at Metrotown and Ivanhoé Cambridge have no authority over this parking.

The remaining 6,000+ parking spots* for Metropolis at Metrotown shoppers remains available as free customer parking with a four-hour limit, and no registration required.


*There is a small portion of our underground parkade that is for Metrotower 3 paid visitor parking. This area is in the P2 yellow section, underneath Sport Chek & Zara. This area has dark blue signage indicating that it’s paid parking.

Paid parking exists for Metrotower Office Complex visitors. Those particular stalls are marked with blue signage stating that it is paid parking.

[GilmoreStation]

Doubtful this project will go through, Concord has the reputation for overpromising and underdelivering. It's merely a negotiating tactic to get IC to the negotiating table.

[Spr0ckets]

Cool story, bro.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by GilmoreStation

Doubtful this project will go through, Concord has the reputation for overpromising and underdelivering. It's merely a negotiating tactic to get IC to the negotiating table.

To negotiate what?

They bought the site to develop it, not to hold an empty Sears box.

Your comments make no sense.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

To negotiate what?

They bought the site to develop it, not to hold an empty Sears box.

Your comments make no sense.

The empty Sears box is going to sit there - quite possibly until 2036. Look at the previous page about the lawsuit and pay parking. Every press release (which conveniently doesn't mention either of those things) is overpromising.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Sheba

The empty Sears box is going to sit there - quite possibly until 2036. Look at the previous page about the lawsuit and pay parking. Every press release (which conveniently doesn't mention either of those things) is overpromising.

Yes but the rest of the site will be developed in that time-frame. They did not buy the site to turn around and negotiate its sale with Ivanhoe, a group that has been divesting assets faster than any in the region.

Just more unfounded nonsense from GilmoreStation.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Yes but the rest of the site will be developed in that time-frame. They did not buy the site to turn around and negotiate its sale with Ivanhoe, a group that has been divesting assets faster than any in the region.

Just more unfounded nonsense from GilmoreStation.

I'm totally confused.

Concord bought this from sears to develop. whats the problem?

[LeftCoaster]

The problem is Gilmore Station said it's doubtful this project happens. He is claiming the project is all a distraction to help negotiations with IC, which makes no damn sense.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

I'm totally confused.

Concord bought this from sears to develop. whats the problem?

The problem is that there's a written agreement within the contract that says if one side wants to redevelop, then they have to work with the other side - basically so the redevelopment doesn't screw over the other side. Concord has been trying to say it doesn't apply to them - despite having signed the contract with that agreement. It's now in front of the BC Supreme Court. I posted about it here.

[owenhujb]

Seems like 2025 definitely won't be happening

And the shortest tower of phase one is 35 floors not 33.

[Spr0ckets]

This will get settled out of court.
(as these sort of things usually end up doing)
Concord are not going to wait it out until 2036 to get this project going.

There's too much money involved and too much at stake.

....for both parties.

Bigger pocketbooks usually mean bigger egos, more posturing and ultimately more time for matters like this to sort themselves out and calmer heads to prevail.

Lets also not forget that Ivanhoe Cambridge also have their own plans for farther down the road for redevelopment for parts of the mall complex (a residential tower of their own for the parking lot in front of the Superstore and a Metrotower IV for somewhere in the southern area) and litigation and protracted court cases can tend to get very expensive even when you're the one who's "winning".

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Sheba

The problem is that there's a written agreement within the contract that says if one side wants to redevelop, then they have to work with the other side - basically so the redevelopment doesn't screw over the other side. Concord has been trying to say it doesn't apply to them - despite having signed the contract with that agreement. It's now in front of the BC Supreme Court. I posted about it here.

You're being very naive. Concord has built well over 100 towers across Canada in the last 30 years. This is nothing that will stop them dead until 2035. It serves no purpose to Ivanhoe Cambridge to work against them in coming to a conclusion.

[owenhujb]

The latest major developments projects page has this project listed as

FA 2019 Dec 16

Does anyone know what FA means?

[officedweller]

Final Approval comes to mind.

[Spr0ckets]

Final Adoption.

Or more precisely, 'Final Adoption of the Rezoning Bylaw application.'

It more or less means the city has accepted their application to rezone the site to allow for mixed use/high density residential construction
Some municipalities will combine the Rezoning application with the Design permit application while for others it will be separate applications.

[owenhujb]

So how far would this project be before construction starts? Another few years, I assume?

[LeftCoaster]

I'd expect separate DP processes for the individual parcels on this project, so a couple years easily.

[Spr0ckets]

Also don't forget that Concord are still tied up in a little matter in court with IvanHoe Cambridge - who themselves have also submitted a concept planning proposal application of their own for the mall redevelopment in concert with the Metrotown Downtown 'Core' concept.

So yeah,.....easily a couple of years before any shovel hits the ground.

I wouldn't be surprised if the issue with IvanHoe is settled outside court ($$$$$$) in exchange for some concessions here and there, but even then the DP for phase 1 will probably still take a while.

The entire project could take easily upwards of 10 years or more to complete and build out, even after the first phase construction begins.

(Station Square next door with only 5 towers is now entering Year 7 (or is it year 8 since the actual applications were complete?) and the main part of Tower #5 hasn't even began going up. Although it should be noted that they re-submitted a fresh DP for the last two towers after they were re-designed by KPF, as part of the last phase of the project which added some extra time overall to the project)