Burnaby Updates

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Interesting that they're putting basically a black tower and a white tower next door to each other. I'm kind of surprised that they're not lowing the height, what with it being near the edge of the Metrotown town centre.

The dome shape city skyline is nonsense. It's outdated and impractical. It was conceived by backward American city planners who favoured urban sprawl. Canadian cities became wannabes after WW2 but we should forge our own identity, and what suits us best now.

[Klazu]

I like dome-shaped skylines. Vancouver's skyline is missing it's highlight cluster and same threatens to be the case with Metrotown, too. Brentwood and Lougheed have most potential and the dominance of 3 Civic Plaza in Surrey is currently pretty appealing. Without a dome-shape you are bound to have a boring tabletop.

[Metro-One]

Metrotown needs a couple between 200 and 250 meters near the station.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I like dome-shaped skylines. Vancouver's skyline is missing it's highlight cluster and same threatens to be the case with Metrotown, too. Brentwood and Lougheed have most potential and the dominance of 3 Civic Plaza in Surrey is currently pretty appealing. Without a dome-shape you are bound to have a boring tabletop.

Not necessarily. Metrotown isn't domed-shaped anymore, and neither is Brentwood, Kingsgate or Lougheed.

Vancouver is missing a highlight cluster because of Viewcones, and also CBD's office towers are shorter than residential buildings.

Toronto is also fast-losing its dome-shape, and it is looking even better now than before!

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Metrotown needs a couple between 200 and 250 meters near the station.

Hear ye, hear ye. The funny thing is that this can very well happen and Concord Sears project would bring the first one in the area. It is very interesting that a building has to be above 55 floors to make a mark in Metrotown these days as there are starting to be so many 40-45 floor towers in the area.

I cannot wait for those two towers to get underway as that side of Metrotown will certainly benefit from new development. I am also super excited for Concord Sears whenever it finally gets going.

[vanman]

The black tower has been posted before. Looks great but the podium seems completely undersized. It's even shorter than the old rental buildings next to it. Should be double the height at least.

[jollyburger]

I was just reading about the new OMC2 at Edmonds on the Urban YVR site and they are making a big deal about the parking requirements.

As the new building is primarily a data centre, the amount of parking needed is minimal. However, in an ironic twist for a building designed for a transit authority, the zoning bylaw in Burnaby requires an additional 183 parking stalls based on the site’s location within Edmonds Town Centre.

https://www.urbanyvr.com/new-translink-data-centre/

While a 155 or 183 parking lot might seem like overkill for a data centre aren't they completely missing the fact that this parking is also going to have to service the existing OMC2 building (there are already 130-140 surface parking spaces as is)

Current building is 91,000 square feet and the new one is 40,000 square feet. 126 spaces for 62,485 square feet of office (though that's the "required" amount of spaces)

[Aroundtheworld]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I like dome-shaped skylines. Vancouver's skyline is missing it's highlight cluster and same threatens to be the case with Metrotown, too. Brentwood and Lougheed have most potential and the dominance of 3 Civic Plaza in Surrey is currently pretty appealing. Without a dome-shape you are bound to have a boring tabletop.

I think the dome shape is good as a base but we need some highlight buildings sticking out of the dome to really add a signature to the skyline. Some 250m+ tall buildings would be nice.

[owenhujb]

Originally Posted by Aroundtheworld

I think the dome shape is good as a base but we need some highlight buildings sticking out of the dome to really add a signature to the skyline. Some 250m+ tall buildings would be nice.

Definitely. What's interesting is that we were supposed to get some renders in the "Spring of 2020" for the planned buildings in Metrotown. With the Lougheed area already having buildings around 82 floors tall already planned, we can only imagine how tall Metrotown, the planned "downtown" of Burnaby, is willing to go.

[GeeCee]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I was just reading about the new OMC2 at Edmonds on the Urban YVR site and they are making a big deal about the parking requirements.



https://www.urbanyvr.com/new-translink-data-centre/

While a 155 or 183 parking lot might seem like overkill for a data centre aren't they completely missing the fact that this parking is also going to have to service the existing OMC2 building (there are already 130-140 surface parking spaces as is)

Current building is 91,000 square feet and the new one is 40,000 square feet. 126 spaces for 62,485 square feet of office (though that's the "required" amount of spaces)

I suspect that Translink will be able to offer some transit passes to their employees in lieu of those parking spaces.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

I suspect that Translink will be able to offer some transit passes to their employees in lieu of those parking spaces.

I'd be surprised if they didn't. I know bus drivers (plus their partner and any dependant children) are provided with a free bus pass, not only when they're working but also after they retire (source: one of my neighbours is a retired bus driver).

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I'd be surprised if they didn't. I know bus drivers (plus their partner and any dependant children) are provided with a free bus pass, not only when they're working but also after they retire (source: one of my neighbours is a retired bus driver).

I think it's only one dependent child.

Person who is:
(i) an employee or a board member of TransLink or a TransLink
subsidiary, or a member of the Mayors’ Council on Regional
Transportation;
(ii) a spouse or dependant child of an employee described in paragraph
(i);
(iii) a retired, former full-time employee of TransLink or TransLink
subsidiary who retired after 2 or more years of employment (or who,
after 5 or more years of employment, ceased employment by reason
of medically proven total disability);
(iv) a retired, former full-time employee of BC Transit who retired prior
to April 1, 1999;
(v) a spouse of a person described in paragraph (iii) or (iv) above;
(vi) a full-time employee of a HandyDART Operating Company; or
(vii) an employee of an Operating Company that has been designated and
approved by TransLink as eligible for Employee Passes,
and has been issued an Employee Pass as set out in Appendix “2”.

[Spr0ckets]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but it's from the City of Burnaby projects page.

One of those rare north of Kingsway highrise projects located at 4275 Grange Street:-



It says on the City of Burnaby site that the First reading was yesterday (6th July) with a Public hearing scheduled for the 28 of July in just 3 weeks, and a Second reading on September 14th.
That seems pretty tight for a schedule.
I guess the city expects it to go through without too many issues.

It's your standard market highrise tower (31 storeys) with a lowrise non-market/rental (seems like 5 storeys) component:-

From the architect's website:-



There was another Frist reading project yesterday by Concord Barker Project Limited Partnership (I'm guessing Concord Pacific in a limited partnership with another developer) at 5895 Barker Ave. (just a stone's throw from Central Park to the east of it) of a 34 storey market tower with Townhouse podium. The project is on a similar timeline and schedule to the above ( Public Hearing on 28th July and Second Reading in September 14th).
Unfortunately no images.

There were also a couple of other Second Readings yesterday as well, but of projects that have already been posted here (Bluesky Properties' 5977 Wilson Ave. project and Anthem's 6075 Wilson Ave . project).


EDIT :
Sorry, but I forgot to attribute architect image source.
Architect is RWA Group Architects (Ramsey Worden Architects) and the image is from their website at https://www.rwa.ca/whats-new/

Google map image is from.......well.....Google Map (....or is it Alphabet Map nowadays?)

[Klazu]

Thanks for posting! First time I am hearing of a project at this location!

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Thanks for posting! First time I am hearing of a project at this location!

It's the first significant one north of Grange that I can recall ever been proposed in a location like that.

Perhaps we're now going to see a snowball of future project proposals for North of Kingsway since the Maywood/south-of-Beresford area is getting tapped out of prime lots adjacent to the mall to develop.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Perhaps we're now going to see a snowball of future project proposals for North of Kingsway since the Maywood/south-of-Beresford area is getting tapped out of prime lots adjacent to the mall to develop.

The whole Maywood area from Beresford down to Imperial is going to be redeveloped and most of it hasn't been touched yet. With the downturn perhaps developers will go for some of the shorter areas further back (assuming the price is right... ).

The Nelson / Dunblane stretch south of Kingsway is getting pretty tapped out. They've only got a couple blocks left until they hit Royal Oak, so I can see projects starting to move to north of Kingsway over there. Like Maywood the area has a lot of older lowrise buildings so I wouldn't want to make any bets on how much longer they'll be standing.

[GenWhy?]

With all the projects coming on-line we're looking at absorption. I think a few folks have found the new tenant rules a bit cumbersome.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Sheba

The whole Maywood area from Beresford down to Imperial is going to be redeveloped and most of it hasn't been touched yet. With the downturn perhaps developers will go for some of the shorter areas further back (assuming the price is right... ).

I would guesstimate that it's probably just a handful of lots (if that, even) in that stretch that haven't already been bought out by developers and are currently at some early stage of project design proposal, even if not yet into rezoning application with the city.
If you're a person living in any of those lowrises then you're living on (literal) borrowed time before your walk-up gets demolished and the lot it sits on is developed.

The "Demoviction" protests of a few years ago merely slowed down the inevitable tide of redevelopment without actually stopping it - especially now with developers having bought into the city's plan of building non-market mid-rises to go along with the market highrise towers to replace the rentals that are demolished.

It's probably the reason why you're now seeing a lot of redevelopment applications for the Patterson skytrain area and the stretch neighbouring Central Park, because those are the only areas within the Metrotown "downtown core" that are still even available.

Originally Posted by Sheba

The Nelson / Dunblane stretch south of Kingsway is getting pretty tapped out. They've only got a couple blocks left until they hit Royal Oak, so I can see projects starting to move to north of Kingsway over there. Like Maywood the area has a lot of older lowrise buildings so I wouldn't want to make any bets on how much longer they'll be standing.

I'd say it's pretty much tapped out too.
All those lots are owned by developers or "Realty" firms save for one or two lots where the owners likely will not ever sell.

Genwhy makes a great point about the new tenant rules probably nudging a lot more of those previously holdout Landlords, slumlords and landowners to cash in now while the gettin's good and sell their lots/property.

So much for that market slowdown and the COVID effect.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

I would guesstimate that it's probably just a handful of lots (if that, even) in that stretch that haven't already been bought out by developers and are currently at some early stage of project design proposal, even if not yet into rezoning application with the city.
If you're a person living in any of those lowrises then you're living on (literal) borrowed time before your walk-up gets demolished and the lot it sits on is developed.

The people living in Maywood should have known they were on borrowed time years ago, and for any of them paying attention (not likely many of them) 10 years ago.

It seems I have too much time and need more hobbies. I went through the latest Burnaby Major Projects and have listed all the ones in the Metrotown area with a date / update as of this year. You'll notice there are a lot more south of Kingsway than north (to be fair there's also a lot more property in the area plan south of Kingsway too).


North of Kingsway

4275 Grange Street
First Reading 2020 July 06, PH 2020 July 28, Second Reading 2020 September 14

4638/46/54/62/70 Hazel Street and 4673/69/53 Kingsway
Initial Report 2020 February 1


Central Park (west of Willingdon)

6075 Wilson Avenue
First Reading 2020 June 8, PH 2020 June 23, Second Reading 2020 July 6

5977 Wilson Avenue
First Reading 2020 June 8, PH 2020 June 23, Second Reading 2020 July 6

5895 Barker Avenue, Portion of Olive Avenue ROW and Lane ROW
First Reading 2020 July 06, PH 2020 July 28, Second Reading 2020 September 14

5970-5994 Kathleen Ave
First Reading 2020 June 8, PH 2020 June 23, Second Reading 2020 July 6


Maywood (east of Willingdon)

6525 Telford Avenue
Second Reading 2020 April 20

6444 Willingdon Avenue and 4241 Maywood Street
Second Reading 2020 April 20

4330 Maywood Street
First Reading 2020 July 06, PH 2020 July 28, Second Reading 2020 September 14


Nelson / Dunblane

4960 Bennett Street and Portion of Lane
Second Reading 2020 April 20

6556,6566,6580,6596 Marlborough Avenue
Second Reading 2020 April 20

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Sheba

It seems I have too much time and need more hobbies.

Thanks!
How about a map?