[Coquitlam] Fraser Mills

[twoNeurons]

Didn't see a thread on this development. They've had sand on that site for years now, so I'm not sure if there's going to be some movement on it, but it's an interesting site, for sure. it's a bit disconnected from, well everything, but perhaps it can survive as its own entity.

Full city site here: http://www.coquitlam.ca/planning-and...ge-centre.aspx

Some Information here: https://www.buzzbuzzhome.com/ca/fraser-mills

Has anyone heard anything about this lately?

[retro_orange]

It's Coquitlam's own River District!

[Tetsuo]

Is there a reason this area smells?

[Klazu]

That's a lot of 30-floor towers in middle of nowhere. A very odd place to be building such and compared to this River District has much more potential and location is much better.

Why can't Coquitlam rather focus their efforts around Lougheed and Coquitlam Centre?

[Pinion]

You can probably get to downtown almost as fast from there as River District due to its proximity to Hwy 1. Somewhat close to Skytrain too. It's more central than Coquitlam Centre.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Pinion

You can probably get to downtown almost as fast from there as River District due to its proximity to Hwy 1. Somewhat close to Skytrain too. It's more central than Coquitlam Centre.

yep, it's actually within a 5 min drive of the Sapperton Brewery district and the nearest skytrain station is Braid which is within walking distance (for me anyway) along with that large new mixed use development (Sapperton Green i think it's called?) that will be adjacent to Braid station and the private school in Queens Park will be relocating across the street from it in a large mixed use building aswell. Give it 10 years and that area will probably look totally different.

[cairnstone]

This will be a good project to market directly to China. As it will be quite a while before the rest of the industrial area and the transfer site will disappear. Also it is only a few blocks from Ikea so buying apt size furniture will be easy. I think the city has gone to far with this and zoning this property and Burnabys zoning of Concord Brentwood.

I can see the twitter feed in 4 years when the garbage trucks are lined up to unload and the wonderful perfume coming off the transfer site. Oh and dont forget the creosote pole plant a mile away.

[urbancanadian]

This project has been in the works for some time, and includes 13 high-rises, among other buildings, IIRC. The office/industrial portion of the project is actually moving forward right now. If I get a chance I'll post a link.

I was driving over the King Edward overpass the other day and there was all sorts of activity happening on the site - wasn't sure why exactly. My best guess would be that they are preloading for the first (office/industrial) phase, and possibly even building the first segment of the King Edward Street extension.

[retro_orange]

delete

[GMasterAres]

Interesting. My only hope is that if this happens along with what is happening along New West's water-front that it will kick-start Surrey into redoing its waterfront along the Fraser River. It is an industrial/trailer park wasteland for the most part right now for the most part.

I think it would be really great for the area to have a large residential/commercial swatch both sides of the river.

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by jhausner

Interesting. My only hope is that if this happens along with what is happening along New West's water-front that it will kick-start Surrey into redoing its waterfront along the Fraser River. It is an industrial/trailer park wasteland for the most part right now for the most part.

I think it would be really great for the area to have a large residential/commercial swatch both sides of the river.

Surreys waterfront is a flip flop depending on the day of the week. At one time the city of Surrey was planning on buying up all the residential east of KG in the flats for another industrial park. THe reason is crappy soil to build on and high water level and trouble getting insurance and mortgages. And the lack of industrial land near by. But some time in the last few years something has changed as new housees are being built in Bridgeview.

[Tetsuo]

Bridgeview is such an interesting neighbourhood, it screams ghetto and its eerily quiet. One of my favorites to just walk around.

Strange to see some of the typical Surrey monster homes going up there though.

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

Bridgeview is such an interesting neighbourhood, it screams ghetto and its eerily quiet. One of my favorites to just walk around.

Strange to see some of the typical Surrey monster homes going up there though.

I looked with a friend at an investment property with a colleague and we ran into hurdles with everything. Was told the city was planning on changing zoning and also its on flood plain

[GMD]

"I was driving over the King Edward overpass the other day and there was all sorts of activity happening on the site - wasn't sure why exactly."

Yes, I go by there every now and then (on the way to the dump, of course) and it's been like that (lots of activity) for quite a while (at least a year?) but no idea what they are doing.

In terms of the site, the reality is that large plots of buildable land are so rare in the Vancouver region that even a spot like this (with all the flaws that have been mentioned already) will get built out if the zoning gives it half a chance.

To be fair, Osprey Village in Pitt Meadows is similar in some ways (isolated riverfront location), is much further out from the core and is quite nice, although it doesn't have the nearby dump and industrial uses to contend with.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by cairnstone

Surreys waterfront is a flip flop depending on the day of the week. At one time the city of Surrey was planning on buying up all the residential east of KG in the flats for another industrial park. THe reason is crappy soil to build on and high water level and trouble getting insurance and mortgages. And the lack of industrial land near by. But some time in the last few years something has changed as new housees are being built in Bridgeview.

In Bridgeview yes on the hills but not really on the flats. I'm not a geologist though so maybe the flats there along the river Surrey side are more difficult to build on than in New West of Coquitlam but my logic-brain seems to think what is being proposed/built in New West and this project could be done river-front in Surrey too.

I mean isn't water-front property supposed to be worth more? Yet Surrey side is all industrial (yes not all but you know what I mean) and with the exception of some newer construction near the Fraser Docks and the odd building here or there elsewhere, it is still pretty low income and poorly kept.

Just have to look down from SkyTrain between Columbia and Scott Road to get a good representation of most of that area.

I just think it could be so much better. Though without Surrey pushing really hard and providing incentive, I don't think it would change. I mean what developer would want to be the first into that area? I wouldn't, you'd take a beating as a pioneer. And the city itself is more invested in Surrey Central and LRT than that stretch.

Maybe if(when?) a new stadium is proposed and built by Scott Road things may start to change.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by cairnstone

I looked with a friend at an investment property with a colleague and we ran into hurdles with everything. Was told the city was planning on changing zoning and also its on flood plain

Yah doesn't stop development on the other side though. Base of New West along front street is a floor plain and so is the Coquitlam side all the way to the other side of HWY 1. There's a reason the TREO building was built on stilts.

Still hasn't stopped construction. Hell all of Ladner in Delta is a flood plain and Richmond is almost entirely below sea level.

Yes it is more difficult, but not overly difficult imho. I think it is just a lack of will by both the city or developers to put in a huge effort while there are other prime locations to develop around the region. Sad though it _could_ be really great.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

Is there a reason this area smells?

it used to be a landfill, that golf course there, the weird hill across the highway from IKEA was a landfill that got covered over decades ago. Its literally a mound of garbage covered over.

My friends grandmother grew up in maillairdville area and she said it was all marsh down there, where ikea, toys r us, casino etc is and over the years they filled it in with sawdust and whatever to make the land useful, thats why the winners/homesense cactus club has had problems, the parking lot and stores were on the same level when they opened, the parking lot is now a few steps lower, they had to add in stairs etc a few years ago

during the big one (earthquake) that area will liquify for sure

[officedweller]

Structiural engineering article on the Coquitlam IKEA:

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&...u2boG_sNtFyPpA

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

it used to be a landfill, that golf course there, the weird hill across the highway from IKEA was a landfill that got covered over decades ago. Its literally a mound of garbage covered over.

My friends grandmother grew up in maillairdville area and she said it was all marsh down there, where ikea, toys r us, casino etc is and over the years they filled it in with sawdust and whatever to make the land useful, thats why the winners/homesense cactus club has had problems, the parking lot and stores were on the same level when they opened, the parking lot is now a few steps lower, they had to add in stairs etc a few years ago

during the big one (earthquake) that area will liquify for sure

That is a common issue throught the area. As the buildings are all on piles and the parking lots are left. same goes for several bridges

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by jhausner

Interesting. My only hope is that if this happens along with what is happening along New West's water-front that it will kick-start Surrey into redoing its waterfront along the Fraser River. It is an industrial/trailer park wasteland for the most part right now for the most part.

I think it would be really great for the area to have a large residential/commercial swatch both sides of the river.

That area will need a lot to get moving. A theme park, stadium, or other draw would be a good starting point, imho. It's really disconnected from the rest of Surrey. Even more so than Fraser Mills.