[CC420]

^ Those NIMBY Greentimber people are pathetic. The plan as I know it, is to build the outpatient centre where a current building already stands. In fact the current property is off grounds to the public and is basically a large grass field. The greatest chunk of Greentimbers park is east of the proposed location.

On another Surrey note. A new crane most likely for the second tower of the Infinity project has been put up today. :banana: Looks like Jung Ventures found the additional investment required and then some because development of the two 37 story towers across the street seems to have been given the go ahead. No development signs have been posted; but, the long grass and most of the trees have been cut down. Looks as if a few hidden squatters have been exposed and are being evicted. :haha:

Nice model of CentralCity which I believe the new offical name for Surrey's City centre, Westcoast. Seems to me that there needs to be more development around the CentralCity tower. There are so many oversized and underused parking lots which could easily be developed in the gray are of the map. This would also help centralize the city centre instead of having a few tower hubs and some scattered highrises. If all the proposed towers in your model do get developed, it is still a good leap forward for Surrey.

[raggedy13]

Wow - that makes it look pretty spaced out.

Ya, definitely my first reaction. Thanks for putting that together, Westcoast604. I agree with CC420's last bit above as well. Also, I'm sure by the time all those towers are completed, there will be more central projects proposed and u/c that we haven't yet heard of that will fill in the gaps. I think the pace of development in Surrey's city centre has nowhere to go but up at this point. I'm sure a similar set of renderings showing the same area in 10 years would be dramatically different.

Out of curiosity, who here thinks that Surrey will have at least a 150m tower by 2017? I know I do.

[westcoast604]

Yeah i agree, the area will still be pretty sparse in terms of towers even after all these are completed, but from the ground in person it may seem a bit more dense. The view from Coquitlam will be dramatically improved. Already it is the best vantage point to see the Surrey skyline from. All the scattered towers happen to cluster infront of each other from that angle.

The area IMO will not lose its suburban feel until there is intensified development along King George Hwy from Infinity to Gateway. I've seen concept renderings with LRT and 5-storey buildings fronting the street with lush tree canopy's. Despite being merley a concept prepared by the city, it is a direction that the developer's will likely be encouraged to follow.

It would be nice to see the parking lot infront of Central City redeveloped into a mixed use grid, with pedestrian corridors and possibly 2 new roads linking up to the current mall access road running infront of the actual mall.

Good news on Infinity (2nd tower) and their other project across the street. D'cor and the 40 Storey Ultra should be following shortly I would imagine since their the only others actively marketing.

[SpongeG]

oh there was some kind of zoning board put up at the safeway parking lot on king george and 104th

I didn't catch what it said but it was something about dividing it up? maybe they will rebuild the safeway? get riod of the surface parking

[westcoast604]

Most likely a Subdivision application. I'll have to do some digging to find out more on that one, but sounds interesting. The majority of that parking lot is under-used even at the busiest times, so it makes sense for the land owner to sell as long as they still meet zoning by-law requirements for number of parking stalls vs floor area (this could be reduced for sites within the City Centre). My guess is that the parking lot on to the west of the building fronting the City Parkway would be sold off. This area is always empty and is prime for development along the emerging streetfront retail corridor of 135th st just below Surrey Central Station. Alternatively, it could be the corner of 104th & King George Highway which would be great. As it stands now that busy intersection is surrounded by a sea of ashphalt on 3 corners and a gas station on the other. :yuck:

That Safeway was renovated a few years back so its unlikely they would be doing that again so soon.

[98fb]

^ Those NIMBY Greentimber people are pathetic. The plan as I know it, is to build the outpatient centre where a current building already stands. In fact the current property is off grounds to the public and is basically a large grass field. The greatest chunk of Greentimbers park is east of the proposed location.

On another Surrey note. A new crane most likely for the second tower of the Infinity project has been put up today. :banana: Looks like Jung Ventures found the additional investment required and then some because development of the two 37 story towers across the street seems to have been given the go ahead. No development signs have been posted; but, the long grass and most of the trees have been cut down. Looks as if a few hidden squatters have been exposed and are being evicted. :haha:

Nice model of CentralCity which I believe the new offical name for Surrey's City centre, Westcoast. Seems to me that there needs to be more development around the CentralCity tower. There are so many oversized and underused parking lots which could easily be developed in the gray are of the map. This would also help centralize the city centre instead of having a few tower hubs and some scattered highrises. If all the proposed towers in your model do get developed, it is still a good leap forward for Surrey.

Thats awesome news

[westcoast604]

A few more views...as I said, it looks denser from the ground.

Looking north from King George Station:
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/8871/75178301hf3.jpg
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/6163/nclosezc2.jpg

Looking south from Gateway:
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2845/se2la4.jpg

[jlousa]

Same piece of industry news

Richmond
Riverport Hotel phase 2, will consist of two buildings, the hotel will be only 5 stories, the second building will be a 7 level parkade for 1524 parking stalls. Start date Mar/08. I can only assume this has to due with a park-ride for the skytrain station as previously discussed, otherwise it would be complete overkill.

[cc85]

FYI, there is a new 33 storey residential tower coming to Central City.

[SpongeG]

some stuff for the tri cities area


this first proposal is just south of hwy #1 - basically where skytrain crosses over Hwy #1

6 towers, 5,000 people part of North Rd. proposal

Busy North Road will get busier if Coquitlam council approves a proposed development that would include six highrises housing some 5,000 people.

CIVITAS Urban Design and Planning Inc. has applied to the city to rezone 27 acres of industrial land at 225 North Rd. to allow for mixed-use development there.

The proposed Brunette River Village would include housing in townhouses and apartments, including six towers. Substantial office floor space is also proposed (about 160,000 sq. ft.) in addition to some retail space.

The site — near both the Burnaby and New Westminster borders, and adjacent to the Brunette River — is currently used for warehousing and other light industrial purposes.

At a committee of the whole meeting Monday, Coquitlam councillors voted 6-3 to review the initial staff recommendation associated with the proposal at next week’s formal city council meeting.

Councillors Mae Reid, Richard Stewart and Brent Asmundson voted against the recommendation to direct staff to consult with stakeholders, and the applicant to hold public information meetings.

First reading of the OCP amendment application will not be considered until the fall.

“We’re ripe for redevelopment in that area,” Coun. Reid said but asked, “Where are we going to have room for a fire hall — because we’ll need it?”

Proposed nearby are two residential towers of 24 and 28 storeys, with stacked townhouses at 319 North Rd., the site of the Best Western Coquitlam Inn. That inn is also proposed to be converted into a 29-storey hotel, mixed-use buildings and a 14-storey “live-work” building fronting North Road. An OCP amendment is still required to facilitate that development.

Also planned in Coquitlam is the redevelopment of the 83.4-acre historic Fraser Mills site with mixed-use development including residential, commercial, recreational and more. Council ratified an OCP amendment to facilitate the development in March, although a development permit still needs to be issued.

The closest fire hall to the all three proposed developments is Austin Avenue at Nelson Street.

Coquitlam’s deputy fire chief, Al Dutton, told The Tri-City News the department will study access issues related to the proposed development and evaluate the length of time for response. He said the one access point could pose a challenge.

“It’s a little bit of a log jam,” he said. “We know that it’s going to be a challenge the way things are set up right now. It they stay status quo, it wouldn’t work for us.”

Mayor Maxine Wilson said consideration of a new fire hall will be included in the southwest Coquitlam area plan update underway. She called the proposal “quite exciting” and said several of its principles — such as its live-work concept — “are very excellent.”

“This is definitely building a legacy that could be very positive here,” Wilson said.

Coun. Lou Sekora agreed, calling the re-development of North Road crucial. Without it, “things will stay the same as they are” and tourists won’t be drawn to the area, he said.

He added that development cost charges paid by developers for infrastructure improvements related to the three proposed projects would be “huge” and would probably pay for a new fire station in the area.

But Coun. Asmundson red-flagged the city’s ailing stock of industrial land and said the development, if approved, would cut it even more.

An industrial land strategy (ILS) report presented to council in May found that although two-thirds of businesses occupying Coquitlam’s industrial land expect to expand during the next five years, there’s not enough space for them to do so. The strategy report revealed that virtually all of the city’s industrial land is developed, with only 36 acres — or 4.3% — vacant (including the 12 acres planned for continued industrial use on the Fraser Mills site).

“Given the limited amount of industrial land available for development and redevelopment in Coquitlam, conversion to non-employment-generating activities should be discouraged, despite the intensifying market pressure to do just that,” the ILS says.

Although council discussed the report during an in camera retreat last month, it has not been debated publicly. That means a technical review to prepare for some of the zoning and OCP amendments recommended in the report, to help protect the city’s remaining stock of industrial land, is in limbo.

http://www.tricitynews.com/

PoCo wants more towers in downtown

Four companies are on the shortlist to build up to four residential towers on the former city works yard in downtown Port Coquitlam.

Monday, the city named Barco Canada–Alliance Canada Trust, ParkLane Homes, Townline Group of Companies and the Windmill Development Group as the contenders to buy and develop the 4.3-acre site at 2170 Kelly Ave.

Monday night, councillors gave third reading to an official community plan amendment to allow high-density development on the site.

The city, which is selling the land south of the PoCo rec centre for about $9 million, wants a mixed-use development with up to four highrises, commercial space and a daycare. The towers are expected to meet a silver LEED (Leadership through Energy and Environmental Design) standard.

Kim Fowler, PoCo’s director of development services, said an evaluation committee of five staff will sift through the request for proposals after the Sept. 28 deadline. And in October, the four candidates will unveil their proposals before the public as part of the study.

The submissions will not be detailed but points will be awarded to candidates that show innovation in design.

“We’re giving them a sandbox, not a straight-jacket,” Fowler said, noting the four proponents “bring different strengths to the table and we’re quite encouraged at the level that’s before us.”

Once the committee makes its recommendations, city council will have the final say on who builds — and remediates — the site, Fowler said (the city has removed hydrocarbons but leftover road salt still contaminates the works yard).

Some details on the shortlisted companies:

• Barco Canada is partnering with Merrick Architecture, is a multi-national company that’s building the O2 condo highrise in Vancouver’s West End.

• ParkLane Homes is the Georgie-award home builder of such ground-level projects as the Heritage Woods community in Port Moody and, soon, the Labatt’s site in New Westminster.

• Townline Group is the developer of Coquitlam’s Ikea, Lougheed Super Centre (strip mall with Cactus Club at Lougheed and Schoolhouse) and, soon, 52 acres in PoCo’s Dominion Triangle.

• Windmill Development Group is builder of the 15-acre master-planned waterfront community called Dockside Green in Victoria, which is expected to meet the LEED platinum standard.

The former works yard is one of several land holdings the city is putting on the market over the next few years to pay for upcoming capital works. Other future land sales include:

• 2560 Pitt River Rd.: a two-acre site for compact townhouse development;

• 1932-1956 McLean Ave.: a 0.7-acre site for a single-family subdivision;

• 2230-2252 Kingsway Ave.: a 0.7-acre site for a live/work unit;

• South Shaughnessy lands: 28 acres for single- and multi-family residences; and

• Coquitlam River lands: 18 acres off Kingsway Avenue for multi-family residential.

Last month, city council gave third reading to rezone the former site a Shell gas station at the corner of Shaughnessy Street and Lions Way, next to Lions Park, for a 26-storey highrise — the first tower for Port Coquitlam.

[hollywoodnorth]

wow the nroth road site is this one >> http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=225+North+Rd,+Coquitlam&sll=49.28482,-122.79394&sspn=0.225741,0.475159&ie=UTF8&ll=49.238715,-122.888432&spn=0.007061,0.014849&t=h&z=16&om=1

[David]

great. North Road is already a complete mess most of the day.

[officedweller]

That's the old Crane Canada site - as in bathroom fixtures - I recall they had some issues with a porcelain landfill on the site.

[SpongeG]

so just north of hwy one will be 6 towers - 2 for Cora being built nowe, and 4 for the hotel site and than 6 more to the south

should be a nice welcome into the area arriving amongst the towers

there was a rendering in the newspaper for the poco site - it lookes interesting - 3 buildings lined up exactly the same with the 4th off to the side completely different from the other 3

edit: took a pic from the paper... not the best but it gives an idea at least

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02172.jpg

[jlousa]

Some news for Surrey,

New school board building at 142nd +56Ave to consolidate all offices into one building. $46 Million, start late/07 early/08

Morgan crossing data,

Broken into 4 sections to be started early/08

1) 2709m2 threatre and 1158m2 for 2 restaurants.
2) 11356m2 including CRU + 202 condo units
3) 11038m2 CRU + 1464m2 restaurant + 776m2 restaurant
4) 36900m2 including CRU + 245 condo units

quite the large development once you add it all up, unforunately nothing over 4 storeys.

[officedweller]

edit: took a pic from the paper... not the best but it gives an idea at least

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02172.jpg

Thanks - looks like something out of the 1970s (not in a good way).

[cc85]

morgan crossing is a huge file - three sections to go through! There must be some good things associated with it for it to be that big.

Don't bet on anything over four stories for South Surrey. Frankly the only areas of Surrey that have anything of that size is Whalley/Central City and Guildford - it will stay that way for a while (NCP's dont lie :P).

[Bert]

The land has been cleared for Building 12 (http://www.discoveryparks.com/Building_Portfolio/specs-DP_BLDG12.asp) (at Canada Way & Gilmore) of the Discovery Parks office park in Burnaby. Also, a new fire station is going in across Canada Way.

[SpongeG]

ah - i wondered what was going to go where that old house was - it didn't seem like they could put too much there - a fire station is about the right size

[vanman]

Thanks - looks like something out of the 1970s (not in a good way).

That render is probably quite preliminary, it looks too vague to be a final design.

[officedweller]

Nice Global Air Photo showing downtown New West with The Point and Quantum mid picture and the Plaza 88 project to the far left.

http://www.globalairphotos.com/images/bc/new_westminster/2007/nwh2007_095.jpg

Another of the The Point and Quantum - you can see that Quantum is built right over the Skytrain guideway tunnel:

http://www.globalairphotos.com/images/bc/new_westminster/2007/nwh2007_092.jpg

[SpongeG]

Central City sold for $245.75m

Surrey's award winning Central City development has been sold for $245.75 million in what is believed to be British Columbia's biggest real estate deal in history for a single property.

Once dismissed as a monument to the incompetence of the province's last NDP government, the development has been bought by a consortium of unidentified pension funds.

The sale dwarfs last year's biggest transaction, the $150-million sale of the Telus headquarters on Kingsway in Burnaby, and the sale of Burrard Street's Park Place office tower in the $160-million range a few years ago.

"It is certainly one of the largest sales ever in British Columbia history," Kevin Meikle, Central City's realtor and a vice-president of Cushman & Wakefield LePage, said in an interview today.

The deal brings a net profit of about $39 million to the sellers, the Insurance Corp. of B.C., which had previously written off $141 million of the property's value due to loss of tenants and poor market conditions.

Today, the development's 1.5 million square feet of offices and shops are virtually fully let to long-term tenants and Surrey is acknowledged as one of the fastest growing municipalities in Canada.

"Certainly most prosective buyers bought into the wave of Surrey growth and the successful rebranding of Whalley as its city centre," Meikle said. "There are lots of young families moving into the area, which is especially good for retail, and from an office point of view, it's a strong A-class building just 35 minutes from downtown Vancouver by SkyTrain."

The property attracted more than 10 purchase offers from around the world.

In 2004, it was the winner of an international real estate association's special jury award as the world's best overall new development for its combination of stunning architecture and building innovation. It was cited for providing an environment that inspires team performance and creativity.

The sale is the culmination of a remarkable turnaround story for ICBC which spent $182 million to build Surrey Central's 25-storey office tower atop an existing mall which it purchased for $49 million in 1999.

ICBC has intended to occupy the tower, along with Tech BC, a new university planned by the previous government, but when ICBC downsized by about 1,000 people, and the Liberals pulled the plug on Tech BC, the tower was left vacant in a slow market.

In 2001, an independent appraisal prompted a writedown of $100 million, followed by a further $41 million. The NDP-initiated development was described by former provincial finance minister Gary Collins as a scandal on the same scale as the fast ferry fiasco.

"No cost was spared," Collins scoffed. "The only difference between this and the fast ferries is that this one doesn't move."

But two years later, the Liberals were back at the same location to shell out $70 million to acquire 305,000 square feet of the property as the Surrey campus of Simon Fraser University.

ICBC decided to offload the rest of the development, including 570,000 square feet of office tower and podium space, and 490,000 square feet of retail mall space, because it represented too much money tied up in a single investment.

The proceeds will be reinvested to help keep ICBC's rates low and stable, said Doug McClelland, media relations manager.

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/8975269b-0529-4353-a446-596d133824d2/sun0222b-central.jpg?size=l


http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=3a9471f0-a405-473d-b3c5-35371b40b241&k=48427

[SpongeG]

Community will have final word on Coquitlam development, mayor says

VANCOUVER -- Coquitlam Mayor Maxine Wilson says the province has assured her that the community will have the final say over the future of the historic Riverview lands, one of the last green havens for people in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

"We won't be overridden with any government decision ... At the end of the day, the community will decide what the future of Riverview is," Ms. Wilson said.

And, despite the province's proposal to develop private real estate on the site, she says, the community's message remains clear: no private housing.

On Friday, the minister responsible for housing, Rich Coleman, announced plans for as many as 7,000 units to be built on the 98 hectares that is home to the closing Riverview Psychiatric Hospital. The proposal calls for the erection of condos, single-family houses and social and supportive housing and beds for those in need of mental-health care.

The abrupt announcement stunned Ms. Wilson and the Coquitlam council, which has long said that any development at Riverview should preserve the heritage buildings and arboretum, and that the land should remain in public hands.

On Monday, Ms. Wilson and City Councillor Fin Donnelly met with Mr. Coleman to discuss their qualms about the proposed project.

Mr. Coleman would not comment. But Ms. Wilson said the minister assured her there would be "full consultation" with the community, and their wishes would be respected.

"We have to make sure that the government understands and ensure this legacy is left for the community - to have a park-like setting and residential treatment centre for people with mental illnesses," she said.

At Monday's council meeting, the last one until September, council passed a motion reaffirming this stand. They again backed the recommendations, which came out of the Riverview Task Force Report, the result of two years of community consultation.

The Kwikwetlem First Nation has also said it vows to fight any unwanted development at Riverview, which falls on its traditional lands.

"If you want to build, build on the existing footprint," Mr. Donnelly said. "Retain the sanctuary that the Riverview lands are."

The site still holds an active treatment hospital, with about 300 mental-health patients. These patients are slowly being transferred out of the aging hospital to other sites around the province, under the Riverview Redevelopment Project. The project began in 2002 and once all patients are transferred, the site is set to close.

Riverview also boasts an arboretum and a lush botanical garden. It was Western Canada's first true botanical garden, according to the task force report. "This is like the Stanley Park of the northeast sector of the Lower Mainland," Mr. Donnelly said.

He said he was assured that Mr. Coleman said the city would have two liaisons when the project consultation process begins. However, his fears about the development have not been alleviated.

"I definitely appreciated the meeting and the information and the assurance that we will be a part of that," he said. "But I'm still concerned [about] what could potentially happen on those lands."

Diane Thorne, MLA for Coquitlam-Malliardville and NDP housing critic, is skeptical that the community's voice will trump the province's.

"This I have to see," she said. "This will be totally not what I would expect to happen, but I look forward to being pleasantly surprised."

She cited bills which the B.C. government has passed in recent years, including Bill 75, which she said gives the province sweeping powers over municipalities.

"That's why people are very, very nervous about this kind of proposal," she said. "They're afraid that in the end, no matter what they want, the province has the power to override municipal decisions."




http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070801.BCRIVERVIEW01/TPStory/National

[jlousa]

Lots of news today.

BBY
New Westcoast express station for north bby, site undetermined, update fall/07

6208 Wilson Ave/6201 Kathleen Ave 29 stories, 3 levels of u/g parking 134 stalls, 170612sqft, 130 condo units, + 4 townhouses. Start late/07

6669 Kingsway, 24 stories, 3 u/g, update fall/07


Surrey

$230Million redevelopment of Guildford mall, including add 80,000sqft, new food court+9cru atop new 2 level 717stall parkade. Demo of existing Walmart and construction of new Super Walmart 20,438m2 including retail+grocery sections Start Oct/07

Optima 105A +Whalley Ring Rd, 3 structures, 21 Stories, 3 levels u/g parking, 24189m2, Phase 1 78units, Phase2 66units, Phase 3 65 units. Nov/07

[mr.x]

Demo of existing Walmart and construction of new Super Walmart 20,438m2 including retail+grocery sections Start Oct/07

great....now they have Super Walmarts, as if Walmart as it is isn't bad enough.

[BattleAxe]

There is a 6 story lowrise building under construction on 104th ave, just off 144 st where that foundation had been left for that past 7 years or so.http://www.parkcentralliving.com

Glad to hear about the $230 million investment into guildford mall. I have no problem with a "super Walmart", as long as it looks good. People only give WalMart a hard time due to the fact that its a successful "American" big box store. Rock on ;)

[officedweller]

Optima is the prefab one, isn't it? They must have overcome their financial problems.

The MCMP site has info on Guildford - sounds like a standard mall addition and a way to jazz up the roof top parking above the Wal-Mart - that's about it.

Guildford Town Centre Expansion
Surrey, BC

The Guildford Town Centre (GTC) project is a renovation and 414,100 sq.ft. retail expansion of an existing mall, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. The primary objective of the project is to position GTC to regain its market share and to integrate and modernize a new identity for the centre, capitalizing on its location.

The main elements of the expansion are the construction of a new 212,000 sq.ft. Wal*Mart Supercentre on one level with roof top parking above, two new parkades accommodating 5,870 parking stalls, and a two-level 212,100 sq.ft. addition to the south of the existing centre, which will be the home to a new feature food court and new, high-end tenants.

The ‘Nature Walk’ is a well landscaped, north-south oriented pedestrian collector from the upper level parking. The concentration of trees and landscape in the Nature Walk has also rationalized the reduced but well-placed landscape in other areas on the structural concrete deck. In its center, a pavilion atrium housing a set of escalators announces the presence of the Wal*Mart store on the lower level. The ‘Terrace Steps’ allow easy access to the upper level separating the pedestrian flow from the vehicular flow to the mall. Passing the reflecting pool at the foot of the feature waterfall pedestrians are drawn deep into the site on the lower level along a treed walkway, well lit by natural light from a very generous 40-foot opening over the extent of the lower ‘Terrace Walk’.

This project is a collaboration between MCM and Callison. http://www.callison.com/

http://www.mcmparchitects.com/projects.cfm?projectID=160

http://www.mcmparchitects.com/img/photos/GTC%20152nd%20and%20village%20entry.jpg

http://www.mcmparchitects.com/img/photos/GTC%20Pavilion_perspective.jpg

http://www.mcmparchitects.com/img/photos/GTC%20Village.jpg

http://www.mcmparchitects.com/img/photos/GTC%20Ped%20view_terrace%20steps.jpg

http://www.mcmparchitects.com/img/photos/GTC%20Masterplan-cropped.jpg

http://www.mcmparchitects.com/img/photos/GTC%20Lower%20Terrace.jpg

[officedweller]

Gordon Price has a blurb on the proposed National Maritime Centre in North Vancouver:

http://pricetags.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/another-launch-in-north-van/

http://pricetags.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/nmc-1.jpg

[bils]

This may be off-topic, but does anyone know why there's a "Wynn International" office located on Saba Road in Richmond? (Yes, with the "Wynn" signature). I was driving by the area this evening when I noticed the signage, to my surprise...

[SpongeG]

wynn makes a lot of the slot machines

i think

i recall seeing on the slot machines around that they say WYNN

I will have to look again when i go

[SpongeG]

great....now they have Super Walmarts, as if Walmart as it is isn't bad enough.

super walmart is so much better - you wouldn't think it but the selection is much greater

I know for instance there are a ton of items i buy at the marysville super walmart that aren't available at the bellingham walmart

nice to see guildford get updated - its so gross inside

[bils]

wynn makes a lot of the slot machines

i think

i recall seeing on the slot machines around that they say WYNN

I will have to look again when i go

i know this is richmond and we have a casino ... but still....

[SunCoaster]

nice to see guildford get updated - its so gross inside

:previous: Agreed ... The interior of GTC is the fuggliest piece of crap in the GVRD ...

I'm happy to see the expansion but, it's the renovation/upgrade that I'm excited about ...

Any of you GVRD forumers have the contruction timeline etc for this project?

[jlousa]

I don't know the expected finish date, but work is starting very soon, probably spt/oct, and it's being led by Ledcor who is also doing the Pacific centre work.

[SpongeG]

i know this is richmond and we have a casino ... but still....

well they need a local supplier maker for the areas slot machines... :shrug:

[SpongeG]

:previous: Agreed ... The interior of GTC is the fuggliest piece of crap in the GVRD ...

I'm happy to see the expansion but, it's the renovation/upgrade that I'm excited about ...

Any of you GVRD forumers have the contruction timeline etc for this project?

it appears the walmart will be demolished starting october 2007

I imagine it will be ready in time for christmas 2008 if not sooner :shrug:

[SpongeG]

(Golden Ears) Bridge eagles a U.S. design

The golden eagles that will grace the top of the Golden Ears Bridge will be a creation of an Idaho artist, nominated for that state's Excellence in the Arts award three times.

Bernie Jestrabeck-Hart is a specialist in metalwork sculpture. Her artwork is on permanent display in a dozen locations across the western U.S.

Her design was chosen over two others that made the shortlist, one submitted by two Vancouver artists, Dan Bushnell and Billy Turner, the other by Kevin Stone, a metal sculpturer from Chilliwack.

The decision was made by a selection team composed of a design engineer and an architect from the Golden Crossing Constructors Joint Venture.

The shortlist of three was drawn from a total of eight responses that came from a call in 2006 for submissions to B.C. art schools, arts councils, websites and the Katzie First Nation.

Maple Ridge Coun. Ernie Daykin had a first look at the design Thursday.

"I like the fact that the wings are spread. It's not an eagle sitting there," he said.

"It looks like it's about to either take flight or take off."

Daykin said he didn't mind that it was a U.S. artist that won the competition, noting eagles are in both countries.

Pitt Meadows Mayor Don MacLean likes the design, too, saying it's realistic and it looks like an eagle and ties in with the native theme of the bridge.

"I think it looks pretty good. I don't see anything wrong with it."

The eagle sculptures will be posted atop the towers on the cable-stayed bridge, two at each end.

They'll be the crowning touch to the $808-million bridge that's set to open in July 2009, joining Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge to Langley and Surrey.

The eagle motif fits with the name Golden Ears, because of that name's link to golden aeries, which means eagle's nest, which may have been the predecessor to Golden Ears.

Other artistic touches for the bridge include fences designed to resemble native fish traps, while lanterns will also add to the native theme.

According to the Golden Ears Bridge website, native trees, shrubs and grasses planted along the approaches to the bridge "will build a sense of harmony along the corridor and help to integrate the facility within the region."

Meanwhile, work continues on the bridge.

Construction of the "legs," or piers, of the bridge has started on two of four foundations that are now in the Fraser River.

All of the legs should be complete by next March.

"At that point, we should be starting to do the deck," said Ian McLeod, spokesman for Golden Crossing Contractors Joint Venture.

The project is being timed to open just months before the new Pitt River Bridge, a seven-lane structure that's currently pegged to cost $198 million and due for completion in November 2009.

Work started this past week on two of four piers in the Pitt river bed.

"At this point, we're on schedule, so things are moving along," said Susan Williams, with the Gateway Program, the provincial agency which is building the bridge.

Like the Golden Ears, the Pitt River Bridge will be a cable-stayed design, with cables fixed to towers.

Before the foundations actually start to rise out of the river, pilings – two-metre-wide pipes of 2.5-centimetre-thick steel – have to be hammered, or vibrated, down through the 100 metres of river silt and clay. That should be completed in six months, after which work can start on the pylons, or piers. By this time next year, construction of the deck of the Pitt River Bridge should be underway.

Once the bridge is open and traffic is flowing on it, dismantling of the existing Pitt River Bridge will begin. The new bridge will be built between the two existing spans, and in some spots there is only seven metres of clearance.

http://web.bcnewsgroup.com/portals/uploads/mapleridge/.DIR288/Golden_Ears_Eagle_c_070804.jpg
The Golden Ears Bridge will be adorned with four metal sculptures of wing-spread eagles.



http://www.mapleridgenews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=46&cat=23&id=1038813&more=0

[SpongeG]

i didn't know the Salvation Armt was moving in

does anyone know whats going to happen to the old Salvation army? which is across the street

Restoration of a city landmark

It means a lot when architect Eric Pattison, who’s known for his work around New Westminster and the region on historical projects, says the restoration of the former B.C. Electric Building is some of the most important heritage work he’s done.

“We would rate this very high [in heritage significance],” said Pattison. “I would rank it way up there.”

Work on the 1911 building, located in the 700-block of Columbia Street, is nearly complete and its opening will be a historical moment of sorts for the city and the structure. As much as possible, features of the building have been uncovered to reveal the “historically significant” building’s original look. For example, with careful work the brick front side, facing Columbia, has been uncovered after more than 50 years of being hidden by stucco.

“It’s been a challenge because structurally the building is very unusual. It’s a big square box with a hole in it,” said Pattison referring to the three entrances where the large interurban cars entered the building from its west side. “It’s almost like a bridge.”

In addition, the timber piles for the building have deteriorated, causing it to settle unevenly. New piles had to be put in to create greater stability.

The new owners of the building are the Salvation Army, which will use it as a thrift store. But it’s not just any thrift store, said Trudi Campen, district retail manager for the Salvation Army. It will be the West Coast’s flagship store for the Christian social service organization. They plan to open the store Saturday, Aug. 25.

“Once in a while you hear a train whistle,” Campen said, referring to the building’s original purpose as a station for B.C. Electric interurban tram cars that travelled from Vancouver to Chilliwack.

She also noted that the Salvation Army has actually been in the city longer that the building they now occupy.

The Salvation Army bought the building after selling its former thrift store at Blackie Street and Columbia to developer Degelder Group.

When the building next to the B.C. Electric was purchased by Ballenas Project Management, that developer purchased the unused density from the B.C. Electric building, money which is currently being used for its restoration.

Pattison is pleased with the restoration work. On the inside, the space has been opened up and the window openings are finally being allowed to let the light in like they once did. The tree-sized solid fir beams have been uncovered to reveal the wood texture.

One of the hurdles for those restoring the building was removing the exterior stucco covering up the original brickwork. On the north side they were easily able to take off the finish, which had been applied in the 1950s. But they couldn’t remove it on the south and west sides without destroying the bricks. The stucco had attached to the brickwork like glue because of greater exposure to the sun.

But even on the north side they had to deal with deteriorated and damaged brick. They were faced with replacing bricks but found a perfect match because the original brick making plant is still in operation in Abbotsford.

“We were fortunate to have one of the best brick restoration guys on the [West] Coast,” said Pattison.

It turns out the Clayburn plant in Abbotsford was run by Charles Maclure, the brother of Samuel Maclure, the architect of the B.C. Electric building.

“The brick is called stratton red and they still make it, so that’s the original brick,” he said. “He toothed the old in with the new so you can hardly tell.”

On the sides where they can’t remove the stucco, it will be restored as well. The stucco was applied in 1954 and that’s historically significant, said Pattison. In that era, Columbia Street was referred to as the “Golden Mile,” because the strip had the highest retail value in North America.

Like a historian, Pattison has managed to find out some interesting details of the building. For example, B.C. Electric Railway Company was created by British railway capitalists who purchased a variety of smaller street car companies and merged them into one. When they built the electric interurban line out into the Fraser Valley, they also brought electricity to those communities. Much of the early development occurred around the interurban stations.

At its peak it was the longest interurban line in North America and the B.C. Electric building was its headquarters.

The building was officially opened in 1912 when the Duke of Connaught attended a ceremony.

With the restoration nearly complete, Pattison considers himself fortunate to have been part of it.

“One reason why I really enjoy working on heritage buildings, because I feel a heightened sense of responsibility or integrity about the whole process. It’s more cultural. It’s like designing an art gallery or museum. It’s an important thing for me.”


http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=41&cat=23&id=1038779&more=0

[vanman]

The Salvation Army bought the building after selling its former thrift store at Blackie Street and Columbia to developer Degelder Group.


Degelder group is the developer building Plaza88 @ NW station. I belive the old Slavation Army will be demolished to make way for the 150 000 sf mall section of the Plaza 88 project.

[SpongeG]

ah - i thought maybe - but i thought the old building was heritage...

[vanman]

I kind of thought that myself, but I guess apparantly not. From what I remember of the site plans that corner facing Columbia will definitely be new mall.

[cc85]

It's great to see the GTC redevelopment go ahead, the increase in services will work well with a new tower complex project planned in the Guildford Town Centre area.

[SpongeG]

Redevelopment funding for Fort Langley
Aug, 06 2007 - 2:40 PM


VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - The township of Langley will receive provincial funding for the redevelopment of its Fort Langley waterfront.
The BC government has kicked in $337,000 dollars as part of its BC Spirit Square program to help communities throughout the province create or improve their outdoor spaces.

The township will use the money to establish a centre square and gathering place along the newly-redeveloped Fort Langley waterfront, utilizing green space and historical features.

http://www.cknw.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428218912&rem=71733&red=80121823aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm

[BattleAxe]

It's great to see the GTC redevelopment go ahead, the increase in services will work well with a new tower complex project planned in the Guildford Town Centre area.

where did you hear about this tower complex project?

[204]

This may be off-topic, but does anyone know why there's a "Wynn International" office located on Saba Road in Richmond? (Yes, with the "Wynn" signature). I was driving by the area this evening when I noticed the signage, to my surprise...

Is it Wynn or Wynn's?

Because Wynn's International, a manufacturer, has a warehouse in Richmond.

[BattleAxe]

Just thought i'd put up a link that has a picture of 2 new highrises set to go up in the Gateway area of Surrey.http://www.citypoint.ca/ :banana:

[SFUVancouver]

Just thought i'd put up a link that has a picture of 2 new highrises set to go up in the Gateway area of Surrey.http://www.citypoint.ca/ :banana:

Here is the render from their ad website.

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/3682/citypointrendersurreygahs4.png

Image courtesy of http://www.citypoint.ca/ (cropped by me)

[cc85]

where did you hear about this tower complex project?

shhhh, it's a possibility that i've learned about, its :censor:

[SpongeG]

a crime if it goes ahead - guildford is bad enough now with traffic - at least surrey central has skytrain

[Lead]

they should expand skytrain to guildford...i mean its not that big of an expansion really but it'd help so much

[officedweller]

LRT is planned to Guildford.

[204]

Dense Canadian suburb gives Tigard an anti-sprawl antidote

New downtown - Elected officials and business owners like how Port Moody, B.C., used the community's ideas

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

JOHN FOYSTON

The Oregonian

TIGARD -- As Portland has looked to Vancouver, B.C., and Beaverton to Bellevue, Wash., Tigard's search for inspiration to revitalize its downtown recently led a group of citizens and city staffers north to Port Moody, B.C.

The suburb of about 30,000 people is known for its vibrant, dense urban center 16 miles east of Vancouver. Over several years, the town's City Council managed to work with developers to build that compact downtown while preserving the surrounding open space residents called a priority. Now, urban planners hold up the result as a progressive antidote to sprawl.

In Tigard, where the sleepy downtown is a 146-acre area bounded by Fanno Creek, Hall Boulevard and Oregon 99W, the city has put together a similarly ambitious plan. The goal, backed by voters' move to create a downtown urban renewal district in May 2006: transform a smattering of old storefronts and vacant buildings into the bustling hub of a suburban city.

Although participants agreed that Port Moody-style midrise towers aren't necessarily appropriate in Tigard, they were inspired by the city center and the approach that got it built.

"What astounded me about Port Moody was the process and their attitude toward community involvement," said Lisa Olson, a marketing strategist serving on several citizen groups planning the new Tigard downtown who has lived in the area for 17 years.

"Port Moody's downtown was a conscious decision by the council and the residents, it didn't just come about by luck," Olson said. "I was impressed by how the city worked with the developers and by how much more flexibility they had because their laws are different. But it was a very community-driven project with city government providing the guidance."

Tigard is not the first local city to look north. Portland has looked at the Vancouver, B.C., area's solutions to density for good reason, said Carl Hosticka, the Metro councilor for District 3, which includes the southern half of Washington County.

"If you add in Clark County," he said, "the Portland metropolitan area has about the same population as the Vancouver, B.C., metropolitan area, yet they do it on half the land base that we have."

That understanding is part of what drives Metro's Get Centered program, a multiyear effort to encourage local cities to build lively, mixed-use urban centers that create a sense of place and community. Such centers are the key to maintaining livable communities and the region's natural beauty, and Metro's Plan 2040 designates nearly 40 centers throughout the region and calls for growth concentrated in these centers, as well as along transit corridors.

As part of that program, Metro has sent two groups of officials and citizens to the Vancouver area in the past year, and the Tigard trip to Port Moody was a direct offshoot of those.

"It's very impressive how they deal with transportation and population density," said Sydney Sherwood, Tigard City Council president. "We're dealing with the same issues, and seeing examples of how to do it helps us visualize solutions -- not that we can or want to copy everything."

She and city council member Nick Wilson were part of an earlier Metro-sponsored trip to the area and came away so impressed by Port Moody that they urged the city to send a group of its own.

"Port Moody has relatively high density in its urban center, but it doesn't feel that way thanks to all the open space," said Phil Nachbar, Tigard redevelopment director. Because the downtown includes midrise towers and mixed-use development, Port Moody concentrates its population and has an average of 125 acres of open space per 1,000 residents compared with Tigard's eight acres per 1,000 people, he said.

Nachbar was among the 15 city staffers, city councilors, advisory committee and planning commission members who took a chartered bus to Port Moody late last month for the city-paid, day-and-a-half trip.

"It was really a worthwhile trip, even though not everything we saw is applicable," City Manager Craig Prosser said. "I liked their approach to urban spaces, how they created walkable areas and vibrant streetscapes. But the best advice we got was to know exactly what you want and to be strong in moving toward that goal."

"One of the lessons we learned," Nachbar said, "was that if we're trying to establish a strong residential component to the new downtown, we have to create a strong ambience and quality of life -- we have to make it a place where people want to live."

John Foyston: 503-294-5976; johnfoyston@news.oregonian.com



©2007 The Oregonian

[SpongeG]

i wonder what they mean by "downtown" do they mean New Port or the Barnet highway?

new port is ok for what it is - barnet hwy is well a through route for the most part and is underdeveloped probably cause no one wants to live on a highway??

[SFUVancouver]

Some Burnaby Projects – All photos taken by me.

http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/1561/brentwoodgateconstructigq8.jpg
A new crane going up at Brentwood Gate – August 8th

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/2165/brentwoodgateconstructifg4.jpg
Slow progress on the tower at Brentwood Gate – August 8th

http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/8296/citiandmotifconstructiodu8.jpg
Citi and Motif excavation progress – August 8th

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/6743/legacyinburnabyaug82007rg5.jpg
Legacy progress – August 8th

[SpongeG]

nice

the road infront of legacy has finally been paved

[officedweller]

Nice pics.

[vanman]

Nice Pics SFU. I drove by Brentwood Gate a couple days ago and having not seen it before was surprised how large that site is in reality.

[SpongeG]

it looked so small when it was covered in trees - and i think there was only 5 houses and a service station on it

when i heard they were putting up 7 buildings i thought where?? but once it was cleared/revealed the size was quite large

[SpongeG]

heres a pic of cora 2 taken august 10

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02174.jpg

[PitBoss]

Anyone have the scoop on Ultra, a 40-storey tower going up alongside Central City. I have a webmail and they are marketing in the fall this year with a new type of marketing. Any other info available?

[SunCoaster]

Does anyone have info on the proposed "City Point" twin tower project for Surrey? I found the following website but, it's short on details ....

http://www.citypoint.ca/

[SpongeG]

is that the one that was going to be an 80 storey and they turned it into two 40 storeys?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/twotowerselevationdb6.jpg

[SpongeG]

someone asked about Ultra

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/ultrasurrey.jpg

Living in Surrey City Centre is about to hit new heights with Ultra: glass, steel and concrete construction rising high above Urban Village. Our first phases sold in hours. Ultra will be sold first come first served. So be good to yourself. Register on our website today. You have nothing to lose and a new way if life to gain. Ultra IS the ultimate location.

[raggedy13]

is that the one that was going to be an 80 storey and they turned it into two 40 storeys?

No I think City Point is a different one. It is going to be by Gateway while that 80 storey one that got split (shown in the pic you posted) is supposed to be by King George Station, something like across the street from Infinity.

[SpongeG]

motif at citi

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/motifatciti.jpg

[cc85]

what kind of information were you people looking for regarding those surrey projects?

[SunCoaster]

:previous: Renderings, heights, cladding, amenities, start/completion dates, location, how 'solid' the proposals are etc... In other words the basic compilation of 'stuff' we look for when discussing/contemplating any proposed new project regardless of what city the project is to be located in ...

Any insights/insider info you may have is certainly welcomed and appreciated :tup:

[vanman]

The crane is up for Axis in Burnaby . The building is only 15 floors but it will include retail facing Kingsway. It will also fill in one of the last remaining empty lots in the area. There is an auto shop/small dealership next door which I believe has already been upzoned by the city. Esprit, which is under construction only two blocks away, will also have street facing retail/commercial. The only empty lot left in the area is a former gas station across the street. Once it is redeveloped there will be a continuous wall of retail for 4 blocks east to Edmonds st. This would have been unfathomable only 5 years ago when the majority of lots on this part of Kingsway sat vacant. I've lived in the area for the last ten years and have noticed a dramatic increase in pedestrian traffic, especially after the opening of HighGate Village:tup:

[SFUVancouver]

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/4280/watercoloursburnabyaugutg4.jpg
*Taken by me, August 13th

[SpongeG]

oma 2 and watercolours are now visible from willingdon

[cc85]

:previous: Renderings, heights, cladding, amenities, start/completion dates, location, how 'solid' the proposals are etc... In other words the basic compilation of 'stuff' we look for when discussing/contemplating any proposed new project regardless of what city the project is to be located in ...

Any insights/insider info you may have is certainly welcomed and appreciated :tup:

haha, i can get all of that. i just don't have the time to find all of it out. quite unfortunate:sly:

[SFUVancouver]

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3433/tandemstreetscape2inburfk2.jpg
OMA 2 under construction beside Tandem in Burnaby.
In my opinion this is how you take a suburban street and make it a successful urban streetscape.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6181/heronbytandaminburnabyazr8.jpg
I was wandering through the new "wetland" area behind the Tandem development when a heron awkwardly landed in the water a couple of feet in front of me.
Startled, I snapped off a single shot that is actually the best animal photograph I've ever taken.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9851/lougheedvillagebrutalisjd8.jpg
An amazing brutalist relic at the entrance to Lougheed Village.
I know it isn’t new construction but it is just so out there that I snapped a photo.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7949/silhouetteincoquitlamauuy3.jpg
Silhouette construction progress in Coquitlam.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/502/coratowersincoquitlamauye9.jpg
Cora II construction progress in Coquitlam.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1228/productionstationofficebb8.jpg
Lake City Centre office building at Production Way/SFU SkyTrain station in Burnaby.

* photos by me (SFUVancouver on SSP/Vancouverite on SSC) on August 13th

[vanman]

Great Pics. I have never seen a blue heron in Burnaby before. They mainly stick to the beaches such as wreck, white rock and even english bay. I'm surprised to hear that they are being found in a newly created (or restored) wetland. That has to be a good sign.

[officedweller]

Nice shots.
Yeah, whenever you wait to take a shot of wildlife, they shy away from you and you never see their eyes.

Dawson St. looks good!

[SpongeG]

New Pitt River bridge pier pilings push envelope

The construction of the pilings supporting the piers for the new Pitt River bridge will be pushing the envelope from what is normally seen in B.C. bridge construction, says Peter Kiewet Sons Ltd. project manager Ross Gilmour. “For piles of this size and the depth to which they are being driven, for all intensive purposes, we are pushing the envelope of what has been done. It is not the biggest pipe or the deepest in the world but it is on the edge of the envelope,” he says.

The Pitt River Bridge and Mary Hill Interchange Project includes a new fixed bridge to replace the existing swing bridges and an interchange to replace the existing Lougheed Highway and the Mary Hill Bypass intersection. The project is a stand-alone component of the North Fraser Perimeter Road Project.

http://www.journalofcommerce.com/images/archivesid/24033/800.jpg
Ministry of Transportation

Pilings are being driven to a depth of 100 metres to support the piers for the new bridge. By comparison, the depth of piers driven for the existing bridge was 60 metres.

The new cable-stayed bridge will be located between the existing, 1970-built bridge and a railway bridge. It will have three westbound lanes and four eastbound on opening day. It will also provide up to 16 metres of vertical marine clearance, as well as providing facilities for cyclists and pedestrians. The federal and provincial governments are funding the project. As part of its recent Asia-Pacific Gateway & Corridor Initiative, the Government of Canada has committed $90 million in funding for costs associated with the construction of the bridge and a new grade-separated interchange at Lougheed Highway and Mary Hill Bypass. The Province is providing $108 million. Completion date is November 2009.

Gilmour says pilings for the new bridge are being driven to a depth of 100 metres to support the piers for the new bridge. By comparison, the depth of piers driven for the existing bridge was 60 metres. (The new Golden Ears Bridge connecting Langley to Maple Ridge has piers driven to a 90 metre depth across the larger Fraser River).

“I wasn’t here then,” he says, when the existing Pitt River bridge was constructed, but, he guesses that technology had not advanced to drive piles deeper during the 1970s. (Over the years, there has been some noted sinking of the existing bridge structure.) Gilmour says that the area in which the Pitt River bridge sits is mainly clays and silts, which vary in depths throughout the Fraser Valley. “What it means is that there is nothing solid to get a foundation on until we get to that (100 metre) depth,” he says. Exploratory drilling has been done to ensure the foundation material exists at that level and is suitable.

The 2.5 centimetre-thick, steel pipe that is being driven into the ground has a six-foot (1.8 metres) diameter. It is being driven into the ground in 30, 80 and 100 foot sections. The pipe is either pushed or driven by pile driving equipment on site. Once the pipe has been significantly buried, “we take the next piece and weld it on and then start the process over again,” Gilmour says.

When pipe has hit the foundation material at the desired depth, the top quarter-length of materials is removed from the inside of the cylindrical pipe. “We remove about 25 to 30 metres and fill it with concrete,” he says. In total there will be 26 piles driven to support four piers – two main piers and two side piers. (See sketch at www.th.gov.bc.ca/gateway/ under Pitt River bridge heading. Cover page has graphics link at the bottom).

Only one set of piers will be placed in the river and it is one of two main piers, with the second located on the Pitt Meadows (east) side of the river. These two sets of piers will hold the main towers through which cable suspension lines will be passed. The main pier that is set in the Pitt River is actually located closer to the west side of the river than in the centre. “The east side (of the Pitt River) is the navigation channel,” says Gilmour.

The third set of piers (smaller) is set on the west (Port Coquitlam) side of the river, while the fourth set is set back further on the east (Pitt Meadows) side. Work has just started on two pilings. Once the first pipe pilings have been driven, says Gilmour, they will be subjected to a stress test. Because the engineering design is breaking new ground in terms of the pipe size and depth it is driven into at this location, Gilmour says there have only been drawing board projections on load capacity. The current load capacity per piling is 5,000 tons, but that estimate is considered conservative but needs to be proven out.

The test is performed by placing the piling to be tested in the centre of four other support pilings. Over this configuration is placed a square platform, but under the central pile is a jack. The platform is loaded to capacity and the jack lifts the platform, thus transferring the load from the dispersed four pilings to that of the central one, creating a force pushing down on the central piling. While engineers believe the structure to be able to handle the capacity, Gilmour says that if the structural test raises concerns, there is the ability in the design to add more piling to ensure safety. “We think we can effectively prove it out,” he says.


http://www.journalofcommerce.com/article/id24033

[vanman]

Centerpoint across the street from Metrotown has really taken off! The low rise office building is basically complete and the pedestrian bridge linking the office building with the retail podium and residential tower has just recently been installed. The residential tower is gaining height rapidly now. It looks like the installation of the large pedestrian bridge that will connect to Metrotown across Kingsway will happen shortly. The retail podium has a cool lighting effect at night as well.

[slurrey]

Hahah I work at centerpoint, one day I'll probably go take some pictures from the upper floors, the view is great :tup:

[androo3]

I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet, but I drove by Infinity to day and there is a crane up at tower 2 and they have resumed digging and have started to build the under ground parking. Looks like its a go ahead. tons of activity there now.:notacrook:

[SpongeG]

ferncing has gone up at beta and lougheed

looks like ledingham macallister is starting the project

demolision has started on the building that is there (an old Speedy muffler)

[officedweller]

From the Surrey Leader:

http://web.bcnewsgroup.com/portals/uploads/surrey/.DIR288/Asian_centre_070817.jpg
EVAN SEAL/THE LEADER
The former Asian Centre on 104 Ave. in North Surrey.


Saga of city’s key source of office space

By Kevin Diakiw
Aug 17 2007

The man in the dark suit walked across the bustling floor of the Vancouver International Airport, picked up the phone, and spoke the last words local investors wanted to hear.

“I’m out,” said the Taiwanese man, known only to locals as “Mr. Wang.”

He hung up without further explanation and boarded the plane to Taiwan – with his $4 million.

The call came in December, 2000, and represented one of the more dramatic episodes during construction of the Asian Centre at 104 Avenue and 142 Street, considered a catalyst for development the North Surrey area. The major Eastern-themed mall with its conglomeration of Asian investors promised to rival any in the Lower Mainland.

It has remained vacant since the project was announced 10 years ago.

Yet the four-storey building presently holds almost 90 per cent of Surrey’s available prime commercial space.

While the interior of the building has been quiet for a decade, financial activity behind construction has been dynamic.

Wang’s departure was pivotal, and investors were acutely aware of the ramifications.

It would trigger several events – none of them good.

Nearly 100 people who pre-purchased space in the Asian Centre already had liens on the property, as did several builders.

Wang’s arrival with $10 million the previous May bought time, but in one phone call, time was up.

Fast work to obtain financing for the project from a reputable investor was critical.

Enter 60-year-old Thomas Leung, a well-respected Richmond developer responsible for several Asian-themed malls in that city. It was felt that Leung’s “good name” would help secure necessary funding.

Leung did the math, and figured Surrey, with 30,000 Asians, was fertile ground for an Eastern-themed mall.

“Surrey is where Richmond was 10 years ago,” Leung said at the time.

He reviewed the construction history and was reassured the problems were simply a matter of accounting.

The project was first announced in 1997, the work of 10 local and overseas Taiwanese investors, known as Rebecca Investments Inc. The building was scheduled to include mixed-use retail, leisure and religious accommodations.

Rebecca injected $23 million and organizers pre-sold office space for $11 million to fund the project they estimated would cost $35 million.

The actual cost was $50 million.

Several Rebecca shareholders bailed out.

The contractor was owed $7 million for unpaid work and stopped construction.

The 90 investors who pre-purchased office space panicked and pulled out, many of them placing liens on the property.

Wang’s brief appearance served only to forestall the inevitable. Mistakes, to shrewd investors like Leung, represent opportunity. Surely refinancing would be simply a matter of asking.

It wasn’t that easy.

Banks weren’t keen on the Asian theme, but most of those who pre-purchased office space were adamant the Eastern concept remain intact. And all creditors, including future tenants, had to lift their claims on the property before the banks would release funds.

“That’s the one thing I missed,” Leung said.

Leung needed an exit strategy, and under the circumstances, that meant an investor with deep pockets who wouldn’t have to rely on banks.

Oxford Properties placed a $13.6-million offer on the property contingent on the RCMP headquarters locating there. The sale would have provided unsecured creditors 20 cents on the dollar (as opposed to 15 cents in the case of bankruptcy).

On June 20, 2001, Leung presented the proposal to creditors where he was shouted down and called a traitor. The plan was resoundingly rejected.

The building was eventually acquired in 2002 by Donald Pitt, a tycoon from Tucson.Unprepared to make the mistakes of his predecessors, Pitt is waiting for a strong anchor tenant before renting out any of the building.

So a decade after the project was announced, the 275,000-square-foot structure remains vacant.

Meanwhile, the city continues to celebrate the building, now known as the 104 Avenue Centre, as a testament to Surrey’s commercial promise.

Next month, the mayor will hold her charity ball in the building for the second year in a row.

[PitBoss]

I've just heard that Ultra (a 40-storey tower in Urban Village at Central City) will be launching in a few weeks, anyone know any more. They are not having an opening its only by appointment.

[vanman]

Hahah I work at centerpoint, one day I'll probably go take some pictures from the upper floors, the view is great :tup:

Sweet, do us all a favour and get up there.:tup: It would be much appreciated. I remember seeing the views facing north from one of the Metro Towers and it was only the 17th floor but it was incredible.

[CC420]

Proposal signs are up for the lot across the street from Infinity. If the developers get their way, two towers at 36 stories and 40 stories will be built. Townhomes are also included in the proposal.

[SpongeG]

i have some pics from Burnaby that i need to upload

I was surprised by the site for Ultra - its surrounded by welfare apartments

[raggedy13]

Proposal signs are up for the lot across the street from Infinity. If the developers get their way, two towers at 36 stories and 40 stories will be built. Townhomes are also included in the proposal.

With the number of 30-40 storey towers proposed to go up in Surrey it would be nice to see something taller as a pinnacle for the skyline otherwise Surrey's new skyline might be looking a bit flat. A nice 50-60 storey tower would do the trick. :tup:

[SpongeG]

New West’s million-dollar views

By Michael McQuillanNewsLeader

Aug 15 2007

New Westminster real estate has now entered the prestigious million-dollar-condo club.

Earlier this month two condominiums were sold for $1 million or more. Both units are penthouse suites at The Point, a 23-storey condominium tower built by the Onni group of companies. The pricey condos, one sold for $1 million and the other for $1.1 million, were purchased by a New Westminster businesswoman and a city resident.

http://web.bcnewsgroup.com/portals/uploads/burnaby/.DIR288/20070814154548070816-Condo.jpg
Dawne Edwards, a sales representative for Onni's The Point development, takes in the million dollar view from one of the building's two penthouse suites.

According to Brian Naphtali, president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, these are the first $1 million condos sold in New Westminster. The price points to the city being a desirable place to live, he explained. Not having to travel across any bridges to get to Vancouver, easy access to SkyTrain and the recent revitalization of New Westminster’s Downtown are attracting developers and new residents while driving up the prices of condominiums in the city, said Naphtali.

Outside of Vancouver and Richmond, he was not aware of any other $1 million condos that had been sold in the region, although there is currently a unit for sale in Port Moody.

“The big features of these properties are the roof top decks – 2,200 square feet of roof top deck for exclusive private use,” said Rob Marchand, marketing manager for Onni.

One of the units faces south and the other north. Both have wrap-around decks on different levels. In the south unit, views of the Fraser River stretch from Citadel Heights in Port Coquitlam to Vancouver and Richmond. Presently there are no other buildings in New West obstructing that view. And it’s likely none ever will, said real estate agent Dawne Edwards, who sold the two condos.

If the Larco development is ever built along the city’s waterfront, it’s unlikely to rise as high above the river as The Point because The Point, located at Sixth Street and Victoria Street, is set higher up on the hill.

“New Westminster is getting the Yaletown effect,” said Edwards. “If you remember Yaletown more than 10 years ago, it had its downside. Now they’re getting more than a $1,000 a square foot.

“These condos are setting a new benchmark for New West. They’re sending a message that New West is up and coming.”

Marchand also sees the condos as raising the bar in the city. He justified the price for the units through the views, “the space and the finishing details.” Each condo is about 2,100 square feet of interior space.

The Point, consisting of 146 units, is nearly sold out. The first home owners moved in last Saturday, although interior construction of the two penthouse units is still ongoing.

“Two [$1-million condos] within a marketplace the size of New West maybe slightly insignificant, but at the same time it does set a benchmark,” said Marchand. “But we feel it’s all positive – if people are looking to spend that amount of money in the community, that usually shows strength in a community. We see those sales as positive for us of course, but also positive for the city of New West.”


http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/

[SpongeG]

NW approves Plaza 88 variance

Variance is becoming a bad word in New Westminster with critics defining it as city hall caving into developers.

Case in point was Wednesday’s special council meeting involving the Plaza 88 property.

Mayor Wayne Wright said it was simply “paperwork,” but some members of the public attending the meeting described it as council putting money into the pockets of a developer.

According to the staff report, Degelder Project Management – builders of Plaza 88 – needed council to remove a non-construction covenant allowing them to get a building permit for the Tower 3 parking podium. The covenant was to stay in place until a number of conditions were met.

While not all of the conditions have been met, council unanimously granted the permit because it would have meant a substantial construction delay for the development being built around the New Westminster SkyTrain Station.

It’s the development’s integration with the SkyTrain station that resulted in the non-construction covenant in the first place. Glen Leicester with TransLink told council in 2006 it was concerned that the Tower 3 parking podium would be integrated with the station prior to Degelder explaining exactly how the rest of the development would be constructed around the station.

Former councillor Casey Cook, now a member of the civic electors’ group Voice New Westminster, said Degelder has received variance after variance. Those variances have been to the benefit of the developer and not to the city, he said.

The Plaza 88 development includes up to four residential highrises, a multi-level parkade, 190,000 square feet of commercial space and a pedestrian network providing access to the SkyTrain stations. The city is considering two different construction phases at this time.

Phase 1 is for towers 1 and 2 over the parking structure and street-level commercial space along Carnarvon Street. The towers are now under construction. The second phase includes tower 3, commercial space and the pedestrian network. Work on that has yet to begin.

A year ago Degelder asked for a height variance on tower 3 which was approved but subject to the developer agreeing to the non-construction covenant. The covenant is considered a way of making sure Degelder meets the outstanding conditions.

In May the developer said it needed the covenant amended so it could get a building permit to start work on the parking podium for tower 3. Degelder told city staff the amendment was required so the company could retain its construction crews and not halt work while the remaining conditions were met. By shifting the crews from towers 1 and 2 to the parkade, Degelder would not have to halt work and hire new workers at a later date, likely at a higher rate.

Also, without the podium, the developer would not get occupancy permits for Towers 1 and 2.

Degelder’s requested amendment was supported by a letter from TransLink that was part of the staff report at Wednesday’s meeting. Leicester wrote that it supported the amendment as long as the parking podium wasn’t integrated with SkyTrain’s infrastructure until all outstanding issues were resolved.

Wright said the city needed to be flexible with developers, especially Plaza 88 because of its sophistication. “It’s impossible to not have variances. Especially when you’re building over a transit line, building in a confined site,” he said.

Variances are just a tool, added Wright. “We have them because we’re dealing with some very old zonings.”

http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/

[SpongeG]

some pics from Burnaby

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02206.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02207.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02208.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02209.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02210.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02211.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02212.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02213.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02214.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02215.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02217.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02219.jpg

esprit

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02223.jpg

[East Van]

how many floors left on that phase II office? building on Kingsway ?

[vanman]

^They've topped out.

[vanman]

Proposal signs are up for the lot across the street from Infinity. If the developers get their way, two towers at 36 stories and 40 stories will be built. Townhomes are also included in the proposal.

This is Surrey you're talking about, developers always get there way.

[Dylan Leblanc]

That's a decent looking pedestrian bridge on the left. Will the one over Kingsway look the same?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/spongeg/DSC02214.jpg

thanks for the pics Sponge!

[officedweller]

Thanks for the pics.

The bridge over Kingsway in the pic - is it the final version? I thought it was to be a suspension span.

The roof on the arched span over the side street looks a bit crooked.

[SpongeG]

in the parking lot at metrotown there is a big arch thing - i think its part of the bridge

[officedweller]

Cool. Thanks.

[hollywoodnorth]

www.coastalvillageliving.com

Squamish project

[officedweller]

New revised model pics of Wall Centre Richmond at the Model Shop website (from the display centre)

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI035/XI035-1.htm

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI041/XI041-1.htm

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI035/XI035-1.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI035/XI035-2.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI035/XI035-3.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI035/XI035-4.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI035/XI035-5.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI035/XI035-6.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI041/XI041-1.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI041/XI041-2.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI041/XI041-3.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI041/XI041-4.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI041/XI041-5.jpg

http://www.modelshop.bc.ca/porty2/file/XI000/XI041/XI041-6.jpg

[jlousa]

Those aren't new models, same ones that where at the opening of the sales centre, mind you it is the 1st time I've seen them posted here. :)
Note all the units sold, only a few units left and all on thr bottom 3 floors.

Forgot to mention City of burnaby is in the process of upgrading swanguard Stadium, there is a open house call for tenders at the end of this month, apparently they have not ruled out redeveloping the site. Wonder what they might have in mind, obviously it would be some sort of public amentity if that happens.

[deasine]

thanks for posting them up! i always wanted to see them.

[bils]

too bad the colours/highlights won't be on the condo towers.

the hotel looks like a little bit of spectrum and a little bit of aberdeen mall