[mr.x]

RIVER ROCK HOTEL PROPOSAL/CANADA LINE 1,534 PARK & RIDE

Great Canadian Gaming Corporation has applied to the City of Richmond to rezone land adjacent to the future Canada Line Bridgeport Station and River Rock Casino Resort for:

- 7-storey parkade for 1,200 park & ride spaces to support public transit (Canada Line Bridgeport Station and bus loop) and an additional 324 spaces to serve the new hotel
- 192-room, 5-storey hotel expansion to River Rock Casino Resort with streetfront retail



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[SpongeG]

i drove by on friday - that place really needs the parking- the road was full and there was a line of cars trying to get into the place

[mr.x]

Construction updates by Tafryn, Jan. 29, 2008:
http://canadalinephotos.blogspot.com

http://www.seataf.com/blogs/canadaline/2008-01-28/images/KICX6405.jpg

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[mr.x]

i drove by on friday - that place really needs the parking- the road was full and there was a line of cars trying to get into the place

That's because the hotel/car-park site was previously a huge parking lot until construction began.

[SpongeG]

i don't ever remember them using that area for parking before - they had the side and the parkade and it was usually ok

i guess it was friday so that means concert night

[bils]

looks great. i'm assuming the hotel facade will be built to match the existing river rock hotel

[excel]

Thanks for the info.

[SFUVancouver]

Any idea how many parkging spaces there are in Scott Road park and ride?

[mr.x]

nothing new:


Great Canadian adds to hotel expansion list in runup to 2010 Vancouver Olympics

1 hour ago

VANCOUVER - Great Canadian Gaming Corp. (TSX:GC) is adding its name to the list of hotel companies planning an expansion in the Vancouver area prior to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

The company, Canada's largest casino operator, said Wednesday it plans to cash in on the tourism frenzy in the area by developing a new five-storey, 191-room hotel at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, B.C., at cost of $118 million.

The development is in addition to the hotel's existing 222 rooms, and will also include extra parking, as well as retail and office space.

The project, already under construction, is expected to be complete by late 2009 or early 2010, just in time for the Olympics, which takes place from Feb. 12 to 28, 2010.

"By both increasing the number of hotel rooms at River Rock and upgrading its amenities and retail offerings, we will further establish the property as a destination resort," chairman and CEO Ross McLeod said Wednesday.

Other hotels being built in Vancouver in the runup to the Olympics include; the Shangri-La, a 119-room hotel that will occupy the first 15 floors of a new 61-story building, the tallest in Vancouver; The Fairmont Pacific Rim, a 47-storey hotel with 415 rooms and 173 residential condominiums; the 19-storey, 220-room Coal Harbour Coast Hotel; the 300-room newly renovated Hotel Georgia and the 77-room Loden Vancouver hotel.

Great Canadian Gaming's plans come as competitor Gateway Casinos Income Fund (TSX:GCI.UN) is set to open a 200-room Delta-managed hotel and convention centre in Burnaby, B.C., later this summer.

The organizing committee for the 2010 Olympics estimates about 16,000 rooms will be needed in the Vancouver area for the Games. The Greater Vancouver area is estimated to have about 23,000 hotel rooms.

James Chase, chief executive of the British Columbia Hotel Association, says both private and public money is driving the industry.

"There has been a tremendous attraction from capital markets to hotels as a form of investment, which has opened up new development," Chase said.

Last year alone, pension fund British Columbia Investment Management Corp. bought Canadian Hotel Income Properties REIT, which owns and manages 32 hotels under the Delta, Radisson, Marriott and Hilton brands.

As well, an investment group led by the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, Canada's largest pension fund, struck a $2.5-billion deal to buy Legacy Hotels Real Estate Investment Trust, the country's largest hotel trust and operator of luxury Fairmont and Delta hotels.

Chase said all economic indicators show Vancouver's commercial real estate market will remain hot for years to come, due largely to the Olympics.

"The exposure is going to be unprecedented," Chase said.

Rick Antonson, president and chief executive of Tourism Vancouver said what's important about the hotel development now underway in the city is that nobody is building for a two-week event only.

"All of this is in anticipation of the business boom that is already happening because we are hosting the Olympics," Antonson said.

Tourism officials say the billions of dollars in spending on the Olympics on everything from infrastructure, housing and hotels to entertainment and security will create thousands of jobs, but also sow the seeds for expanded tourism in future from all parts of Canada and the world.

That will benefit companies such as Great Canadian, which already operates across the country, with 14 casinos, five horse racing tracks, a community gaming centre, a hotel, two show theatres, and food and beverage facilities in B.C., Ontario, Nova Scotia and Washington state.

Howard Blank, vice-president of media and entertainment at Great Canadian Gaming, said current occupancy rates at the River Rock hotel prove there is already demand for more hotel space on site.

"This is a very easy decision for us, it makes business sense," Blank said in an interview, adding the hotel is booked most weekends, and has an occupancy rate "in the respectable 70 per cent" range weekdays.

Great Canadian Gaming says it will also apply to the British Columbia Lottery Corporation to recover some or all of the costs over time, as is allowed under a special lottery corporation policy.

Andy Nasr, an analyst with Raymond James Capital, calls Great Canadian Gaming's hotel project "a good move."

With occupancy at the company's current hotel at 81 per cent last quarter, Nasr believes there is room for expansion.

Another advantage is that the expanded hotel will be the first stop from the airport on a new light-rail transit route to downtown Vancouver, known as the Canada Line, currently under construction.

The hotel could also drive additional casino revenue, said Nasr, who currently has a buy recommendation on the stock at a 12-month price target of $17.

"I think it's going to have a positive impact, but modestly accretive," he said, adding the real benefit, which is more difficult to quantify, will come from customers at the casino.

Shares in the gaming and entertainment operator closed down six cents at $13.21 on the Toronto Stock Exchange Wednesday.

Great Canadian, which currently employs 5,500 people, generated revenues of nearly $390 million but lost $18.6 million in 2006.

[jlousa]

Another story on the same expansion

Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, February 22, 2008
Great Canadian Gaming Corp. has announced it will build a 191-room addition to its River Rock Casino Resort hotel in Richmond in time for the 2010 Olympics.

The addition will be part of a $118-million project that includes retail space, office space, a 1,200-space garage, moving walkways and an enclosed sky bridge to connect to the existing 222-room hotel.

The scheduled completion date is late 2009 or early 2010, before the start of the Olympic games in February 2010.

We see a definite demand for hotel rooms," Great Canadian representative Howard Blank said in an interview. "We're at full capacity almost every weekend, and our weekday business has really grown with our new meeting rooms and banquet facilities."

The new hotel space and related amenities will be constructed on top of the 1,200-space garage, which is already being built. Construction of the hotel expansion is expected to begin this spring.

The project includes 15,000 square feet of street-level retail space, and 6,000 square feet of office space.

Blank said group travel and business travel have become strong revenue generators for River Rock, noting the Lions Club plans to hold its Canadian convention there in May.

He said the new hotel rooms will be smaller than the suites contained in the original hotel, but River Rock fully expects to maintain its American Automobile Association four-diamond rating, which it achieved last year.

Great Canadian will apply to the B.C. Lottery Commission for additional funds to recover its capital investment in the new facilities. Funds for casino development are available through the Facility Development Commission and Accelerated Facility Development Commission.

bconstantineau@png.canwest.com

[mr.x]

great article, thx.

interesting that it mentioned moving walkways for the sky bridge.

[Architype]

I thought that (River Rock) certainly looks like a very car friendly development with lots of parking, until I noticed the words "park & ride".

"The organizing committee for the 2010 Olympics estimates about 16,000 rooms will be needed in the Vancouver area for the Games. The Greater Vancouver area is estimated to have about 23,000 hotel rooms."

You would think there is generally some sort of trickle down effect with the addition of new accomodations, which might alleviate some of Vancouver's housing shortages.

[bils]

a 2nd taller crane is up

[deasine]

Maybe there would be more retail and residential in the area after the completion of the Canada Line. Richmond is planning to redevelop the area and I would think this is an excellent beginning.

One week to spring break for me! I'm going to take pics of the surrounding area =)

[Fairbanks]

Forgive me but.....
What the hell do they need a parkade for 1200 cars for????!!!!
The Canada Line has a station right at their #$#$%$%$@ front door.
Richmond should say NO NO NO to this insanity.
The government should step in too.

[mr.x]

Forgive me but.....
What the hell do they need a parkade for 1200 cars for????!!!!
The Canada Line has a station right at their #$#$%$%$@ front door.
Richmond should say NO NO NO to this insanity.
The government should step in too.

*throws cold water at a flaming Fairbanks*

That's a park & ride facility, and it's actually part of the Canada Line project that was contracted out to River Rock as a P3.

[officedweller]

... which results in the net consolidation of two parking structures (one daytime park & ride, the other for the late night 24hr casino) and the better integration of the park & ride facility into the emerging urban fabric of the area - there will be some retail at grade.

[mr.x]

Updates by Tafryn, April 6:
http://canadalinephotos.blogspot.com




BRIDGEPORT STATION & car park and ride
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[bils]

there's a development permit sign in front of the existing river rock parkade. any idea what this could be for?

[jhausner]

I've always been impressed with the River Rock area each time I've driven to either the Airport or in that region of Richmond. It's good to see they are integrating it well with Canada Line. It could also mark a nice destination for layovers passengers from YVR. When I had a 1 day layover in Scotland, I would have loved to be able to jump on a train, go a bit down the road to a large casino, spend a few $100 on some gambling and catch a show and nice dinner, then head on back for my flight lol.

That area though if for sure in need of a parking upgrade.

[cc85]

damm, there are sure going to be some angry, pissed off people on those platforms when they have to smell the intoxicated casino patrons from half a foot away. You know its going to be like that. people here like their space, they're going to get pissed off that they have to listen to someone's phone conversation about their partner, blah blah blah, etc etc

[deasine]

Bridgeport Station/Park & Ride

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[bils]

B.C.'s biggest casino to get even bigger
By Matthew Hoekstra - Richmond Review - June 06, 2008




River Rock Casino Resort, Western Canada’s biggest gambling facility, is about to get even bigger.

Parent company Great Canadian Casino Corp. hopes to add another 37,800 square feet of gaming, restaurant and office space to the north side of its River Road casino compound.

That’s on top of a massive expansion approved by Richmond council last year, which allows the company to build a five-storey, 192-room hotel above a seven-storey parkade.

That 1,200-space parkade, the second for the casino, scheduled to be finished by sometime next year, will serve Canada Line users by day, and casino patrons by night.

A city staff report that reveals details of the latest expansion also hints of another future phase of casino resort expansion on the horizon.

Great Canadian spokesperson Howard Blank was short on details and refused to comment on expansion plans.

“I’m not going to be speaking to anything until we formally go before council,” he said Thursday.

City spokesperson Kim Decker said Great Canadian is proposing a two-storey expansion that will include a new gaming area and space for offices and food service. The proposed addition would be linked to Canada Line’s future Bridgeport station, parkade and hotel by a “sky bridge,” according to a staff report.

The proposal doesn’t require rezoning. The city’s development permit panel will hear Great Canadian’s application next Wednesday.

In its 2006 annual report, Great Canadian’s chairman Ross McLeod pointed to a bright future for business thanks to the coming rapid transit line.

“River Rock has already established itself as a major player in Vancouver’s entertainment landscape, and we expect the completion of the Canada Line will only further its success.”

Great Canadian will build the $33-million parkade, with a $4.5 million contribution from Translink. In exchange, the casino operator gets title to the parkade and nets an extra two-and-a-half acres of land for “potential future opportunities.”

River Rock is Great Canadian’s largest property in Canada, earning city council’s approval to rename a portion of Garden CIty Road to Great Canadian Way in 2004.

Last year, the company expected competition for the public’s gambling dollars with the opening of a new 100,000-square-foot casino in Queensborough, on the edge of Richmond. But so far, the impact has been minimal at best.

The casino returned $12.8 million in gaming revenue to the City of Richmond last year—up $650,000 from the previous year.

Bill Chu, of the Multicultural Coalition Against Gambling Expansion group, compared the casino to “a cancer” when it was relocated—and expanded—from Bridgepoint. Chu said now that cancer is growing.

“The city council in Richmond seems to be so for this sort of thing that I think it’s missing the mark of being responsible for the citizens first.”

Chu attributed a rise in social problems and even the scheduled closure of Bridgeport’s RONA big box store to the casino.

“When would you ever see something like that closing down? The economy is being sucked dry by this monster out there.”

Barbara Tinson, chair of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, said River Rock is a legitimate business that has brought millions of dollars of new revenue to the city.

And despite it being largely a destination location, Tinson believes local businesses have benefited, since the facility attracts people to Lulu Island.

“It might make people want to stay in Richmond, so from a tourism perspective, it is a good thing, because it’s definitely an attraction.”








Find this article at:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/richmond_southdelta/richmondreview/news/19601854.html

[mr.x]

Major update by Tafryn, June 10:
http://canadalinephotos.blogspot.com/




BRIDGEPORT STATION....glass (or somekind of mesh?) on station and parkade construction
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[urbanizer405]

Is parking at the new facility going to be free, or will parking be charged?

[deasine]

Good question...

Anyway as I was driving on Bridgeport, I realized that the parking garage was easier to spot than the station -_-"

It looks like it's also taller now...

[mr.x]

Is parking at the new facility going to be free, or will parking be charged?

it'll probably be charged.

[hollywoodnorth]

Good question...

Anyway as I was driving on Bridgeport, I realized that the parking garage was easier to spot than the station -_-"

It looks like it's also taller now...

ya I noticed that also the other day.......gonna be interesting to see the station and garage open next year.

[mr.x]

from canadaline.ca
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/254/93606818sp5.jpg

[vanlaw]

That parkade is done - I assume this will be the park and ride. Right now it looks as though they are using it for employee and valet parking. If I understand correctly, there will also be additional parkade to the east of this (probably connected when it's all done), on top of which the new hotel will be built.

[SpongeG]

wow

should be able to get some cool pics from the roof :)

[Ronnie Yau]

I really like the interiors of this 7 story parking garage.

[Ronnie Yau]

I hope they start the construction
of the hotel tower, though.

[Vancity]

I hope they start the construction
of the hotel tower, though.

Where is the hotel tower supposed to be constructed?

[Ronnie Yau]

Where is the hotel tower supposed to be constructed?

It's supposed to be constructed on top
of the parking garage. Don't worry, they'll
start the construction after the Olympics!:)

[hollywoodnorth]

Where is the hotel tower supposed to be constructed?

did you look at page 1? post 1?

[Vancity]

It's supposed to be constructed on top
of the parking garage. Don't worry, they'll
start the construction after the Olympics!:)

Thanks for the reply.

That'll be cool. After the Olympics, I'm looking forward to seeing this piece of RiverRock being built, but also updates on BC Place's roof, and how that's going to look, and change the downtown skyline. Awesome times, and oh, the NHL March 3 trade deadline too ;)

Anyways, thanks again for the help!

[bils]

a crane has been erected above the park 'n ride structure and construction appears to be well underway. this one seemed like it came out of nowhere.

[hollywoodnorth]

wowza! crazy stuff!

[rbostyle]

Out of nowhere for sure, I fully didn't expect this to start up for a while.. until I drove past a couple weeks ago and saw the crane up, all decked out in Christmas lights. Awesome.

[Cecilia Lo]

Could you post any pictures, please?

[Ronnie Yau]

Any Updates?

[SFUVancouver]

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/776/riverrockhoteladdition1.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/7933/riverrockhoteladdition2.jpg
http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/) Taken by SFUVancouver, February 9th, 2011.

[SpongeG]

was out that way today took some pics

all pics by me

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[Echowinds]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yRHsywl-gmE/TqqhAmOzfOI/AAAAAAAAA6A/IZEcesFQKZw/s800/IMAG0310.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lNC9uvictlA/TqqhBXVRqvI/AAAAAAAAA6E/kHbq5QVh9DM/s800/IMAG0311.jpg

The outside parts are pretty much done. The lighting makes it a little more interesting at night.

Pictures from me.

[officedweller]

Article on the hotel opening:

http://www.richmondreview.com/business/132752383.html