[Burnaby] Metrotower III | 109m | 25fl | Completed

[paradigm4]

Not a great picture, but you can kinda see the construction site in the bg.

[vansky]

Originally Posted by jhausner

Can't wait to see pics of it going up. I frequently see the Burnaby skyline and a new commercial tower will be a pleasant sight.

agree, the only thing lacking on the sight is a river. imagine we have a river somewhere around the area. too bad surrey doesn't have one either.

[NetMapel]

Ohhh, beaten by paradigm4... but here's my photos taken today


A view of the construction site on street level.


A view of the construction site up on Metrotower II near my cubicle !

[geoff's two cents]

Originally Posted by vansky

agree, the only thing lacking on the sight is a river. imagine we have a river somewhere around the area. too bad surrey doesn't have one either.

Yes, I have to say that, as superficial as it sounds, a city doesn't quite feel right without being near water of some sort (I don't think there are many large cities out there without water). Of course, living anywhere in Metrotown or Central City means you might have a mountain view, but it's not the same somehow. I've always thought, then, as silly as it sounds, that a large water feature (manmade lake, or some such thing) would go some way towards enhancing the urban experience in town centres such as the above.

Don't get me wrong - I know how utopian this sounds. Maybe when gold is discovered under the big-box stores that currently line King George I'll finally realize my dream city!

Having said that, with the proposals recently being floated for the Great Northern Way campus expansion, I don't think I'm the only one who thinks this way.

[hollywoodnorth]

thanks for the pics boys!

[Chioster]

I pass by this spot everyday since I take the turn around from SFU to Joyce. Don't want to do the change at broadway and commercial. I will keep you guys updated if I can.

[raggedy13]

I just watched some old X-Files episodes from the first season. In this one episode there is a building-wide computer system that gains artificial intelligence and starts killing off anybody that tries to shut it down (plunging elevators down to the basement and such). All the outside shots are of one of the Metrotowers. They even have some shots of Mulder and Scully sitting outside talking as the SkyTrain goes by. The first season dates back to 1993. Was interesting stuff. I was never much of an X-Files fan when it actually aired. I just remember the odd episode and the opening credits of course.

p.s. Thanks for the pics guys. And by the way... paradigm4, I met some girl tonight who said she was running for Surrey City Council and knew you. I'd say she was about 21 (give or take a couple years). Can't recall her name unfortunately. Know who I'm talking about?

[paradigm4]

Originally Posted by raggedy13

I just watched some old X-Files episodes from the first season. In this one episode there is a building-wide computer system that gains artificial intelligence and starts killing off anybody that tries to shut it down (plunging elevators down to the basement and such). All the outside shots are of one of the Metrotowers. They even have some shots of Mulder and Scully sitting outside talking as the SkyTrain goes by. The first season dates back to 1993. Was interesting stuff. I was never much of an X-Files fan when it actually aired. I just remember the odd episode and the opening credits of course.

p.s. Thanks for the pics guys. And by the way... paradigm4, I met some girl tonight who said she was running for Surrey City Council and knew you. I'd say she was about 21 (give or take a couple years). Can't recall her name unfortunately. Know who I'm talking about?

Haha I started waching X-Files for the first time ever a couple months ago. That episode was pretty good I thought, and ya, tons of shots outside Metrotown - actually quite a few near the Burnaby Library if I recall.

Where did you meet this girl? Ya, she's Stephanie Ryan. She pisses me off sometimes because she's a typical politico type. Spent time with her at the CUTA Youth Summit on Sustainable Transport - she's all show and no substance. She's the type that poses for pictures and goes to festivals but wouldn't get anything done. She'll say just enough to squeeze by and stay elected.

It annoys me particularly how she advocates for transit and calls herself a transit rider, when in fact she's nothing more than a typical car driver and is not willing to rid herself of her car. It's a bit hypocritical from my point of view, especially considering I don't drive, and a friend of mine, Nathan Pachal, from South Fraser OnTrax, also ditched his car earlier this year. So it's not like it can't be done, and there are tons of other captive riders on the system. Stephanie Ryan does not know what it's like, not having a vehicle to be your back up. Nor does she the vision of what an improved system would be. She just harks off on the same NDP crap - lowered fares, more buses, blah, blah, blah...

[SpongeG]

um surrey is right on the fraser river and the ocean

its city centre isn't near the water perhaps but its on the river

[raggedy13]

Originally Posted by paradigm4

Where did you meet this girl? Ya, she's Stephanie Ryan. She pisses me off sometimes because she's a typical politico type. Spent time with her at the CUTA Youth Summit on Sustainable Transport - she's all show and no substance. She's the type that poses for pictures and goes to festivals but wouldn't get anything done. She'll say just enough to squeeze by and stay elected.

She was at a UBC beer garden. I don't recall much about her and I'm not too sure how long I talked to her for or what else we talked about if anything. I guess she didn't make too much of an impression on me. She doesn't sound too impressive from your description.

[Chioster]

The dump trucks were lining up pretty heavily today as 2 earth movers were on site. The excavation is probably half done now.

[geoff's two cents]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

um surrey is right on the fraser river and the ocean

its city centre isn't near the water perhaps but its on the river

You're right, but I meant that the downtown core is not built around water like most large cities - Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Victoria, London, Berlin, New York, Chicago, even Mississauga, Seattle, Calgary - the list goes on forever. The Surrey geography is somewhat similar to that of Hamilton (city centre some distance from the waterfront) - except that Hamilton's waterfront is more or less evenly split between recreational and industrial zoning. Perhaps if more could be done with the Bridgeview neighborhood, and some sort of residential development on the river could take place (without, of course, impinging greatly on the river's transportation/shipping value), that would suffice. It is a little overwhelming to have most of the Scott Road area consist of greyfields and brownfields. I've been to that tiny little park between the two bridges, and wonder if that could be part of a larger waterfront network - connected, perhaps, to high density residential zoning to the east.

Having said that, key to the latest Economic Development Strategy for the city is to retain existing industrial lands so as to avoid having to build factories and warehouses on valuable (and ever-decreasing) agricultural land.

. . .in which case, I'm not sure the Fraser will quite fulfill what I had in mind above. The land will most likely be used for industry.

Not that it's absolutely imperative that there be some body of water in Surrey - Just a pipe dream of mine, nothing more.

[Metro-One]

I am very excited to see this tower rise, i live only a few minutes away so i get to see the small changes everyday. I have always loved the metro town area, so smart to have a major shopping centre with entertainment facilities, such as a large movie theatre, and two office towers (soon to be three) all built into each other with direct connection to Skytrain and a major bus loop at the bottom. Although i do wish that at the kingsway entrance, or around the metro town skytrain station area, they would instal a few LCD jumbo screens. Such advertisements i feel add great atmosphere to a commercial/business area. Such as those found in New York times square, London, Osaka, Tokyo, even Toronto. I feel that is a feature missing in Metro Vancouver. The intersection of Granville street and Robson would be another great place for such features, but Metro Vancouver has too many small town style by-laws at the moment. Sorry to get off topic

Go metro tower 3 go!

[NetMapel]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

I am very excited to see this tower rise, i live only a few minutes away so i get to see the small changes everyday. I have always loved the metro town area, so smart to have a major shopping centre with entertainment facilities, such as a large movie theatre, and two office towers (soon to be three) all built into each other with direct connection to Skytrain and a major bus loop at the bottom. Although i do wish that at the kingsway entrance, or around the metro town skytrain station area, they would instal a few LCD jumbo screens. Such advertisements i feel add great atmosphere to a commercial/business area. Such as those found in New York times square, London, Osaka, Tokyo, even Toronto. I feel that is a feature missing in Metro Vancouver. The intersection of Granville street and Robson would be another great place for such features, but Metro Vancouver has too many small town style by-laws at the moment. Sorry to get off topic

Go metro tower 3 go!

I agree I find it weird why we don't have more jumbo LCD screens around downtown and certain entertainment areas. Richmond got it right when they decided to start putting in those jumbo screens on No. 3 road.

[GMasterAres]

Completely agree with you Metro-One. The LCD screen areas in some of the cities you mentioned just seem to add such a buzz.

[nickinacan]

Originally Posted by jhausner

Completely agree with you Metro-One. The LCD screen areas in some of the cities you mentioned just seem to add such a buzz.

Definitely. If you are ever in Toronto, check out Dundas Square... just beware the hidden water fountain.

[Metro-One]

The sad part of this is I have heard that Vancouver use to have a great neon atmosphere decades ago, in-fact in the 60's i believe Vancouver had more neon than las Vegas at the time. But then almost all of the signs and advertisements were torn down one by one and replaced with nothing. I really hope Richmond follows through with the Canada Line LCD screens.

[Architectural]

Originally Posted by NetMapel

So I just started my job at Metrotower II today. As expected, when I mentioned about the new Metrotower III construction, my co-workers' eyes rolled and they started complaining about bad parking and traffic right now due to construction. Yup, it's gonna be a messy three years

Hopefully I'll have time to periodically take photos of Metrotower III's construction and update you guys

I also work in the Metrotower Office Complex and I find the construction to have a minimal impact on my day, in fact I have worked through other developments and this one appears to be managed much better. I'm getting older, so I drive most days and they seem to have mitigated all but a few issues in the entrance area. I'm sure when all of the typical pre-construction stuff is done you won't even know it's under construction. All my staff members are excited about the building and so am I. Thanks for the pictures.

[Architectural]

BTW: Burnaby has wildly high standards on signage, so the giant LCDs might be a dream for now.

[Metro-One]

I know both Burnaby and Vancouver do. I just wish they would relax these codes in a few select commercials areas to create a true shopping/entertainment hub feel, and i think Metrotown would be the best area in burnaby to do so.