[New West] The Shops at New West (Plaza 88) | Completed

[CoryHolmes]

B-but... above ground parking is evil.

[osirisboy]

Ok one thing I've never understood is how the other end of this development turned out. Were there plans for it? Are there plans for it. It's a huge blank wall beside a fenced off lot. Why didn't they build retail up to 8th ??

[NewWester]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Ok one thing I've never understood is how the other end of this development turned out. Were there plans for it? Are there plans for it. It's a huge blank wall beside a fenced off lot. Why didn't they build retail up to 8th ??

The original plan was to build a plaza with stairs leading into the station. It has been left open for a construction site office for Plaza 88 and then again for the Anvil Centre. I have never really understood the plan and miss the low rise retail along there. I'm secretly hoping the new owners of the commercial property or the original developers are hoping to pull a switch and build new retail on that prominent corner. (Or, and this is pure fantasy, a level of at grade or half sunken retail with a plaza on the roof, since it would be the best of both worlds.)

[logan5]

At this point, what difference does it make if there's above ground parking. It's just another big ugly podium, so go to town on it.

I like how they put some red umbrellas in the rendering to give the expressionless retail units some life. Just a horrendous area.

[Marshal]

Originally Posted by NewWester

The original plan was to build a plaza with stairs leading into the station. It has been left open for a construction site office for Plaza 88 and then again for the Anvil Centre. I have never really understood the plan and miss the low rise retail along there. I'm secretly hoping the new owners of the commercial property or the original developers are hoping to pull a switch and build new retail on that prominent corner. (Or, and this is pure fantasy, a level of at grade or half sunken retail with a plaza on the roof, since it would be the best of both worlds.)

I remember that. There was also talk (I think spurned on by the City a bit) of a putting a hotel there. Either way, it is a separate property.

[officedweller]

Via Architecture Twitter says the 4th Tower rezoning has been approved:

June 29, 2016:

Tower4 has received final adoption for rezoning! A big step towards addressing affordable housing! @New_Westminster
https://twitter.com/viaarchitecture

[LeftCoaster]

Via Architecture? I wouldn't expect a masterpiece here.

[madog222]

There is activity at the site. I have not seen anything the local news but I assume it will still be rental.

[rickvug]

The July 4th New Westminster council meeting also has a preliminary report on CRAFT Beer Market proposal for 801 Columbia (corner of Columbia and Eighth Street). This, along with the 4th tower, will finally complete Plaza 88. McKinley Burkart are the architects. Based on the initial plans I gather that the building will have a similar industrial style to CRAFT in Vancouver and Ottawa.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Via Architecture Twitter says the 4th Tower rezoning has been approved:

June 29, 2016:
Tower4 has received final adoption for rezoning! A big step towards addressing affordable housing! @New_Westminster
https://twitter.com/viaarchitecture

Finally! Always great to see another dumpy empty lot in New West. getting some action.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by rickvug

The July 4th New Westminster council meeting also has a preliminary report on CRAFT Beer Market proposal for 801 Columbia (corner of Columbia and Eighth Street). This, along with the 4th tower, will finally complete Plaza 88. McKinley Burkart are the architects. Based on the initial plans I gather that the building will have a similar industrial style to CRAFT in Vancouver and Ottawa.

It's not even in colour and it already looks better then the rest of the mall exterior. Whatever happened to the hotel the city wanted to have built on this site?

[Marshal]

This will be a lost opportunity for a perfect high density site. Maybe not viable at this time, but a hotel over top of other uses would have been good. It doesn't need to be a tall tower: even something in the 10-15 floor range would have suited.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Via Architecture Twitter says the 4th Tower rezoning has been approved:

June 29, 2016:

Tower4 has received final adoption for rezoning! A big step towards addressing affordable housing! @New_Westminster
https://twitter.com/viaarchitecture

Looks like they're trying to make up for the previous horror show of a podium. One of the nicer looking parkades I've seen.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Marshal

This will be a lost opportunity for a perfect high density site. Maybe not viable at this time, but a hotel over top of other uses would have been good. It doesn't need to be a tall tower: even something in the 10-15 floor range would have suited.

That is true but with it being a part of the mall it may get redeveloped sooner then if it were a separate parcel with separate interests, 10-15 years from now it may be more economical to change whats on this corner lot and when the lease expires for CRAFT Beer Market they may build it then. However there is that Old Spaghetti Factory parcel that's just north of this on the other side of the skytrain line. It could easily become part of the mall complex one day with an additional mid rise building. Also behind the Anvil Centre, just across 8th street from the OSF is that Ki Sushi building and parking lot that's quite large and could be redeveloped and connected with a bridge to the mall when the OSF site is redeveloped. Maybe even connect Anvil Centre to the mall somehow?

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by logan5

Looks like they're trying to make up for the previous horror show of a podium. One of the nicer looking parkades I've seen.

It would be great if the city got them to renovate the facade of the Plaza 88 parkade to match the new parkade section to be built. It's brutal.

[Marshal]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

It would be great if the city got them to renovate the facade of the Plaza 88 parkade to match the new parkade section to be built. It's brutal.

If only, if only! Letting them build that street killing wall of death is one of those examples that shout of the incompetence of New West council (not that they are worse than any other - but they sure can get in over their collective heads quickly).

My only hope is that the growing success in New West will prevent future mistakes like this because council will not be so panicky about securing development money with stupid levels of compromise.

[Marshal]

The best 'above ground parking' is the Coquitlam tower cluster. It is the best set of disguises out there, but that's all they are. When you are in there, especially walking, you can sense the deadness where life in the podiums is nonexistent above the ground. The life injecting presence of the fully occupied podiums downtown shows this difference sharply.

Regardless, designs like Plaza 88 are horrible. They anger me because it's not that hard or more expensive to do a much better job . . . though that applies to everything else in that complex too.

Almost forgot - drove past this today: there is more activity at the site, the kind that looks like things are starting up for real.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Marshal

The best 'above ground parking' is the Coquitlam tower cluster. It is the best set of disguises out there, but that's all they are. When you are in there, especially walking, you can sense the deadness where life in the podiums is nonexistent above the ground. The life injecting presence of the fully occupied podiums downtown shows this difference sharply.

Regardless, designs like Plaza 88 are horrible. They anger me because it's not that hard or more expensive to do a much better job . . . though that applies to everything else in that complex too.

Almost forgot - drove past this today: there is more activity at the site, the kind that looks like things are starting up for real.

Hopefully as the surrounding lots are developed they will take away some of the visual prominence of the podium... glitzy flashing lights on arrows pointing away from it... I never understood why the one side of the podium is totally grey and the other is a vibrant checkerboard mess (morse code artpiece)... They really should have gone with a classic streamlined modern style facade similar to the Mc&Mc building without taking away from it. I lived in the area when they were building the condos and clearing the site for the mall. At first i was so glad to see this catalyst of revitalization in that area but the finished product didn't impress me. Once Degelder sold the mall to First Capital They did some much needed upgrades inside, including all the wood detailing but nothing with the facade. Hopefully in the near future they do a facade revamp on the entire mall and parking podium.

Are they just doing work on the apartment building site or the CRAFT site aswell?

[Marshal]

The evidence of work was only on the rental tower site - the south end.

I'm pretty sure the other site is completely separate from 'Shops at New West Station.'

I once went to a movie at Landmark to check it all out. This was after the improvements: what they did, did improve things, but it remains a bafflingly cold, dark, and inhospitable place compared to what it could be. I hate the exterior, but the interior is the real failure. Thing is, it wouldn't take much to make it significantly better. I can't see much more money going into it though.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

Are they just doing work on the apartment building site or the CRAFT site aswell?

The CRAFT site is in early stages yet, it doesn't have an approved development permit.