[Coquitlam] Uptown | 28fl, 26fl | Completed

[Klazu]

Haven't seen this been posted earlier, but I think it warrants a thread of its own with two towers. Phase one starting pre-sales this month.

http://bosaproperties.com/uptown/

[dleung]

I couldn't design something more coma-inducing if I tried.

[BodomReaper]

Originally Posted by dleung

I couldn't design something more coma-inducing if I tried.

These are mass-market suburban condo towers in a fairly decrepit community with little desirable about it except SkyTrain, similar to the original HighGate towers. What should they look like? I'd rather have a well-executed conservative design like this than an attempt at originality that would have to get cheapened-down given the price point of the project.



Edit:
Higher-resolution rendering from the Uptown website:

[Tetsuo]

Seems like Safeway won't be going into the retail podium. They labelled it as "future new market" and Safeway logos have been removed from pictures.

Bosa does love doing the Copy + Paste design for its suburban towers.

[dleung]

Originally Posted by BodomReaper

I'd rather have a well-executed conservative design like this than an attempt at originality that would have to get cheapened-down given the price point of the project.

A simple box would be a step up from those shapeless blobs of stucco. Imagine the towers below, minus the bridges, and with recessed balconies... doesn't seem like it needs to be expensive:


http://ad009cdnb.archdaily.net/wp-co...64-528x350.jpg

[red-paladin]

This project is better than the what is currently in that sorry area.

[logan5]

The stripmall property that this project sits on is quite large. Large enough to create internal streets that are geared more towards pedestrians, similar to Newport Village. Looking at the renders, it doesn't look like they are going for a Newport Village type outcome, which is too bad because with the Skytrain line bearing down on North Road, I don't see a great pedestrian street developing here.

[officedweller]

This one has a green logo instead of Safeway's logo - could be Thrifty's I suppose...
(Doubt it would be Sobey's, although Sobey's logo is also green...)

Originally Posted by Klazu

[Vantage]

I hope this will really help to liven up this neighbourhood!

[osirisboy]

Of course it will help but its going to take many more projects to fix this neighbourhood

[dleung]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

This project is better than the what is currently in that sorry area.

LOL that line came right out of Caltrane's sales pitches. I prefer the dumpy parking lot or landfill or whatever that was there before, for it's potential, which has now been lost.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by dleung

LOL that line came right out of Caltrane's sales pitches. I prefer the dumpy parking lot or landfill or whatever that was there before, for it's potential, which has now been lost.

When I saw that the latest post in this thread was by you, I was expecting a positive comment. Imagine my shock when I saw the complete opposite!

[red-paladin]

Originally Posted by dleung

LOL that line came right out of Caltrane's sales pitches. I prefer the dumpy parking lot or landfill or whatever that was there before, for it's potential, which has now been lost.

I admit it's a mediocre project. However, I didn't write a paragraph about how there would be an exponentially increasing boom, and I'm not a 'small town booster'.

[queetz@home]

Well, I just looked at the website and despite the recent discussions in the Evergreen Line thread, I'm surprised no one bothered to point out that the Skytrain in the video was wrong-railing all the way to the Burquitlam Station. Perhaps someone is telling us something...

[officedweller]

Good eye.
But the RFP called for switching to the right side somewhere south of Burquitlam Station.

[Pinion]

Bosa has sent me about 10 emails about Uptown 2, and after reading this thread I'm curious if anyone knows why this area is so "decrepit?" Is anything fundamentally wrong with it? I know being on a border between municipalities tends to lead to under-development but geographically it seems nice, especially with the Evergreen line. Do those industrial tanks on Burnaby mountain give off fumes or something?

[red-paladin]

It's more that nothing much has changed there since the 60s until very recently.
The blue roofed strip mall with the Value Village and all the scuzzy walkup apartments gave the place a real dated look, especially when compared with the Korea Town type look down the hill.

You are right that it's most a visual thing, there is nothing objectively wrong with the area, and now that the Evergreen Line and redevelopment is there, I'm sure it will be better off.

(Disclaimer: I live in a 1960s three floor apartment building in Burnaby and can call this kind of place scuzzy. Dark stucco + no one ever fixing my leaky taps = scuzzy.)

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

It's more that nothing much has changed there since the 60s until very recently.
The blue roofed strip mall with the Value Village and all the scuzzy walkup apartments gave the place a real dated look, especially when compared with the Korea Town type look down the hill.

You are right that it's most a visual thing, there is nothing objectively wrong with the area, and now that the Evergreen Line and redevelopment is there, I'm sure it will be better off.

(Disclaimer: I live in a 1960s three floor apartment building in Burnaby and can call this kind of place scuzzy. Dark stucco + no one ever fixing my leaky taps = scuzzy.)

Interesting, thanks. My area looked pretty terrible 15 years ago too and still has a way to go visually but it's improving rapidly because the geographic location is good. Skytrain obviously accelerates that process.

Is that still the Korean part of town there? I have no problems living anywhere but it's a bit weird when everyone else is one ethnicity.

[red-paladin]

North Road from Clark down to the Freeway is the #1 Korea Town in the country (supposedly).
That being said, it's mostly a business district, and because of Lougheed Mall and the Skytrain station, and all the major roads, there are many people going through there every day, not just Koreans. Don't be surprised if you walk into a Korean grocery store and you are the only white guy, but, nothing wrong with that.

[VanK]

Although North Road has a lot of Korean retail, I believe the homeowner mix in Burquitlam is still predominantly Caucasian with Korean/Chinese mix. I like the proximity of Burquitlam to SFU and easy access to HWY1 versus Coquitlam Centre & Port Moody.