Lougheed and Willingdon May 2017

A place to eat pizza; Uncle Fatih's Pizza

This place serves me well when I get the munchies and I want something real quick.

Dawson quietly changing

The immediate vicinity around Dawson is quietly changing while Brentwood continues to receive the bulk of the attention.

Porte Development's tower has now passed street level.

Solterra's Milano tower is beginning

 to rise into the Brentwood skyline.

Milano (below) as seen from the Costco parking lot facing north.

Brentwood One is peeking through just to the left of Milano and

Solo's 2nd tower is on the far left of this photo from this view.

Amacon's low-rise development has reached 

full height at Willingdon Ave and Dawson Street

Concord Brentwood site prep begins

The last few weeks has seen the most northern section being cleared and prepared for Phase 1 of the Concord Brentwood development.  Phase 1 will see multiple towers rising along the south side of Lougheed Hwy between Beta Ave and Douglas Rd.

Cineplex officially announces Brentwood arrival

Cineplex has officially announced the arrival of the Rec Room to the Entertainment Plaza of the Amazing Brentwood development and will also include a five-screen cinema.  The facility will be a one stop entertainment destination that will include a sports bar, game arcade, and a variety of food amenities.  Now that Cineplex has been announced as a major tenant at Brentwood, more significant commercial announcements are sure to follow over the next few weeks and months.

The links below will lead to the full articles and accompanying photos.

Straight.com article immediately below

Newswire.ca article

The Rec Room: Cineplex to open sprawling food-and-

entertainment spot in Burnaby’s Brentwood Town Centre

by Tammy Kwan on May 16th, 2017 at 1:03 PM

Burnaby’s Brentwood Town Centre is currently undergoing a major transformation—a shopping district, food-and-drink establishments, luxury residential towers, and an entertainment hub are all in the works.

Cineplex announced today that it will be opening B.C.’s first location of the Rec Room at the Amazing Brentwood (4567 Lougheed Highway), with plans to open in 2019.

So what exactly is the Rec Room?

Self-proclaimed as Canada’s premier eats-and-entertainment destination, the 44,000-square-foot space will include various dining concepts, amusement games, virtual reality and race car simulators, ping pong and bowling, live music performances, and a sports bar, among others.

Three10 will be the social spot’s upscale casual restaurant, and its menu will feature Canadian-inspired cuisine and wood-fired pizza.

The Shed will be the Rec Room’s quick service eatery, and will serve items like poutines with toppings such as porchetta, smoked brisket, lobster, and wild mushroom. The Pumps—a custom donut bar—will be available to satisfy sweets-lovers.

Cineplex will also be opening its VIP Cinemas at the Amazing Brentwood, which will span approximately 20,700-square-feet.

The movie theatre will feature five auditoriums, 365 luxury recliners, and a fully-licensed lounge that will serve wines, spirits, and craft beers.

Similar to its other VIP Cinema experiences in the Lower Mainland, guests will be able to order menu items such as burgers, cheese plates, charcuterie boards, and flatbreads at the lounge or have it delivered to their movie seats.

“We are very excited to add our premier entertainment and dining concepts to this dynamic new centre,” said Pat Marshall, vice president communications and investor relations at Cineplex, in a press statement. “The combination of residential homes, shopping, dining and entertainment makes this the ideal destination for British Columbia’s first introduction to The Rec Room, and we know that everyone loves our VIP Cinemas given their tremendous popularity.” 

We don’t know about you, but we definitely have plans to hit up this food and entertainment spot once it opens—the convenience of eats, drinks, games, and movies all under one roof sound very attractive.

Follow Tammy Kwan on Twitter @ch0c0tam and Instagram @ch0c0tam.

The Rec Room - the first in British Columbia - and Cineplex VIP Cinemas to open at The Amazing Brentwood

TORONTO, May 16, 2017 /CNW/ - (TSX: CGX) Cineplex announced today that it plans to open its first British Columbia location of The Rec Room at Shape Properties' The Amazing Brentwood.  Canada's newest hot-spot for 'Eats and Entertainment,' The Rec Room brings together incredible dining experiences with exciting live entertainment and amusement gaming experiences, all under one roof.  

The Amazing Brentwood will also be the new home of a Cineplex VIP Cinemas which provides a movie experience exclusive to Cineplex that features a fully-licensed lounge and licensed auditoriums where guests can relax in luxury recliners and have their food and beverage orders delivered right to their seat.

"We are very excited to add our premier entertainment and dining concepts to this dynamic new centre," said Pat Marshall, Vice President Communications and Investor Relations at Cineplex.  "The combination of residential homes, shopping, dining and entertainment makes this the ideal destination for British Columbia's first introduction to The Rec Room, and we know that everyone loves our VIP Cinemas given their tremendous popularity."

"We are very pleased that Cineplex has chosen The Amazing Brentwood for both of its flagship concepts, including the first location of The Rec Room in BC," said Darren Kwiatkowski, Executive Vice President of Development and Design at Shape Properties.  "The Cineplex VIP Cinema will occupy the top floor of the signature building that floats dramatically above the Plaza, designed specifically for a premium movie experience. The Rec Room is one floor below, and together they will play an integral role in activating The Plaza and The Entertainment Precinct which is designed to be the vibrant public heart of The Amazing Brentwood and the overall Brentwood Town Centre." 

The Amazing Brentwood is located at the corner of Lougheed Highway and Willingdon Avenue, and will be accessible by Skytrain. 

VIP Cinemas:Cineplex VIP Cinemas at The Amazing Brentwood will feature five auditoriums, approximately 365 luxury recliners and will be located on the entertainment level, occupying approximately 20,700 square feet.  VIP Cinemas are a premium movie-going experience exclusive to Cineplex and feature a fully-licensed lounge to enjoy before or after the movie and specially-designed VIP auditoriums where guests can relax in luxury recliners.  VIP Cinema guests can order from an expanded food and beverage menu – which includes a wide selection of wines, spirits and premium craft beers. In addition to Cineplex's famous popcorn, VIP Cinema guests can also select from a menu that features fresh salads, burgers, artisanal cheese plates, charcuterie boards and flatbreads. And all of these items are available in the lounge or can be delivered right to their theatre seat!

The Rec Room:Leveraging Cineplex's expertise in entertainment, operations, amusement gaming, food service, content creation and digital media, The Rec Room at The Amazing Brentwood will include:

• Three10 - an upscale casual restaurant that is playfully named after Canada's three territories and 10 provinces. Its menu features the best in wood-fired pizza and Canadian-inspired cuisine through familiar items that have been elevated and transformed through fresh ingredients and innovative cooking techniques
• The Shed - The Rec Room's quick service destination that includes a poutinerie with elevated toppings like porchetta, smoked brisket, lobster and wild mushrooms. It also has a custom donut bar, called The Pumps
• A bar area where sports fans can grab a drink and catch the game on huge HD screens. In addition to spirits and cocktails, there will also be multiple bars throughout the space serving draught wines and over 20 draught beers, including several local craft beers
• The Yard - a massive attractions area where guests can play over 100 amusement games. Credits earned are tracked on RFID wristbands and can be redeemed at The Trophy Case redemption store for a wide variety of prizes - everything from retro candy to drones, and whisky stones to portable speakers. Bragging rights go to the top earners who will be profiled on The Rec Room's legendary leaderboard
• Feature attractions including virtual reality and race car simulators, as well as classic favourites like bowling lanes, air hockey, pool and ping pong
• With multiple performance spaces offering both live and programmed entertainment, there's always something going on at The Rec Room. Catch an amazing act in our state-of-the-art auditorium or be part of the action at our themed events
• Multiple private dining rooms will make The Rec Room the ultimate gathering spot for celebrations, corporate events and parties.

In addition to the first location of The Rec Room which is now open in South Edmonton, Cineplex has announced plans for locations in downtown Toronto at Roundhouse Park, and at CF Masonville Place in London and at Square One in Mississauga; also at West Edmonton Mall and at Destination: Deerfoot City in Calgary, AB.

Cineplex plans to open between 10 - 15 new locations of The Rec Room over the coming years, each ranging in size from 40,000-60,000 square feet and customized to the individual community.  The massive, often two-storey entertainment complexes will see approximately half of the space devoted to dining and live entertainment and the other half devoted to amusement games and feature attractions. 

The Rec Room at The Amazing Brentwood will occupy approximately 44,000 square feet and construction is expected to begin later this year with plans to open in 2019.

About The Rec RoomThe Rec Room is Canada's premier 'Eats & Entertainment' destination that brings together incredible dining, amusement gaming, technology and live entertainment experiences all under one roof. Part of Cineplex, The Rec Room is a premier social destination and the ultimate gathering spot for corporate events, groups and parties. While each location is customized to the individual community, The Rec Room concept features multiple dining environments and a wide range of entertainment options including a large amusement games area featuring state-of-the-art simulation, feature attractions and redemption games as well as an auditorium-style space perfect for musical acts, bands and comedians. For more information, visit TheRecRoom.com or follow the action on social media through Facebook (TheRecRoomCA), Twitter (@TheRecRoomCA), Snapchat (@TheRecRoomCA) and Instagram (@TheRecRoomCA).

About CineplexA leading entertainment and media company, Cineplex (TSX: CGX) is a top-tier Canadian brand that operates in the Film Entertainment and Content, Amusement and Leisure, and Media sectors. As Canada's largest and most innovative film exhibitor, Cineplex welcomes 75 million guests annually through its circuit of 164 theatres across the country. Cineplex also operates successful businesses in digital commerce (CineplexStore.com), food service, alternative programming (Cineplex Events), cinema media (Cineplex Media), digital place-based media (Cineplex Digital Media) and amusement solutions (Player One Amusement Group).  It also operates a location based entertainment business through Canada's newest destination for 'Eats & Entertainment' (The Rec Room), and an online eSports platform for competitive and passionate gamers (WorldGaming.com).  Additionally, Cineplex is a joint venture partner in SCENE, Canada's largest entertainment loyalty program.

Proudly recognized as having one of the country's Most Admired Corporate Cultures, Cineplex employs over 13,000 people in its offices across Canada and the United States.  To learn more visit Cineplex.com or download the Cineplex App.

SOURCE Cineplex  

For further information: Media Relations and Investor Relations contact: Pat Marshall Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Pat.Marshall@Cineplex.com, 416-323-6648

RELATED LINKS
www.cineplex.com

photos below from the dailyhive.com

Linear park or social housing?

There has been much criticism of Burnaby City Council over the years for not doing enough to build affordable and social housing in the city as low income earners are being pushed aside to make room for market condo developments.  Most of the public criticism comes from political opponents that are aligned with the ruling provincial BC Liberals around municipal election times.  Burnaby City Council, which is affiliated with the BC NDP, has maintained the argument that social housing is a provincial matter and that the provincial government has allowed its political ideology to get in the way of cooperation and adequate funding support to build affordable social housing in Burnaby.  Furthermore, the critics of Burnaby Council have conveniently excluded the outgoing BC Liberal MLA (of the last 16 years) Richard Lee and his provincial government from any criticism on this matter.  A central part of the criticism has pointed out that the City of Burnaby has been sitting on massive consecutive surpluses that it has managed to build up into a massive reserve over the years and that the reserve should be used to build the needed social housing. This argument is quite disingenuous since the the big knock on the NDP by those very opponents has been that the NDP is not good at fiscal management while the BC Liberal-affiliated opponents in Burnaby have aggressively argued that the NDP affiliated City Council spend its hard-saved funds in an area that has always been within the realm of responsibility of the BC Liberal Government.

With the result of the recent BC provincial election paving the way for a potential coalition government being formed by the Greens and NDP, the impasse on affordable housing between Burnaby and Victoria may come to an end.  While this debate continues, a letter writer to the Burnaby Now has made a suggestion about where affordable housing could have been built.

Burnaby Now letter below

LETTERS: Think housing, not trail
Mike Horton / Burnaby Now
May 12, 2017 09:22 AM

Dear Editor:

The spring Info Burnaby newsletter published a full-page spread on the merits of a proposed linear park running along the east side of Willingdon Avenue between Hastings Street and the Brentwood mall. A multi-use trail is envisioned to accommodate cyclists, pedestrians and joggers. One can imagine the conflict that will occur between this group of users!

It is also proposed that seating and “gathering” areas be developed along this linear parkway – all adjacent to one of the busiest vehicular corridors in North Burnaby. One questions the safety of pedestrians, especially children, unless a formidable fence is installed.

Mayor Derek Corrigan has indicated this project will be funded by community benefit funds, as provided by building developers, hence there will be no cost to taxpayers. Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that for many years the City of Burnaby has spent a considerable amount of taxpayers’ money, purchasing many properties along the aforesaid route, with a view to accommodating rapid transit. Rapid transit along this route, being no longer considered a priority, has opened the door for the proposed linear parkway. However, I submit that prior consideration for said route should have been given to the construction of suitable housing along the route, to accommodate the huge number of low-income families who cannot afford to purchase the boxy, highly expensive apartments being erected throughout Burnaby. Further, the cost of rental accommodation is also beyond the reach of the unfortunate low-income earners.  Economical housing situated at the southeast corner of Confederation Park would be an ideal proposal for the east side of Willingdon Avenue.

Mike Horton, Burnaby

© 2017 Burnaby Now

Douglas Tower coming to 2152 Douglas Rd

Imani Development is moving forward to build a highrise tower at the southeast corner of Douglas Rd and Lougheed Hwy.  The sales centre is expected to open in 2018.

MLA's office gone

Last week, I noticed that Burnaby North MLA Richard Lee's office on Willingdon Ave across the street from Brentwood Mall was gone before yesterday's provincial election.  Last night, he was booted out of office.  Maybe now we have someone that will work and speak for Burnaby North.

May 30 Public Hearing for Concord Brentwood

Concord Brentwood's Phase 1b is set for a public hearing on May 30.  The sites at 4828 / 4874 Lougheed Hwy and at 2099 Delta Ave are the topics of this public hearing.   Phase 1b will include a stairway connecting Lougheed Hwy to Dawson Street and the proposed public park south of Dawson. An elevator is also part of the proposal to make Dawson and the higher-elevated Lougheed Hwy accessible to the physically impaired.

Work begins on Willingdon Linear Park

Brentwood Station no longer visible

As Brentwood Two rises, Brentwood Station is no longer visible from the Sears rooftop parking lot.

Solo District's 2nd tower (below) disappears into the clouds on a cloudy overcast day.