Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Larry Fitzgerald in Brentwood Park

I just noticed this Bose commercial featuring NFL player Larry Fitzgerald on Sportsnet this morning.  Pretty cool.


Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Boston Pizza and Cactus Club at Amazing Brentwood?

The following article hints that the current Cactus Club west of Madison on Lougheed Hwy may relocate as did the newly designed Cactus Club in Richmond.  With the Boston Pizza next door to Cactus Club having already closed down and vacating its building, it makes me wonder if both restaurants are planning to make the move to a higher foot traffic location that the Amazing Brentwood will be able to offer in 2019.  If we want to increase the rumor index even further, the long-gone Milestones that made room for Solo District a few years ago may also make its return by reopening in the Amazing Brentwood.  Only time will tell, and that time is getting closer by the month.


Cactus Club Café relocates and relaunches Richmond location


by Craig Takeuchi on November 28th, 2017 at 11:37 AM




When the Cactus Club Café first opened in Vancouver, its image was decidedly different from the one it features today.
Way back in 1992, when the locally based restaurant chain opened its fourth location at No. 3 Road and Landsdowne Road in Richmond, the décor featured neon signs and rubber chickens. Fun times.
But as part of its relocation and continuing evolution of its identity, the Lansdowne location auctioned off its previous décor items, which included a massive moose head and a painting of a rabbit in a hat. (The auction raised $5,000 for the Richmond Food Bank—not too shabby at all.)
The restaurant closed down its previous Richmond location in October and opened its new premises on November 7 at 1666–6551 No. 3 Road at Richmond Centre.

With a seating capacity of 300 patrons, the new 7,000-square-foot premises feature mahogany wood floors and cedar wood accents, plus a heated enclosed patio (with a retractable roof, sliding glass walls, and booth seating).


Making the animal-themed décor of its previous incarnation truly a thing of the past, the new location displays a variety of modern art prints and designer lighting by names such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mr. Brainwash, Poul Henningsen, and Omer Arbel.


Forthcoming potential projects will include Metrotown and Brentwood locations in Burnaby, although details are not yet available.
The restaurant opened its first location in North Vancouver in 1988, and now has several locations in B.C. and Alberta, as well as one in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and another in Toronto, Ontario.

Monday, November 6, 2017

Shape sees Sears closure as opportunity

Shape Properties sees the closure of Sears as clearing the way and providing more options for the redevelopment of the northeast quadrant of the Brentwood redevelopment.

Speaking of opportunities, whereas Sears is permanently closing down during Brentwood's transformation, it is rumoured that the tiny Coles bookstore in Brentwood will be opening a large format Chapters/Indigo style store in the Amazing Brentwood retail area currently under construction.



Sears closure an ‘opportunity’

Big retail chain’s downfall will make redevelopment ‘smoother’

Burnaby Now
OCTOBER 30, 2017 10:55 AM



There could be a silver lining to the impending closure of Sears Canada – at least for the people behind the redevelopment of Brentwood Town Centre.
Last week, Sears Canada announced it would close its remaining stores effective early in the new year. This includes the Burnaby locations at Metropolis at Metrotown and Brentwood Town Centre, which currently employ 122 and 99 people, respectively.
While the future of the Metrotown site remains unknown, there is a plan on the books for the space at Brentwood after Sears closes its doors for good, according to Shape Properties.
“The closing of Sears, while sad from one perspective – you hate to see businesses go under – I think here it becomes a positive that we can continue with the vision, and continue probably faster and smoother,” said Darren Kwiatkowski, executive vice-president, development and acquisitions.
Shape Properties owns the 28-acre site at 4515 and 4567 Lougheed Hwy., and work is currently underway on the first phase of the site’s redevelopment. Dubbed “The Amazing Brentwood,” the Brentwood Town Centre redevelopment will include the construction of more than 6,000 new homes and 1.1 million square feet of commercial space.
Work is underway right now on the first phase of the project.
The logistics of Phase 2, which includes the northwest corner of the site, are being worked out right now.
The existing Sears location and surrounding parking lot is all part of the third phase of the project.
“The plan sets out the principles. As we move forward over time, how much of the mall is demolished and rebuilt and how much is repurposed or reused, those decisions kind of get made at the time based on cost and practicality,” he said. “It’s safe to say the parts of the mall that will remain will undergo renovation and updating so that it all feels shiny and new.”
Asked if Shape has any prospects for a new tenant for the Sears space once it closes, Kwiatkowski said they don’t. In fact, the company might not even bother renting out the space, he said.
“It would be short term, if there was a tenant, but we’re studying that right now as far as what we do in the interim,” he said.
It could be that Shape will need the space for its sales centre or other existing clients currently housed in spaces in the northwest corner of the site, which would be forced out once construction on Phase 2 starts, he added.
“At the end of the day, there will be more shops, more restaurants and more jobs than were lost at the Sears, so I think it’s a boost,” Kwiatkowski said, adding the goal of the redevelopment is to create a walkable community that includes a mix of residential and commercial opportunities.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Don't fall for Sears "Liquidation" scam

Several years ago when Zellers filed for bankruptcy and began its liquidation sales, the company jacked up prices before slapping 40-70% off tags on its items.  This scam was verified by Brentwood Zellers employees themselves that were made to mark up the price tags before placing "marked down" prices on products.  Consumers are now noticing the same with the Sears "Liquidation" sale.  For example, at the Brentwood location, there are shirts with multiple price tags on them with prices starting at $149 down to $50 on a rack that has  "20%" off sign on it.  A $149 shirt?  Really?  To top it off, the same shirt was tagged at $40 a week earlier.

DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE BIG LIQUIDATION SCAM.  Do your research before following the crowd like sheep and standing in long lines to throw away your hard-earned money into a well-crafted scam.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

1st details of SE corner of Willingdon and Dawson

A basic rendering of Aouyan's proposed development at the southeast corner of Willingdon and Dawson has been published in Urban YVR.(excerpt below).  The site of this project is located Along Dawson Street to the north and along Alaska Street to the south between Willingdon and Alpha Ave.

Preliminary rendering of Aoyuan International’s proposal for Willingdon and Dawson in Burnaby. Credit: Aoyuan International

(from Urban YVR)
Aoyuan International is also proposing a major development of four towers at Willingdon Avenue and Dawson Street, south of The Amazing Brentwood in Burnaby.
Renderings just show the tower massing, but the project is said to contain 1,400 condominium units, 50 townhomes and a mix of commercial and retail. IBI Group — in cooperation with PWL Landscape Architects — are on the Brentwood project.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Koby's Produce Town to be replaced by Viet Noodle Guy

Koby's Produce Town has permanently closed likely due to it's inability to compete with nearby Save-On-Foods and Whole Foods.  It also couldn't have helped them that they were very inconsistent stocking non-seasonal foodstuffs that should always be available.

Replacing Koby's is The Viet Noodle Guy opening in Spring 2018.


Sunday, October 8, 2017

UNIQLO makes Sears look amateur

I had an opportunity to check out the recently opened UNIQLO in Metrotown.  Not only was the 2 level space efficiently used with a variety of styles, colours and options, it was organized like any decent retailer should be.  Meanwhile, the over-sized and overpriced waste of space called Sears can't get out of the business soon enough with competition like UNIQLO entering the market. Shape Properties should be working day and night to get UNIQLO into Brentwood.



Thursday, October 5, 2017

Alaska Street industrial building sold

An industrial building at 4455 Alaska St has been sold for more than double its assessed value. The buyer likely purchased the site with the aim of rezoning it for a high density residential development.

The site of the building is situated 
immediately west of the Willingdon Ave overpass.

East of the overpass (below) along Alaska St are more 
industrial buildings and the  rising Milano tower on Alpha Ave.




Burnaby manufacturing site sold for double its assessed value

The industrial site has potential for high-density residential development and sold for $12.8 million

 for Western Investor
October 4, 2017

The property is a two-storey warehouse and office space with two leasable units, with 25,760-square-feet of gross leasable area. The industrial building is situated on a 33,195-square-foot lot currently zoned for manufacturing use. However, the lot has potential for high-density residential development upon rezoning. The property sold for more than double it’s assessed value of just over $6 million. 
The property is located at 4455 Alaska St., Burnaby. 

Breakdown: 


Price: $12,800,000 
No. of Units: 2
Lot Size: 33,195 SF
Property Type: Industrial 
Zoning: M-1
2016 B.C. Assessment Value: $6,005,800
City: Burnaby  
Province: B.C. 
Name of Brokerage: Lee & Associates

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

What will become of vacated Sears space?

With the recent announcement that Sears Brentwood will close down, Shape Properties is tasked with deciding what to do with the massive, 3-level retail space at the east end of Brentwood Mall.  Will the  vacated space be taken over by 3 mid-sized retailers or by 1 large retailer.  Will the old structure be torn down to give them more options on the usage of that space?  What kind(s) of retailer(s) will take up that massive space?



Being as large as it it, the lower level of the site would be ideal for a grocery store such as T&T Supermarket and the middle mall level would be a good fit for a larger chain restaurant like Denny's or Red Robin.  I personally prefer a 24 hour Denny's that would satisfy my late-night craving for a breakfast meal. The upper level might be trickier.  An office or school/educational space might be an option for such a location as it would be well serviced by the Millennium SkyTrain line.  Better yet, a large Uniqlo would be a good fit at that end of the mall.  Until that happens, the Metrotown Uniqlo location will have to suffice.

Monday, October 2, 2017

Sears Brentwood closing down

Sears Canada has announced that its Brentwood location will close down.  Whether this is a blow or a benefit to Shape Properties remains to be seen.



Retail Insider story below

September 30, 2017


Sears Canada has announced that it will close 11 of its stores across the country, as the company continues to fight for survival after filing for bankruptcy this summer. Several of the announced locations are in significant shopping centres, providing opportunities for redevelopment. Of the 11 announced locations, 10 are full-line Sears stores, and one is a Sears Home Store. Leases will be returned to their respective landlords. 

The company announced the store closures in a press release on the evening of Friday, September 29, also noting that the company has also entered into an agreement of purchase and sale relating to its Garden City Shopping Centre location in Winnipeg, and has entered into a lease transfer agreement relating to the small-parcel fulfillment centre in Calgary. As part of the store closures, an additional 1,200 people will lose their jobs. 
The 10 full-line Sears Canada stores announced for closure include the following: 
-Nanaimo North Town Centre, Nanaimo, BC
-Brentwood Town Centre, aka 'The Amazing Brentwood', Burnaby, BC
-Orchard Park Shopping Centre, Kelowna, BC
-CF Polo Park, Winnipeg, MB
-CF Lime Ridge, Hamilton, ON
-Oakville Place, Oakville  ON
-CF Fairview Mall, Toronto, ON
-Scarborough Town Centre, Toronto, ON
-CF Fairview Pointe-Claire, Montreal QC
-Avalon Mall, St. John's, NL
As well, a separate Sears Home Store will also close at Kelowna’s Orchard Park Mall. 
Landlords will need to identify opportunities to fill these locations, at a time when some are still struggling to tenant spaces vacated by Target in 2015 -- Target shuttered all 133 of its Canadian stores when it exited Canada after suffering considerable financial losses. Several of the malls announced above are actually very strong centres, according to Retail Council of Canada’s Shopping Centre Study (the 2017 report will be released in November). The following is a discussion of the malls where Sears is closing, including challenges and opportunities. 
Nanaimo North Town Centre, Nanaimo: The 600,000 square foot mall will lose its only major fashion anchor with this closure. Other anchors include Lowe’sLondon Drugs, and a freestanding Canadian Tire store. 

Brentwood Town Centre, Burnaby: Now being overhauled and rebranded as The Amazing Brentwood, it was unclear if Sears would have remained as a tenant here regardless — the centre is being positioned as being more upscale, in partnership with LCatterton group, the private equity firm associated with French luxury conglomerate LVHM. While luxury brands will be added to the expanded centre, landlord SHAPE says that there will be retailers at a variety of price-points. 
Orchard Park Mall, Kelowna: Kelowna’s leading mall will lose one of two fashion anchors — Hudson’s Bay will continue to operate in the centre. Sears operates a fashion store and a separate Sears Home store in the mall, which is also anchored by Sport Chek and Best Buy

Monday, September 18, 2017

Dawson and Madison rezoning initiated

The corner of Madison and Dawson will be the subject of a rezoning initiated by Imani Development.  4485 and 4495 Dawson will see a 37 story high-rise tower built atop a 3 story commercial podium.  If successful, this project will move forward to a public hearing next month on October 17.


REZONING REFERENCE #16-27 High Rise Apartment Tower with
 Commercial Podium Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan



Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Boffo to transform Springer and Lougheed

A multi-tower project including a public plaza is being proposed by Boffo Developments at 5258 Lougheed Hwy.  When completed, the project will complete the frontage along Lougheed Hwy from Springer Ave eastward to the Rev's Bowling site.


Four Tower Project Planned for Brentwood Site

Boffo Developments has submitted an application to rezone a 4.12 acre site at Lougheed and Springer in the Eastern part of the Brentwood Town Centre area of Burnaby. The site is currently comprised of five older industrial buildings located near the Holdom Skytrain Station. The current zoning is M-2.
The site has a designation of RM-5s designation in the Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan. Boffo is proposing a four-tower project to be established by a master plan over the entire site. Phase 1 would occur in the Northeast corner of the site, and future rezoning applications would be required for the subsequent three phases.
Details include:
  • Four residential towers from 25 to 40-storeys;
  • Above-ground parking screened by street fronting townhouses;
  • Extension of Lougheed Parkway concept along South side of Lougheed Hwy;
  • Public plaza at Lougheed and Springer Avenue.


Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Sugarfina Brentwood?

With Sugarfina looking for 10 new locations in Vancouver and Toronto including a location scheduled for Metrotown in November, it's conceivable that Shape Properties has been in touch with the company for a Brentwood location.


Sugarfina to open first Canadian freestanding store at Metrotown

The luxury candy retailer plans to open up to ten locations in the Canadian market

 Retail Insider
August 22, 2017

Luxury candy retailer Sugarfina has secured its first standalone store in Canada, taking the first steps in its multi-million dollar expansion plan. 
 
The Los Angeles-based company received $35 million in financing to fund expansion from private equity firm Great Hill Partners. Sugarfina will open at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby on November 1, Retail Insider has learned. It is the first in a widespread expansion that will see freestanding stores in Canada and internationally in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. 
 
Sugarfina currently operates across Canada in all five of the country’s Nordstrom outlets.  
 
The Metrotown space is 1,098 square feet on the mall’s ground floor. Tony Flanz of Think Retail represented Sugarfina in its deal with Metropolis and Metrotown owner Ivanhoe Cambridge. 
 
The brand is seeking 600 to 1000-square-foot retail spaces in major regional malls. Sugarfina has confirmed that it is looking to operate as many as ten locations in Vancouver and Toronto. 
 
Think Retail will be overseeing its expansion. Think represents several regional retail chains located in major Canadian cities, including handbag and apparel brand Fossil and Scandinavian lingerie brand Change.  

Copyright © 2017 Western Investor

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Linear Park traffic delays

As construction of Willingdon Linear Park along Willingdon Ave progresses, traffic delays have lately been more frequent between Brentlawn Drive and Hastings Street.



Monday, August 7, 2017

3-way stop coming to Goring and Holdom

According to the following City of Burnaby report, a 3-way stop has been approved for the currently uncontrolled intersection at Goring St and Holdom Ave.  Of further interest is the fact that the report has mentioned the future Dawson Street extension from Beta Ave to Douglas Rd within the next 5 years.

------
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE HIS WORSHIP, THE MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS SUBJECT: INTERSECTION OPERATIONS – GORING STREET AT HOLDOM AVENUE RECOMMENDATION: 1. THAT Council authorize the installation of all-way stop control at the intersection of Goring Street and Holdom Avenue, as detailed in this report. REPORT The Public Safety Committee, at its meeting held on 2017 July 11, received and adopted the attached report proposing upgrade of the traffic control at the intersection of Goring Street and Holdom Avenue.

RECOMMENDATION: 1. THAT the Committee recommend to Council the installation of all-way stop control at the intersection of Goring St at Holdom Ave as detailed in this report. REPORT BACKGROUND The City of Burnaby has received several requests to improve traffic operations and pedestrian safety at the 'T' -intersection of Goring Street and Holdom Avenue. The intersection is currently unsignalized wilh stop control for traffic arriving on Goring St while traffic on Holdom Ave has through priority. Motorists on the stop-controlled west leg experience extended delays at this intersection in the peak hours under the current configurations. Safety concerns have also been expressed by pedestrians due to the lack of crosswalks and suitable waiting areas. A traffic engineering review was completed based on the standard warrant analysis procedure from the Transportation Association of Canada (T AC) and the findings are summarized herein.

SITE LOCATION Figure I shows the location of the subject unsignalized 'T' -intersection of Goring St/Holdom Ave. The signalized intersection of Lougheed Hwy/Holdom Ave and the Holdom SkyTrain Station are located 160 metres to the north of this intersection. The surrounding area consists of high density residential developments, industrial land uses and mixed commercial and retail developments.




 EXISTING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND FUTURE CHANGES Traffic counts have been conducted for the purpose of this review. The analysis takes into account current operating conditions. The Holdom Station Area Plan envisions significant residential development activity in the next few years leading to a traffic volume increase. In addition, the easterly extension of Dawson St from Beta Ave to Douglas Rd anticipated in the next five years will impact Goring SI. This intersection will eventually require a higher form of traffic control such as a roundabout or a traffic signal due to developments and network expansions.

WARRANT ANALYSIS The City follows the Transportation Association of Canada (T AC) intersection traffic control warrant analysis procedure. This takes into account traffic and pedestrian volumes, roadway geometrics, crash history and nearby traffic control and network connecti vity. This procedure ensures consistency, addresses the safety of pedestrians and meets driver expectations. Applying the recent traffic count data and existing conditions, a warrant analysis was undertaken to assess the adequacy of the existing one-way stop control and determine any necessary upgrades. Based on the analysis, all-way stop control is recommended for this intersection. In conjunction with this traffic control upgrade, crosswalks and a corner right turn channelization island are also recommended. The southbound and eastbound approaches will be designed to include two separate lanes clearly delineated with adequate queue storage. Figure 2 shows the recommended changes.




CONCLUSIONS The existing traffic control at the Goring StiHoldom Ave intersection is inadequate under the existing peak hour traffic volumes. Staff has now completed a traffic engineering review and allway stop control is warranted under current conditions. This upgrade will improve the level of service and reduce delays experienced by motorists. The proposed design will also enhance the safety of pedestrians at the intersection. The recommended upgrades are estimated to cost approximately $60,000 and funding is available within the 2017 Capital Budget for Minor Traffic Management Projects (EMF.0063). Funding contributions from ICBC's Road Improvement Program will also be sought to help offset some of the City's cost for this proposed road safety improvement.

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Rumours of Saks Fifth Avenue

I've lately been hearing rumours of Saks Fifth Avenue anchoring Brentwood's future "Luxury Row." The HBC-owned department store would be quite an anchor if it does indeed land in Brentwood. Time will tell.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Milano rising into skyline

The Milano tower at the south foot of Alpha Ave is beginning making its mark in the Brentwood skyline.



Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Luxury brands to be announced for Amazing Brentwood

Shape Properties has announced a its partnership with the L Catterton Group.  L Catterton is a private equity firm linked to luxury brand companies LVMH and Groupe Arnault.  Although Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior aren't my go to brands by any stretch, it's good to see some brand heavy hitters arrive in Brentwood.


SHAPE Announces L Catterton Partnership for Groundbreaking 'The Amazing Brentwood' Redevelopment

The Amazing Brentwood retail centre, just east of Vancouver, will see an overhaul that will reposition it as a premiere shopping centre with the help of a new, notable investor. Landlord SHAPE and co-owner Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan have partnered with the L Catterton group, which is a private equity firm linked with French luxury conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) and Groupe Arnault. The new $2 billion The Amazing Brentwood will become the focal point of a community that will include over a million square feet of retail space, considerable office space, as well as multiple residential towers for thousands of new residents. The first phase is scheduled to open in the spring of 2019. 

The Amazing Brentwood is L Catterton’s second North American development project, following its investment in Miami’s luxury retail complex, Miami Design DistrictL Catterton is also involved in a number of luxury projects in Asia, including the recent unveiling of the magnificent Ginza SIX luxury retail complex in central Tokyo. L Catterton is noted as being the world’s largest consumer-focused private equity fund, with more than US $14 billion in capital. 

SHAPE has been working over the past several years on creating an innovative, upscale neighbourhood that would include substantial retail and residential components. L Catterton’s investment and direction will further assist in the goal of making The Amazing Brentwood live up to its name.

"L Catterton Real Estate’s partnership is a huge vote of confidence in the project and validation that The Amazing Brentwood will serve as a point of pride for Vancouver and a sought-after destination for visitors world-wide, said John Horton, President of SHAPE. 

The Amazing Brentwood will court locals as well as market to visitors — tourists are spending a fortune at luxury retailers in downtown Vancouver, and The Amazing Brentwood stands to gain some of that with the addition of new luxury brands. 
"This unique partnership encompasses the vision, passion, unparalleled knowledge and reach to create the next generation of retail experiences for our customers and retailers,” said Mathieu Le Bozec, Managing Partner of LCatterton Real Estate. 
The Amazing Brentwood is one of the largest mixed-use projects currently underway in North America. The 28 acre site will include an overhauled shopping centre that will feature over 1.1 million square feet of retail space with over 250 stores, a ‘culinary collection’, offices and a one-acre plaza. As well, more than 6,000 homes in 11 high-rise towers will add more than 10,500 new residents in about 4.5 million square feet.
In the first phase of development, the new centre will feature the first two residential towers, fashion anchor stores, new upscale restaurants and entertainment options, all in an indoor-outdoor configuration.
According to SHAPE’s Executive Vice President, Development, Darren Kwiatkowski, The Amazing Brentwood will feature a considerable amount of space devoted to restaurants, addressing the trend of malls becoming social and entertainment destinations. As a result, The Amazing Brentwood will feature a variety of food options, ranging from chains to chef-driven concepts which will feature options from a variety of ethnicities.
The entertainment focus will also include the addition of Cineplex VIP Cinemas, as well as The Rec Room entertainment centre, which will no doubt draw from the region. 
The Brentwood SkyTrain station will become an integral component of the centre, and Mr. Kwiatkowski explained that transit ridership is expected to grow substantially as the Lower Mainland continues to densify. The Amazing Brentwood is also easily accessible by car, located at the busy corner of Lougheed Highway and Willingdon Avenue. Its catchment will include Burnaby as well as Vancouver, Coquitlam, New Westminster, and even North Vancouver via the Second Narrows Bridge. 
The centre will incorporate both indoor retail space with outdoor retail offerings and according to Mr. Kwiatkowski, luxury brands are expected to be present in both. The centre will feature four distinct retail areas, including: 
-Brentwood Interior: the centre's indoor component will feature over 100 retailers in over 500,000 square feet of space as well as more than 25 restaurants in 36,000 square feet of space. Between one and three anchor retailers are expected to be housed in this part of The Amazing Brentwood.  
-Brentwood Boulevard: an outdoor retail street that will feature more than 20 retailers in 70,000 square feet of space, as well as restaurants with ample patio space. Its design is inspired by some of the world's most iconic high streets. 
-West Mews and Grand Lobby: featuring retail and restaurant space, offering one-of-a-kind brands, designer stores, and unique restaurants, and 
-The Plaza: a one-acre open-air social hub featuring fashion brands mixed with patios, pubs and casual dining. 
Mr. Kwiatkowski explained that the project will be “world class”, with a number of LVMH and Catterton-funded brands included in the centre’s mix. “The best of the best” will be included, including local, national and international retail concepts and brands. 
Tenants have yet to be announced for The Amazing Brentwood, and Mr. Kwiatkowski noted that tenants will range from the affordable to the luxurious. L Catterton's six other retail projects are decidedly luxury-heavy, with both the Miami Design District and Ginza SIX boasting a number of large flagship stores for some of the world's leading luxury brands. 
A number of LVMH brands operate stores in downtown Vancouver, including Louis VuittonChristian DiorSephora and Hublot. Brokers confirm that space is tight in downtown Vancouver, with some brands complaining that they are unable to find the 'right' real estate in the city's 'luxury zone' (centred around the 1000 Block of Alberni Street as well as adjacent Burrard and Thurlow Streets). LVMH has a number of important luxury brands under its corporate umbrella that currently do not have freestanding stores in Vancouver, including BulgariCélineFendiGivenchyLoro PianaMarc Jacobs and several others. L Catterton has investment interests in a number of companies as well, including upscale brands such as Baccarat crystal and John Hardyjewellery, fitness brands such as Equinox and Pure Barre, as well as several restaurant concepts. 
The Amazing Brentwood will compete with a number of important regional malls such as Park Royal in West Vancouver, Oakridge Centre on Vancouver's West Side, and Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby. While Park Royal and Oakridge Centre house a number of premium retailers, neither of them offer the extensive variety of luxury brands found at Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre. It remains to be seen if The Amazing Brentwood could become the Lower Mainland's answer to Yorkdale, and it will be exciting to see how things progress between now and 2019.