Solo District's Altus rising

As Altus continues to rise, the Stratus tower is beginning to disappear when viewed from the east.

Walmart to replace no-showing Target?

Shape Properties has done an amazing job of keeping details of future Brentwood retail and entertainment tenants from not only the public, but from its current Brentwood Mall tenants as well.  Despite such well-kept secrecy, rumours have begun circulating that Walmart may become a major anchor tenant in the new Brentwood Mall instead of the recently-failed Target which had plans to take up shop in the new development.  Such an entry by Walmart would most likely involve the relocation of the Grandview Hwy location to Brentwood.

Gilmore Station could see up to 8 towers

The Gilmore Station Development by Onni Group could see as many as 8 towers flanking Gilmore Station with 1 million square feet of retail space.  The following is an excerpt  from Onni's website describing the upcoming development at the corner of Gilmore Ave and Lougheed Hwy.

With over 12 acres of high-density mixed-use retail, office and residential development conveniently located at the Gilmore SkyTrain Station, the master-planned Gilmore Station community will soon be an exciting new urban centre for Burnaby. Located at the intersection of Lougheed Highway and Gilmore Avenue, this vibrant high-traffic retail community promises to be a draw for neighbouring communities, passers-by, and residents alike. Its prime location adjacent to Brentwood Centre, also currently under massive redevelopment, means that the Gilmore Station community will truly be at the centre of Burnaby’s larger revitalization and urban growth master-plan.

Gilmore Station will have the potential to provide up to 2.5 million sq. ft. of residential development in over 5 high-rise towers. The first phase of up to 1.0 million sq. ft. of commercial space is preleasing now. Gilmore Station is set to become one of the most sought-after and visited urban centres in Burnaby and Metro Vancouver.

More of the writeup found here 

The graphic below from Onni's website gives the impression that no space will be spared right up to the sidewalks along Gilmore, Dawson and Lougheed.

Rev's Bowling a sure bet for redevelopment

By the sounds of the article below, the site at Rev's Bowling will inevitably be redeveloped into residential towers.  Sadly, we will witness the closure of the last bowling facility in Burnaby, unless it remains in the new development or relocates somewhere in the city.  It's been a great place to have kids' birthday parties or to just go and spend an hour or two.

The development would front both Lougheed Hwy and Goring Street west of Holdom Station.


Burnaby NewsLeader article below

Holdom property tied up in legal battle

• by  Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
• posted Oct 21, 2014 at 12:00 PM

At 4.5 acres, the property where Revs Bowling Centre sits beside Holdom SkyTrain station would appear to be ripe for redevelopment.

But don't count on new highrises going up anytime soon. For almost two years it's been caught in a legal tug-of-war between the owner and a prospective buyer.

The owner claims the fact the land could be rezoned for higher density redevelopment than he realized was kept from him and that other wrongdoings took place, so he refused to go through with the sales contract. The buyer denies the allegations.

In December 2012, YouYi Group Holdings (Canada) Ltd., led by Xiao Dong (Allen) Liu, filed a lawsuit against Brentwood Lanes Canada Ltd., which owns the Burnaby bowling centre property, as well as others in Maple Ridge and Ontario.

Youyi's statement of claim outlined the transaction in which offshoots of its company agreed to buy the property at 5502 Lougheed Hwy. for $28.8 million in a contract signed in October 2011. It was to pay deposits totaling $450,000 and the sale was to complete on Dec. 19, 2012.

It also had a contract to purchase the 4.2-acre Maple Ridge bowling property for $3.2 million in a similar deal.

Since then, YouYi says, it has retained an architectural firm to prepare a concept for a three-tower, highrise development and commissioned a geotechnical and structural engineering report to ensure the plan is feasible. It says it also met with planners and other staff at Burnaby city hall to identify city rezoning requirements and began negotiations with a "highly reputable development company" to partner in a joint venture for the property's development.

YouYi says it has made "significant progress in the rezoning process" and its efforts have increased the value of the property.

The first YouYi heard that Brentwood Lanes would not close the deal was through a letter from their lawyer on Dec. 4, 2012. "The purported reason for their decision … was alleged wrongdoing on behalf of YouYi, including the taking of secret commissions and fraud," said the statement of claim. The allegations are "wholly unfounded and a bad faith attempt by the defendants to avoid their obligations under the contracts."

It wants the courts to force Brentwood Lanes to go through with the sale.

But in its response, Brentwood Lanes says the deal was off because of the buyer's "inability to complete the purchase" and "fraudulent conduct."

Brentwood Lanes owner Jeong Lee was approached by insurance agent Neil Wong in April 2011 with a proposal that he and his associates—realtor Kevin Hien, and businessmen Gary Chow and Stanley Chow—would find overseas buyers in China for the Burnaby, Maple Ridge and Ontario properties.

In July 2011, Wong and Hien told Lee they had found buyers interested in the Burnaby and Maple Ridge properties but not the Ontario ones.

At least as early as July 11 of that year, unknown to Lee, the others involved knew that the Burnaby land could be rezoned to RM5s, with potential higher density than the RM5 he was aware was possible, said the response.

Lee relied on Hien's advice, and the realtor said he would act solely for Lee, the document states. The offer was received from YouYi's Liu, "who Hien represented to Lee to be an experienced real estate developer with wealthy business partners in China." Hien also advised Lee that $32 million for both the Burnaby and Maple Ridge properties was above fair market value.

Shortly after accepting the offer, Lee agreed to sign fake contracts stating the Burnaby property alone was sold for $38.8 million and not the actual $28.8 million. Hien advised Lee that Liu wanted to use them to show investors in China his success in negotiating a reduced price.

Instead, Liu used it to try to flip the property for more money to other developers or buyers, said Lee's response. Around September 2012, Liu showed the false contract to a developer and offered to sell his interest in the land for $40 million.

Lee's response also alleges he was convinced to sign commission-splitting and referral-fee agreements to Hien and the others, even though the others were ineligible due to their not being licenced realtors in B.C.

He alleges Hien convinced him to sign documents that, unbeknownst to Lee, were to misrepresent the rental income of the property to help YouYi get financing for the purchase. Lee also agreed to help finance YouYi's purchase.

But he did not agree to participate in a case of mortgage fraud, in which he was asked to confirm that YouYi had paid him $8 million more as a deposit than it had, to help it secure financing.

Lee makes other allegations including claims of a secret bribe and that Hien acted in collusion with Liu. None of the allegations has yet been proven in court.

Through the fact the buyers did not have the financial ability to complete the purchase, and by asking Lee to participate in the mortgage fraud, "the plaintiffs have repudiated the contracts."

Lee first began to doubt Hien's advice he was getting well above fair market value in December 2011, when another realtor brought him an offer to buy the Lougheed property for $28 million.

Lee sought an appraisal of the land in January 2012, which informed him of the RM5s zoning eligibility and pegged its value at $38 million.

When he brought it up with Hien, the realtor said Liu had no plans to take advantage of the RM5s zoning and would only rezone it to RM5, even drafting documents with YouYi agreeing to that.

"At all material times, Hien was aware that Liu had no intention to comply with the rezoning covenant and that Liu had explored with the City of Burnaby the rezoning of the Brentwood property to RM5s," the response states.

Brentwood Lanes has filed a counterclaim against YouYi, its offshoots, Liu, Hien and others seeking to have the sales contract cancelled, in addition to damages and costs.

The case continues to wend its way through the courts.

YouYi had a certificate of pending litigation (CPL) registered on the land title. A lower court cancelled it at Brentwood Lanes' request. Just last week, the B.C. Court of Appeal slapped it back on until a final decision can be made following a trial.

According to the most recent court judgement by BC Appeal Court Justice Mary Newbury, Lee has retained a new real estate agent who says the CPL is preventing him from finding a new buyer for the Burnaby property.

Meanwhile, the bowling continues at Revs.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

twitter.com/WandaChow

2450 Alpha put forward

As highrises begin to spring up along Lougheed at Brentwood Mall and Solo District, Solterra has put forward a plan to build one at 2450 Alpha Ave, south of Dawson Street.  This development, along with the proposed Dragonwood development by Concord Pacific are signalling a marked change south of Dawson from light industrial to residential.

City of Burnaby Link 

Phases 2 and 3 of Brentwood Mall Redevelopment initiated

With Phase 1 just having gotten underway, Shape Properties has forwarded Phase 3 plans along with its initiation for Phase 2 of the Brentwood Mall Redevelopment.  Phase 3 includes the 3rd tower.  This tower will be built just east of Brentwood Two on Lougheed Hwy most likely at the northeast corner of Alpha and Lougheed atop a commercial podium.

Phase 2 involves the to-be-named Brentwood Community Centre which will be built at the northeast corner of Halifax and Willingdon.  Along with the name, it has yet to be decided what the community centre will include.

Burnaby Now article below

Third phase of Brentwood development moving forward

Janaya Fuller-Evans / Burnaby Now

April 9, 2015 02:37 PM

While the first phase of the Brentwood Town Centre development is under construction, Shape Properties is now moving forward with its proposal for Phase 3.

Shape recently submitted a rezoning application for the third residential building for the site.

"The intent of the master plan identifies residential building three as a single high residential apartment building between 35 and 55 storeys in height atop a commercial podium fronting Brentwood Boulevard and Lougheed Highway," Benjamin Nelson with Shape Properties wrote in a letter to the city's planning and building department. "As prescribed in the master plan, the built form will be lower than that advanced for the Phase 1 residential."

City staff are working with Shape on a development plan for the building, which will then be sent to public hearing.

Shape plans to move ahead with Phase 2 of the project at the same time as Phase 3, and expects to finish it before Phase 3.

However, as Phase 2 includes the new Brentwood Community Centre, further analysis is underway before a rezoning application is submitted for that portion of the development, according to a report from Lou Pelletier, the city's director of planning and building.

The Brentwood master plan divided the 11.5-hectare site at 4515 and 4567 Lougheed Hwy. into four quadrants for development, with the first phase including the two residential towers currently under construction.

The project has been a source of controversy in the Brentwood community, with many residents opposed to the increase in traffic and density in the area.

The rezoning application for the second residential building, a 53-storey tower at the corner of Lougheed Highway and Willingdon Avenue, went to public hearing last summer, with about 40 people in attendance. The application was approved last November.

Residents along Brentlawn Drive have been especially vocal as the project has progressed. The majority of concerns have been regarding increased traffic and rat-runners through their neighbourhood.

The master plan is divided into four phases and includes proposals for 10 residential towers. The design also includes a redeveloped commercial centre, a food store, and a variety of public outdoor spaces.

© 2015 Burnaby Now

Transit Referendum Vote

I received my Transit Referendum ballot in the mail from Elections BC a few weeks ago and didn't waste any time filling it out by voting, "Yes".

Now don't get me wrong.  If anybody reads my posts on TransLink, they would know that I am a harsh critic of the ineptitude that TransLink executives have shown over the years.  But back to the point;

Here are the reasons I voted, "Yes";


Delays in transit expansion will cost us more later than now

If the TransLink P.S.T. hike is voted down and creates further delays (by years), the amount of money that TransLink currently wastes will be a drop in the bucket compared to how much more the cost of the planned projects will increase due to inflation.

The cost of expanding the transit system 10-20 years from now will be much greater than the cost would be right now.  The longer we delay it now, the more we will pay later.

How would we pay more the future?


Increased cost of burning more gas in gridlock.


Increased cost of your time commuting to and from work due to gridlock.

• If you earn $20/hour and spend 1 hour driving each way to and from work, your $20/hour   wage is really $16/hour when you add the extra 2 hours of suffering in gridlock to your 8  hour day. 

Increased health costs (human and monetary) due to more ailments caused by increased air pollution. The costs will increase even if you are an air pollution denier.

• More of our tax dollars will be spent on health care costs than the amount we would be  paying in the form of a 0.5 %P.S.T. hike.

Increased number of cars with a projected 1 million new residents over the next 30 years.

• The current number of cars on the road is already a problem. What do we expect will happen when we have more cars than we currently already have?

Significantly increased cost of expanding transit every year that we wait with our heads buried 
in the sand.

• The monetary costs of voting "No" are going to increase exponentially.

Here are some articles that support the "Yes" side with valid, well-reasoned arguments.


Vancouver Courier article below

Soapbox: Voting No a historic mistake

Stewart Prest / Vancouver Courier
March 18, 2015 10:23 AM

Let me begin by saying I love this city. I moved here several years ago to begin graduate studies at the University of British Columbia. Prior to my arrival, I’d lived in four other provinces and on two other continents. In all those moves, I can honestly say I’ve never been anywhere I’d rather live.

What’s more, Vancouverites seem to get how good they have it here. Many will talk your ear off about just how lovely the city is, given half a chance to do so. That civic pride is for the most part well justified, too. Every city has its problems, and Vancouver is certainly no exception — issues like homelessness and affordability constitute significant and ongoing challenges — but this city gets a lot of things right.

On the subject of transportation however, the region teeters on the verge of a historic mistake, one that will haunt the region for years, and possibly decades, to come.

Polls now suggest a majority in the region is planning to vote No in the transit plebiscite currently underway. Some appear to be acting out of frustration with perceived administrative shortcomings of TransLink, the provincial government-created local transit monopoly. Others argue that the funding mechanism of a 0.5 per cent sales tax is less than ideal.

Such thinking and argumentation is astonishingly short-sighted for a moment of such importance to the future of the region. “Take that, nose!” people seem to be saying. “I bet the face never saw it coming! Hahaha! Ow.”

Cities are defined in part by how, and how well, they move people. A growing city of any size, let alone one with global aspirations, must work tireless to meet transportation challenges. Once a city falls behind on infrastructure expansion, it can be very difficult to catch up. In some cases it may prove impossible.

Vancouver, with its overloaded buses and rage-inducing traffic jams, needs such improvements more than most places. Indeed, in many ways this city succeeds despite its transportation system, rather than because of it. One 2013 study ranked it as having the worst traffic in North America. Another in 2014 placed Vancouver fifth worst in the entire Americas. “World leaders in gridlock” is a civic slogan that leaves much to be desired.

Transit suffers by other measures as well. A 2014 study by the Pembina Institute found that, despite laying more new rapid transit track in the last 20 years than the other four major Canadian cities surveyed, Vancouver still ranked last in terms of certain measures of access. Less than one in five residents live within a kilometre of existing rapid transit for instance, behind even sprawling Calgary.

A Yes vote opens the door to a greener, more liveable city and region. It even stands to be a slightly more affordable one. The Mayors’ Council recently released a study showing that, in the long run, the average Vancouver family will end up saving money thanks to reductions in fuel use, fare prices, and so on. That’s even after the new sales tax is taken into account. Quite simply, a Yes vote will lead to a cleaner, more prosperous, and more efficient Vancouver.

Conversely, a No vote rejects the best chance the region has to address one of its biggest problems. It is a vote for more traffic, more pollution, and continuing uncertainty around transportation in the city for the foreseeable future.  It will not force TransLink to fix things itself. It won’t result in another referendum right away on the same proposal using a different funding mechanism. There’s no way to know how long it will take for a new proposal to emerge should this one be defeated, and until it does the problem will simply worsen as the region’s population continues to grow.

None of this is to say that TransLink itself is above reproach. On the contrary, it’s clear that the corporation is in need of significant reform. Another report commissioned by the Mayors’ Council — the same council behind the transit proposal — found that transit governance in the Vancouver region suffers from “deficiencies in accountability, effectiveness and efficiency in decision-making” not found in other comparable regions. Vancouverites can and should take that up such problems with TransLink’s board and with the provincial government.

That’s a separate issue from investments in infrastructure however, and ought to be treated that way. The question of the referendum is exactly what it appears to be: are Vancouverites willing to pay for badly needed improvements to the city’s transportation system, or not?

I like living in a world-class city. I think my fellow Vancouverites do, too. Let’s hope they vote with a view to keep it that way.

Stewart Prest is a PhD candidate in political science at the University of British Columbia. He’s originally from Alberta, but took the scenic route to get to Vancouver.

24 Hours (Vancouver) article

Premier posts ‘kick me’ sign on TransLink

By Steve Burgess
Tuesday, March 31, 2015 7:09:01 PDT AM

Leo Tolstoy wrote: “Happy families are all alike - each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

Reminds me of the transit plebiscite. People who support the .5% sales tax increase do so for one reason - they want Vancouver’s future growth to be accompanied by proper and well-funded transit.

People who oppose the plan? They all seem to have their own reasons, and their own reasoning. The most common reason is, “No more money to TransLink fat cats,” but there are a wide range of others. “The fact that the Suzuki Foundation is for the ‘Yes’ side would be enough for me to consider to vote ‘No,’” commented “A Taxpayer” on journalist Frances Bula’s blog.

Perhaps my favourite Facebook comment so far was aimed at Jimmy Pattison, the famed car salesman who will head the panel overseeing TransLink spending if the “Yes” side wins. “He just wants better transit so he can sell more cars,” one commenter offered.

Makes you wonder what his motivation for voting “No” would be. But never mind — the logic isn’t important. Factual arguments tend to do nothing more than harden existing positions.

The nasty truth is that these public debates are less about the issue than they are about identity. Who you want to align yourself with? Do you hate those people who keep telling you they know what’s best for you? Hate the mayor? Hate the premier? Hate that smug Suzuki? Great — stick it to ‘em with a “No” vote.

Although Premier Christy Clark claims to support a “Yes” vote, it’s hard to believe. Rather than support transit funding, she threw it to a plebiscite, and after the HST debacle Clark knows better than anyone how tax referendums usually turn out. Holding a plebiscite is the equivalent of taping a “kick me” sign to your back. It’s open season for the disgruntled.

Consider the recent history of the new Port Mann Bridge. Soon after it opened ice missiles were plummeting from the overhead cables through car windshields. Toll avoidance has shifted traffic to the overused Pattullo Bridge and disrupted Surrey traffic patterns. Now imagine a referendum on the Port Mann or any other bridge, and the arguments that could be mustered: “More money for the incompetent fat cats who created the Ice Bomb Expressway? I don’t think so.”

But there was no referendum on the Port Mann. It was something that needed doing, so it was done. Problems will be dealt with. That’s government. A shame Clark didn’t follow that principle with transit funding.

Steve Burgess is a Vancouver-based writer and author of the novel Who Killed Mom? 

24 Hours (Vancouver) article

Numbers don't back up TransLink critic

By Steve Burgess

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 7:04:44 PDT AM

Here's an idea: How about holding a referendum on the Canadian Taxpayers Federation? Behind head cheerleader Jordan Bateman, the CTF is leading the charge to cripple the future of Vancouver area transit.

Considering the effect they are set to have on Vancouver transit policy, I'd like to have some say in their finances.

Here's another idea: If the referendum fails, as current polls predict, let's all catch a ride to work with Bateman. It's the least he can do.

Or perhaps you think it's unfair to target the CTF spokesman personally? My apologies. I learned the technique from a master — Jordan Bateman. To be fair, Bateman hasn't been smearing a single person. Instead, he has created a caricature, the TransLink “elite” — a trough of snuffling pigs living high on our transit coins.

Bateman can point to high-profile screwups like the trouble-plagued Compass Card program, the unused Surrey parking lot, and TransLink executive car allowances (which I wrote about here myself). But the CTF's description of TransLink as a gold-plated pigsty doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

Independent transportation analyst Todd Litman has compared TransLink's efficiency to other North American transit systems and describes TransLink as comparatively “outstanding.”

Meanwhile, blogger Brad Cavanagh crunched the numbers and found that TransLink waste amounted to roughly one-tenth of 1% of the total budget.

Meanwhile, despite some highly publicized SkyTrain malfunctions, TransLink's on-time rating sits at a respectable 95%. But then you don't see many headlines reading, “SkyTrain On Time Again.”

In view of the actual numbers, Bateman's charges are not much different from the guy in the bar who bellows, “They're all a buncha crooks!” It's an easy attack — easier than funding a secure future for local transit.

Many Vancouver area residents do not want to pay more taxes. I get that. That's fair. Let's just drop the CTF bull about how a “No” vote is some sort of people's revolution against TransLink fat cats.

Bateman draws his own salary by opposing taxation in any form. And he's doing a great job. As he recently told Tyee writer Doug Ward, “After this campaign I may want to renegotiate my contract.”

Nice to see somebody's getting fat off this vote. If you'll excuse the personal attack.

Steve Burgess is a Vancouver-based writer and author of the novel Who Killed Mom? 

Delta Optimist letter to the editor

Don't let planned improvements slip away

Delta Optimist

March 20, 2015 12:00 AM

Editor:

I will be voting in favour of the mayors' plan for a 0.5 per cent raise in provincial sales tax for improvement of transportation and transit in Metro Vancouver.

Despite controversy surrounding the issue of TransLink and provincial responsibility, it is my opinion this referendum is an important opportunity to improve greatly needed active transportation of transit, cycling and pedestrian access for the ecological and economic health of the region.

The more transit, cycling and pedestrian access that is available, the more people will get out of their cars, which will result in less gridlock for drivers.

The result will be less air pollution and significant health benefits for active transportation participants as well improved public safety on the roads.

Economic benefits are also significant. Gridlock costs money in lost productivity and is the blocked arteries of a dysfunctional transportation system. What is needed is healthy transportation for a healthy, vibrant and growing community.

Urgent need for greater transportation connectivity for a growing Metro Vancouver is clear.

The means before us may not be perfect but it is a plan to take us towards the goal of improved transportation.

Let's vote for the continuing update of transportation options and connections to benefit Delta and its residents as partners of Metro Vancouver.

Carol Vignale

© 2015 Delta Optimist

Why aren’t road improvements being put to plebiscite while transit is?

This comes after the province’s $2.5 billion announcement yesterday

Jill Drews March 18, 2015 2:50 pm

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) The fact that the BC government has $2.5-billion to spend on roads while it is forcing Metro Vancouver to approve an increase in sales tax to fund transit hasn’t gone unnoticed. People online are wondering why road improvements aren’t being put to a referendum while transit improvements are.

Transportation planner Gordon Price understands the confusion. “The government has never adequately explained why there has to be a vote on transit but not on, often greater numbers in terms of dollars, money being spent on roads and bridges.”

Price says it’s politically popular to lay asphalt and cut ribbons on bridges, while transit has often been seen as a social service that’s a local responsibility.

Todd Litman with the Victoria Transport Policy Institute doesn’t understand why the province is prioritizing road projects. “This is very unfortunate because throughout North America, automobile travel is peaking. The amount of driving is not growing and so there’s less of a need to expand roads while demand for walking, cycling and public transit is growing. More people want to rely on walking, bicycling and public transit if those are high quality. And so it really does make sense for all levels of government to be shifting resources from expanding roads to improving walking, cycling and public transit and the provincial government is making that difficult.”

The BC government’s 10-year transportation plan includes $18-million for cycling improvements, but that’s ten times less than what’s proposed in the plebiscite plan. The latest Angus Reid poll shows about two thirds of respondents plan to vote “no.” Transportation Minister Todd Stone was asked about the optics, but he never really answered the question, saying the government hopes Metro Vancouver votes “yes.”