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.

Vancouver Market article below

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.

Panorama from Sears Rooftop

View from Sears Rooftop

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.

Western Investor article below

Sugarfina to open first Canadian freestanding store at Metrotown

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

WI Staff 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

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.

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.

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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.

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.

Milano rising into skyline

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

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.

Retail Insider article below

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

August 01, 2017

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 District. L 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 Vuitton, Christian Dior, Sephora 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 Bulgari, Céline, Fendi, Givenchy, Loro Piana, Marc 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.