Community Centre and Tesla coming to Amazing Brentwood

The two opposite ends of the Brentwood Mall site have recently been discussed at the December Burnaby Council meetings.  As part of Phase 2 of the Amazing Brentwood Project, Shape Properties has forwarded its plan to construct a residential high-rise tower atop a commercial podium that will also include a new Brentwood community centre at the northwest corner of the Brentwood Mall site.

Shape Properties has also presented a letter seeking approval for the building of a Tesla showroom within the former Sears building at the eastern end of the Brentwood Mall site.

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

Post-election mention of BW Community Centre

After the Burnaby Citizens Association won the municipal election last Saturday, Councillor Colleen Jordan mentioned that they can continue ahead with plans including the building of a new community centre in Brentwood.  It's been reported that the City of Burnaby is in discussions with Shape Properties (Brentwood Mall owner) to reach a deal to build it on the mall site within the new development that is currently underway and that the ideal location would be near the Halifax Street entrance.

What should the Brentwood Community Centre look like?

I can envision the new amenity including at least one large multipurpose gymnasium that could accommodate sports such as basketball, badminton, volleyball, floor hockey and martial arts.  The facility could also include space for classes and workshops.  If space is an issue, there would be nothing to stop them from building part of the facility underground to create more recreational space in the community centre.  The use of underground space for the gymnasium (at least partially) to allow for office and classroom facilities to be built above and beside it would allow for efficient use of the space that currently exists on the site.  With the area population rapidly growing in the near future, nothing would be worse than a brand new facility being used to over capacity within a few short years.

Specific location of new BW Community Centre discussed

The following Burnaby NewsLeader article  mentions that the City sees the northeast corner of Halifax Steet and Willingdon Avenue as the ideal location for a new community centre.  It would be built within the mixed-use development there during a later phase of the overall redevelopment of Brentwood Mall.

Burnaby NewsLeader article below

A new arena and arts centre?

• by  Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
• posted Oct 20, 2014 at 5:00 PM

A new performing arts centre in Metrotown, an arena in Edmonds, and new Brentwood and Cameron community centres.

Such projects are among the new priorities and changes being proposed for Burnaby's community benefit bonus policy, which council was to consider on Monday.

Since the policy's inception in 1997, Burnaby has received more than $154 million in cash and community amenities in exchange for city hall allowing additional density to be built on specific development sites, said a city staff report.

When an amenity, such as non-profit office space, a seniors centre or childcare facility, for example, can't be accommodated within a development project, the developer gives the city a cash contribution instead.

Until now, that money has been deposited in accounts to be used on future amenities within the same town centre as the development it came from. The planning department is now proposing it could be used on amenities located anywhere within that quadrant of the city.

The proposed policy change would also allow the funds to be used on amenities within Burnaby's civic centre area, which includes city hall, Deer Lake Park, and Burnaby Lake Sports Complex, to serve all Burnaby citizens.

And the change would add a priority amenity program, which sets out a wish list of significant amenities that council wants to see built with the developer contributions.

In Metrotown Town Centre, or the southwest quadrant, that priority is a new performance and event centre. "The facility would be capable of hosting installations, performances and significant gatherings, and would be intended to be a local community and civic-oriented centre that is highly accessible to citizens in Metrotown and Burnaby as a whole," said the report.

While the location will be determined by opportunities coming out of new development in the area, ideally it would be in the area of Kingsway and Willingdon Avenue, it said.

In Brentwood Town Centre, or the northwest quadrant, a new Brentwood community centre is at the top of the priority list. As reported in the NewsLeader, the city and mall owner Shape Properties is looking into the feasibility of building such a facility as part of the Brentwood mall redevelopment.

The report said the ideal location would be along Willingdon, near Halifax Street, within the podium of a mixed-use development.

Also a priority for the northwest quadrant is a new linear park along Willingdon that would connect the Heights and Brentwood neighbourhoods, providing access to amenities, services and recreational facilities for residents of both areas.

The land for the park, which would likely include pedestrian and cycling paths, is already available, having been acquired over time by the city, originally for road and utility purposes, the report said.

For Edmonds Town Centre, or the southeast quadrant, a new Edmonds arena has been identified as a priority. It would be the first such facility in South Burnaby.

And in Lougheed Town Centre, or the northeast quadrant, the priority project will be replacement of Cameron Recreation Centre, including a pool and a replacement of Cameron library branch.

With planning work underway for the redevelopment of the Lougheed mall site, several options are being considered for the amenities, including where they should be located and whether they should be together in the same building as they are now. The area currently doesn't have a pool, and the new rec complex and library would likely be larger than they are today.

The plan would continue the existing policy of designating 20 per cent of those cash contributions into a city-wide housing fund for affordable and/or special needs housing projects.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

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