Concord Pacific to build a 'second Yaletown' at Woodlands

A realty advertising post by Concord Pacific in the Georgia Straight is describing its Woodlands development at the south foot of Beta Ave as a 'second Yaletown.'  The proposed development will include 10 residential towers.

According to the advert, another grocery store is envisioned among the retail amenities that will make up part of the development.  Other amenities mentioned include a new public school and sports / recreational infrastructure.

(Georgia Straight article below)

A second Yaletown is coming to Burnaby

Concord Pacific’s expertise building large-scale communities to help complete revitalization of Brentwood neighbourhood

posted on March 15th, 2016 at 4:44 PM

Imagine living in a community with a beautiful park as your front yard the size of Yaletown’s David Lam and George Wainborn Park combined. How about a visit to your Super Club for a 30-minute cardio workout to kick start your day followed by a weekend brunch at a park-side restaurant with friends and family. Feel like hosting a dinner party at your entertainment lounge tonight? Fresh produce is just an elevator away. Let the chef in you come alive. Imagine living in this neighbourhood, and you can have access to all the above without even getting into a vehicle!

That’s the main idea behind Concord Brentwood, a master-planned community that will encompass—and transform—26 acres in Burnaby’s coveted Brentwood neighbourhood, according to Matt Meehan, senior vice-president of planning with Concord Pacific Developments Inc.

The renowned development company is known for building large-scale communities such as Concord Pacific Place in Yaletown—one of Canada’s largest urban master-planned communities, located on the former Expo lands in Vancouver’s False Creek—as well as a host of other prestigious developments in Metro Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and London, England. Now it has its sights set on Brentwood.

“Concord Brentwood will transform an underutilized industrial area into a beautiful and diverse mixed-use park-side community that completes the exciting revitalization of the Brentwood Town Centre neighbourhood,” Meehan says.

The master-planned community, Concord’s largest in Burnaby, will sit in the heart of Brentwood, south of Lougheed Highway between Beta and Delta avenues and extending south past Dawson Street, and will be anchored by 13 acres of park and green space. Brentwood Town Centre—currently undergoing massive redevelopment into a world-class shopping, dining, and entertainment destination—and its SkyTrain station are a short walk away.

“This was planned closely with the City of Burnaby to be an extremely livable family community. It is intended to round out the current mix of development in Brentwood and provide future residents a valuable park-side alternative,” Meehan says.

The green space will be developed as “a combination of passive and sports/events programming with recreational infrastructure interlaced,” he adds, and a proposed new public school is also planned as part of the community.

The development will feature “endless amenities like Concord Pacific’s Signature Super Club and a Village Central, which will be introduced in Phase 2, consisting of a proposed new grocery store, cafés, and other service-oriented commercial retailers,” Meehan says.

Designed by award-winning architect James K.M. Cheng of Vancouver, Concord Brentwood will consist of 10 glass and concrete towers, most between 40 and 45 storeys tall. Tower 1 of Phase 1 will consist of 426 units on 45 storeys. Signature proposed exterior architectural elements include asymmetrical supporting pillars that extend approximately 11.6 metres from ground level, creating “a dynamic visual presence as well as architectural support for the tower,” says Peter Udzenija, director of corporate relations with Concord Pacific.

Tower 1’s one- to three-bedroom homes will range in size from approximately 534 square feet to 1,239 square feet. Luxurious finishings and interior features will include fully integrated Bosch appliances, engineered-quartz countertops, marble tile backsplashes in shower surrounds and bathroom flooring, and wood grain laminate finish for closet organizers, door trim, and interior suite doors.

“Most corner two- and three-bedrooms will have wraparound balconies with a unique sliding door system that seamlessly connects the indoor and outdoor space,” Udzenija says.

Common-area features will include Wi-Fi in ground-floor lobbies, amenity areas, elevators, and all parkade levels, a building-wide water filtration system, an automatic car wash, and manual car-wash bays with hot and cold water.

A central lobby concierge podium, shared between towers 1 and 2 of Phase 1, will house two levels of amenities, including a fitness centre with yoga studio, grand lounge, games room, pet grooming room, business centre, study rooms, and a music room.

Brentwood’s enviable central location, 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver, offers easy access to Trans-Canada and Lougheed highways. The Brentwood SkyTrain station on the Millennium line connects to the Expo line as well as the future Evergreen line to Port Moody and Coquitlam. The recently opened Whole Foods supermarket at the intersection of Lougheed Highway and Willingdon Avenue, Save-On-Foods at Madison Centre, and a growing array of shops, restaurants, and amenities are within a short walk, and the vibrant, multicultural Burnaby Heights neighbourhood, just up Willingdon Avenue on Hastings Street, offers charming cafés, European patisseries, local butcher shops, fresh food markets, and an acclaimed French fine dining restaurant, the Pear Tree.

Concord Brentwood Phase 1 sales are set to open this spring. The Burnaby presentation centre, located in Metrotown, is in its final construction stages and will soon open to the public. For information and to register for updates about the project, visit www.concordbrentwood.com.

This article is promoted by Concord Pacific.

Dragonwood Development goes to public hearing

The Dragonwood Development, or Woodlands Development as it is referred to more recently, will be going to a public hearng at the City of Burnaby Council Chambers on July 21 at 7:00 pm.

The poster boards that will be on display at the City of Burnaby during the public hearing can be seen at the City of Burnaby website.

The following article is from the Burnaby Now.

Burnaby's Woodlands development going to public hearing

The Woodlands development, put forward by Concord Pacific, would see the industrial area which lies south of Lougheed Highway, east of Beta Avenue, west of Delta Avenue and extends south toward the rail line, replaced with residential and public space, including a park and a potential school site.

“This is a big project and one that’s been a long time coming to fruition,” Mayor Derek Corrigan said at Monday night’s council meeting.

A city staff report detailing the conceptual master plan was presented to council at the meeting.

“It is a comprehensive document that shows a major development in the eastern section of our Brentwood development plan, and these are former warehouse lands that are going to be going to residential development,” Corrigan said. “So I’m looking forward to seeing how the public responds to it.”

The plan is divided into six areas: the Lougheed parkway at the north end of the site; the hillside area which would include up to four high-rises ranging from 35 to 55 storeys; the flatlands area which would include mid-rise buildings four to 15 storeys high and two high-rise buildings ranging from 30 to 40 storeys; the parkside area northwest of the proposed park, which would include up to four high-rise buildings, ranging from 25 to 45 storeys; as well as the park and riparian areas.

The park itself would be 13.32 acres. Some suggestions for the park area include field space, water features, a children's play area, terraced seating, and there is space that could be set aside for a new elementary school for the area. The riparian area would be an extension of the park surrounding Stickleback Creek, and could include low impact trails and pathways, as well as streamside protection to improve fish passage and wildlife habitat.

James KM Cheng Architecture was hired by Concord Pacific to develop the plan.

The site includes four privately owned properties at 4756 and 4828 Lougheed Hwy and 2311 and 2316 Delta Ave.; and six city-owned properties at 4874 Lougheed Hwy; and 4818, 4828, 4829, 2235 and 2285 Dawson St.

The conceptual master plan and Phase Ia of the plan are going to public hearing in two weeks.

The hearing takes place in council chambers at city hall on Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m. For those who cannot attend, written submissions must be received at the city clerk’s office by 4:45 p.m. on the day of the public hearing. Burnaby council does not accept submissions regarding rezoning applications after public hearings.

- See more at: http://www.burnabynow.com/news/burnaby-s-woodlands-development-going-to-public-hearing-1.1995877#.dpuf

Another Douglas Rd site prime for development

The site at 2360 Douglas Rd is up for sale as a future apartment development.  With Douglas Rd having begun to change with the Perspectives and Affinity towers being completed just west of this, 2360 Douglas Rd will begin to further connect the area around Holdom Station with the area just east of Brentwood Station.  As Concord Pacific's Dragonwood industrial site moves forward at Beta Ave and Dawson and Douglas Rd is eventually closed off at Lougheed Hwy, the rest of the industrial land will begin to give way to similar developments on Douglas Rd north of the railway tracks.

The following photo and description are from a listing at apartmentlocks.ca

The subject property is part of a high-rise development site under the Brentwood official community plan in Burnaby. The area has seen major efforts by both developers and the city to gentrify the area and create a vibrant community for people to live and have easy commutes to the downtown core for work. The skytrain station is approximately 550 meters away ( 7 minute walk).  Brentwood is quickly becoming a charming and desirable place to live that will continue to grow and evolve. Currently the property is improved with an industrial warehouse.

More coverage on Dragonwood Development

According to the following articles, open houses will be held beginning this month for the Dragonwood Development by Concord Pacific.


(Burnaby NewsLeader article below)

New plan will turn industrial area into a truly special place

• The new Woodlands development near Brentwood Town Centre would be divided into distinct areas.
  — Image Credit: CITY OF BURNABY
• 
  
• by  Mario Bartel - Burnaby NewsLeader
• posted Mar 10, 2015 at 8:00 AM— updated Mar 10, 2015 at 9:15 AM

The city of Burnaby is hoping the redevelopment of the Woodlands industrial area will transform a sow's ear into a silk purse.

The 26-acre site, which is southeast of Brentwood Mall, across Lougheed Highway and bounded by Dawson Street, Beta Avenue and the BNSF/CN rail line, is currently comprised of 10 larger industrial warehouse buildings, several smaller facilities and "predominantly paved with asphalt and gravel."

But in a report presented to council on Monday the redevelopment of the area "presents a unique opportunity to create a truly special place, one that engages with the natural environment, is inclusive and diverse, and is fully integrated within the broader (Brentwood) Town Centre."

It would accomplish that with a mix of housing, commercial space, gardens and parks.

The site, as envisioned by James KM Cheng Architecture Inc., would parcel the area into six distinct zones.

The Lougheed Parkway corridor along the highway would be landscaped with trees, ornamental shrubs and ambient lighting along with a rain garden to soften the transition to the residential development in the parcel dubbed "The Hillside."

There up to four high-rise apartment buildings ranging in height from 35-55 storeys would be built on columns to preserve view corridors down to parkland at the south end of the site. A grand staircase would lead down the escarpment from a prominent outlook into the heart of the Woodlands development.

South of the Hillside, the Flatlands would feature a mixed range of housing as well as commercial spaces for residents including restaurants, cafés and retail. Most of the buildings would be mid-sized terraced structures between four and 15 storeys with the potential for two high-rise towers of 30-40 storeys along Dawson Street.

Four more towers of 25-45 storeys could be built in the Parkside area immediately to the southwest. The area around the buildings would be extensively landscaped to create a "private realm" that would be "park like in nature," said the report.

It would also be a transition to the new 4.1 hectare park that anchors the site.  That park would be adjacent to 1.29 acres of parkland the city already owns.

The new park could include sports fields, picnic areas, playgrounds, water features, a fitness circuit, a terraced amphitheatre and areas for environmental education. The east end of the park could eventually be home to a new elementary school.

Finally, the area around Stickleback Creek would be brought back to its natural state with stream side protection, low impact trails and pathways and restored habitat for fish and wildlife.

The result, said the report, would be to create a transit-oriented community, with exceptional urban design and architecture.

But before it can go any further, the proposal will have to scrutinized at a series of public open houses to be held over the next two months. Residents and property owners in the area will also be notified with an informational brochure.

Input from the open houses will then be integrated into the site's conceptual master plan that also includes design guidelines, a conceptual plan for the park, a plan for enchancing the riparian area around Stickleback Creek, a traffic study and a program for amenity bonusing.

(Burnaby Now article below)

Big plans for Burnaby's Woodlands neighbourhood

Janaya Fuller-Evans / Burnaby Now

March 10, 2015 10:29 AM

The city has big plans for the Woodlands neighbourhood, shown here as part of the Brentwood community plan.   Photograph By Contributed/BURNABY NOW

Peppered with industrial businesses, Woodlands doesn't look like Burnaby's next up-and-coming neighbourhood.

But Concord Pacific and the City of Burnaby have an ambitious plan for the 26-acre area, which lies south of Lougheed Highway, east of Beta Avenue, west of Delta Avenue, and extends south toward the rail line.

Burnaby's planning and building director Lou Pelletier detailed the site concept in a report presented to council at Monday night's meeting.

"The hard work that's been done by staff with the developer and the committee in order to make this what I think is a very innovative plan, and one that reflects the best use of the Brentwood Town Centre, is, I think, extremely important," Mayor Derek Corrigan said at the meeting. "This is a site that has, I think, provided all of us with a few headaches over the years, but it seems we've come to a pretty good resolution, and hopefully the community will agree as they go for their consultation."

The plan  is divided into six areas: the Lougheed parkway at the north end of the site would include a centre median landscaped with trees, shrubs and ambient lighting, according to the report. 

The hillside area would include up to four high-rises ranging from 35 to 55 storeys with the option of townhouses on the southern slope. The plan also includes a grand staircase leading south from Lougheed Highway to Yukon Crescent. The hillside would overlook park space to the south.

The flatlands area would include a broad range of housing options such as mid-rise buildings four to 15 storeys high in a terraced formation, as well as the option for two high-rise buildings ranging from 30 to 40 storeys.

The parkside area would run along portions of Dawson Street and Beta Avenue and would include up to four high-rise buildings, ranging from 25 to 45 storeys.

The park itself would be 13.32 acres. Some suggestions for the park area include field space, water features, a children's play area, terraced seating, and there is space that could be set aside for a new elementary school for the area.

And finally, the riparian area would be an extension of the park surrounding Stickleback Creek, and could include low impact trails and pathways, as well as streamside protection to improve fish passage and wildlife habitat.

Burnaby council has approved a motion to present the plan to the public.

"It has some pretty innovative ideas that I don't think have been tried anywhere else in the world," Coun. Dan Johnston said of the report.

James KM Cheng Architecture was hired by Concord Pacific to develop the plan.

The site includes four privately owned properties at 4756 and 4828 Lougheed Hwy and 2311 and 2316 Delta Ave.; and six city-owned properties at 4874 Lougheed Hwy, and 4818, 4828, 4829, 2235 and 2285 Dawson St.

The city is starting a public consultation process for the project, with open houses planned for March and April.

The open houses will be held midweek in the city hall foyer from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at the Holdom Resource Centre from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to the report, and residents in the area between Lougheed Highway and the rail line, and Willingdon and Holdom avenues, will be sent brochures with the details.

Once residents have been consulted, a conceptual master plan will be developed for the site, which will then be presented to the public.

© 2015 Burnaby Now

Concord Pacific's Dragonwood development receiving coverage

As the massive Brentwood Mall Redevelopment has just gotten underway, the equally (if not more) massive Dragonwood Development at the foot of Beta Ave next to the train tracks is beginning to receive some media coverage.

(24 Hours article below)

Burnaby wants to build new neighbourhood

By Stefania Seccia, 24 hours
Sunday, March 8, 2015 3:25:21 PDT PM

Burnaby wants to carve out a new neighbourhood across from Brentwood mall by redeveloping 26 acres to include residential towers, an elementary school, and retail space to cater to the future influx of residents.

The Woodlands site is at the concept stage, and heading for public input given Burnaby council approval at its Monday night meeting. As it sits on Lougheed Highway across from Brentwood Town Centre SkyTrain station, it’s part of the vision to develop near transit hubs.

The site is comprised of 10 properties – including six owned by the city and four privately owned. The deal includes selling off the city lands pending final approval of the proposed neighbourhood to the developer, Concord Pacific.

Currently, the Woodlands area is made up of 10 larger industrial-warehouse buildings surrounded by smaller facilities. Since the early 1960s it operated as the Dragonwood Industrial Estates — until it sold in 2014, according to a city report.

Concord Pacific is intending to develop up to 10 highrise apartment buildings ranging from 25 to 55 storeys, townhouses, and mid-rise buildings of four to 15 storeys.

While the surrounding area has had medium-density development pop up over the last decade already, including Brentwood Gate – a mixture of highrise and low-rise apartment buildings — the Woodlands site will be home to more than just residences.

The concept plan includes a 10-acre park including field space, picnic and seating areas, children’s play features, an amphitheatre or environmental education series, according to the report. It also includes space for cafes and restaurants.

The proposed new elementary school is being eyed for the eastern end of the site.

“The opportunity provided by the redevelopment of the Woodlands site is to transform this heavy industrial area, central to Brentwood Town Centre, into a vibrant community hub, knitting together the site with surrounding and future residential and mixed-use neighbourhoods,” the report states.

As the proposal is in its early stages, the public process has been split into two parts: part one will include public open houses to discuss the vision and concepts, which will be followed by the conceptual master plan heading to a future public hearing.

More on new area community centre

According to the following article in the Burnaby NewsLeader, the City of Burnaby has been considering timeframes and potential locations for new community centre space to meet projected population growth in North Burnaby.

New Brentwood community centre several years away

• by  Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
• posted Mar 6, 2014 at 9:00 AM— updated Mar 6, 2014 at 10:06 AM

Any new community centre to serve Brentwood residents is likely at least five years away.

That's according to Burnaby Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, chair of the city's parks and rec commission.

The challenge isn't money. There should be ample funds coming from developers in return for being awarded bonus density in their projects. In fact, when all four phases of Appia Development's SOLO District are completed, it will have contributed $32 million in community amenities, including $30 million in cash.

That's in addition to the millions expected to come from Shape Properties' redevelopment of Brentwood mall.

When it comes to a Brentwood community centre, the challenge will be finding a place to put it.

Dhaliwal explained that Burnaby's original longterm plan was to build a large community centre similar to Metrotown's Bonsor at the former site of the Burnaby Heights Resource Centre, next to Eileen Dailly pool.

"But lately over the last four to five years, things have changed considerably in terms of where the population is going to be."

That is, the recent development boom at the intersection of Willingdon Avenue and Lougheed Highway now has the city expecting upwards of 40,000 people moving into that area over the next 30 years or so, he said.

Now Confederation Park seems rather far for people to go for their recreation activities. And even the smaller satellite facility—a redevelopment of the existing Willingdon Community Centre—planned for Willingdon Heights park at Gilmore Avenue and Douglas Road seems a too much of a trek.

It would be a quick trip by car, he noted, but likely too far for people to walk as the city is encouraging people to do in an area that's already choked with commuter traffic.

The city is now leaning towards building two smaller facilities, one next to Eileen Dailly pool and the other closer to Brentwood mall.

As for where the latter could go, Dhaliwal said one possibility is on what is currently Dragonwood Industrial Park south of Lougheed.

Concord Pacific Holdings Ltd. has a deal to purchase the 26-acre property on condition it gets rezoning approval. Last year, it proposed a redevelopment for a multi-family project that would include commercial space, a park and a school site.

Other future development sites in the area, such as the Carter GM dealership, could also yield land for a community centre, he said.

The only thing that's sure is a location is up in the air.

"I hope by this fall we'll have a good idea of what's going to be built and where for the next five to 10 years," Dhaliwal said.

But nothing will happen overnight.

The city knew what it was going to build a new Edmonds Community Centre in 2006 but it didn't open until 2013, he noted.

He envisions a facility at 250 Willingdon next to Eileen Dailly pool being built first, perhaps connected to Brentwood via an urban trail up Willingdon. The second centre would come some time after that for reasons of location and budget.

Such community facilities require a lot of staffing, with 50 new staff at Edmonds alone, he said. To avoid massive tax increases to fund their operations, they need to be brought in at least five years apart.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

twitter.com/WandaChow

Concord Pacific behind new area project

According to the following Burnaby Now article, Concord Pacific is behind the development Between Beta and Delta Avenues along the south side of Lougheed Hwy that includes the Dragonwood warehouse lands off of Beta Ave.

Brentwood proposal includes park, school

Developer wants to transform industrial area into family neighbourhood

By Stefania Seccia, Burnaby Now July 25, 2013

Another high-density development is being proposed near Brentwood Town Centre on industrial lands, which could include an elementary school and park.

Concord Pacific Holdings has put forward a rezoning application to allow construction of a multi-phased highrise, mid-rise and low-rise residential development with a commercial component.

The site is on 10.5 hectares (26 acres) of land south of Lougheed Highway and east of Beta Avenue.

At its Monday night meeting, Burnaby council authorized staff to work with the developer on the 10 individual parcels and areas of unopened rightof-ways.

The site is currently occupied by the Dragonwood Industrial Estates. Dragonwood consists of heavy industrial buildings, a large outdoor storage yard and a used car dealership.
About seven acres of the site - for the park and school - would be acquired through a mixture of density transfer and cash, to serve the southern portion of the Brentwood area.

"The proposed preliminary development concept for this key site within the Brentwood Town Centre is to transform its existing industrial nature into a new signature multiple-family residential neighbourhood, with a new elementary school, a neighbourhood park, and an improved naturalized riparian corridor for Stickleback Creek, at its heart," the city report states.  "The neighbourhood park space would be for both active and passive recreation, children's play and environmental enhancement, and would add to the primary outdoor and indoor recreation opportunities available at the nearby Burnaby Lake Sports Complex."

Concord Pacific will have to meet certain service requirements such as finishing surrounding streets with bicycle facilities, sidewalks, trees, boulevards, and street and pedestrian lighting.
Coun. Dan Johnston noted that despite the controversy with high-density developments, it's often a good opportunity to get density bonuses, which fund great community amenities.
"Density is not always a bad thing," Johnston added.

A noise study will also be completed due to the site's close proximity to the SkyTrain line and Lougheed Highway.

© Copyright (c) Burnaby Now

More on new Brentwood area school

The following Burnaby NewsLeader article provides some background on the Dragonwood lands off Beta Ave and the future elementary school to be built south  of Lougheed Hwy.

New Brentwood school site on horizon

By Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
Published: July 23, 2013 3:00 PM 
Updated: July 23, 2013 3:25 PM

A new Brentwood-area elementary school and neighbourhood park south of Lougheed Highway are a step closer to reality now that the new owners of Dragonwood Industrial Park have applied for a rezoning of the 26-acre (10.5 hectare) site.

Concord Pacific Holdings Ltd. are proposing to develop a multi-phased, highrise, multi-family development with ground-oriented townhouses and low-rise apartments as well as commercial space to serve the immediate community, according to a Burnaby city staff report.

The property is comprised of 4756 and 4828 Lougheed Highway, 4818, 4828 and 4829 Dawson St., 2235, 2285 and 2311 Delta Ave. and 2316 Beta Ave. and includes several smaller properties currently owned by the city that would be sold to the developer and added to the site.

The property has long been designated in the Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan for multi-family redevelopment and 7.68 acres has been sought for the school and park.

In fact, as reported in the NewsLeader, the owners of Dragonwood claimed in a 2009 lawsuit against the City of Burnaby that city inspectors began strictly enforcing long-unenforced bylaws against its tenants and turning down their business licence applications after it turned down city hall's offer to purchase the park and school site two years earlier.

Jonathan Baker, who served as Dragonwood's lawyer for a time on the case, told the  NewsLeader in 2009 he believed residents of a condo development overseeing the site were pressuring the city to get the industrial park off the property.

"It looks as though there was an expectation from [the highrise] tenants they would be overlooking a park and they didn't expect it would be an industrial park," Baker said.

Now it appears an actual neighbourhood park may soon be on the horizon.

The preliminary concept for the site would see the park designed for "both active and passive recreation, children's play and environmental enhancement" with an "improved naturalized riparian corridor for Stickleback Creek," the report said.

The elementary school has been on the Burnaby school district's five-year capital plans in recent years and is needed to serve residents of the growing community of highrises in Brentwood and take pressure off Brentwood Park elementary which is already beyond capacity, district secretary-treasurer Greg Frank told the NewsLeader in May. The district would like the new school to have space initially for 240 students.

Along with completing area streets with sidewalks, boulevards, street lighting, and other usual servicing requirements, the developer will be required to build a new pedestrian and cycling overpass at Beta to connect to the Central Valley Greenway south of the BNSF Rail line as well as an urban trail connection through the site, between Lougheed and Beta, the report said.

As for Dragonwood's ongoing battle with city hall, it won the first round of its court fight, with a 2009 B.C. Supreme Court judgment ordering Burnaby to consider the business licence applications of its tenants "on their merits."

Then earlier this year, the property was sold.

It was perhaps not surprising, considering the value of the land.

According to B.C. Assessment, in 2013 the property at 2316 Beta Ave. was valued at $31.08 million, 4828 Lougheed Hwy. was assessed at $23.22 million, 4756 Lougheed at $5.24 million and 2311 Delta Ave. at $875,000.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

twitter.com/WandaChow