Monday February 12, 2018

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.

Concord Brentwood site prep begins

The last few weeks has seen the most northern section being cleared and prepared for Phase 1 of the Concord Brentwood development.  Phase 1 will see multiple towers rising along the south side of Lougheed Hwy between Beta Ave and Douglas Rd.

May 30 Public Hearing for Concord Brentwood

Concord Brentwood's Phase 1b is set for a public hearing on May 30.  The sites at 4828 / 4874 Lougheed Hwy and at 2099 Delta Ave are the topics of this public hearing.   Phase 1b will include a stairway connecting Lougheed Hwy to Dawson Street and the proposed public park south of Dawson. An elevator is also part of the proposal to make Dawson and the higher-elevated Lougheed Hwy accessible to the physically impaired.

Destination Toyota to Honda

Destination Toyota having moved to Still Creek, the old site at Madison and Lougheed will become the new home of Destination Honda.  Destination Honda is currently located at Hastings Street and Beta Avenue.

Brentwood One becoming vertically visible

The Brentwood One tower at Halifax St and Willingdon Ave is starting to appear in the Brentwood skyline.  The first of 3 already under construction at the mall site, Brentwood One will contain both strata and rental components.

View from Fairlawn Drive entrance

View from Buchanan Street

 View from Lougheed Hwy

Solterra rising at Alpha

The Solterra tower is beginning to rise at the south foot of Alpha.  It is the first of 2 developments slated for the area south of Dawson Street between Beta and Alpha Ave.  The other one is Lumina at the South foot of Beta Ave.

Meanwhile to, the Concord Brentwood sight along the south side of Lougheed Hwy is being cleared to make way for the first phase of its massive development there.

Further east at Springer and Lougheed will see another tower being forwarded for consideration at 5180 Lougheed Hwy.  Thgat site currently has a Speedy Auto Glass and Kirmac Collision along with another auto repair place.  The rendering below is by Zahra Mirzazadeh.

Scariest spot to stand; Beta and Lougheed

As the photos and following video show, the most dangerous spot for pedestrians is the island on the northwest corner of Beta Ave and Lougheed Hwy.  Pedestrians wishing to cross from or to there are essentially offered no protection from unsafely driven vehicles.  I myself alone have witnessed several  near collisions of vehicles into the island and nothing prevents vehicles from going right through the island and killing anyone unfortunate enough to be standing there.

The photos below show broken parts of a vehicle that probably collided into the light or sign post there.

The only real solution to this hazard is the placement of short, evenly-spaced steel posts along the perimeter of the island with enough space for wheelchair access. The barriers may not prevent flying car parts from injuring pedestrians but would certainly prevent pedestrians from being run over by a car.

If you don't believe me, watch the video below of what happened during the heavy snow and icy conditions.

Concord Brentwood unveils Hillside West

Concord Pacific has revealed (images below) what the first towers will look like and where they will be situated on its massive Woodlands site.

The style reminds me of the old BC Gas building  called, "The Cube" at 1333 West Georgia in Vancouver which, I was told as a youngster, was designed to withstand earthquakes.

(image below from albrighton.ca

Hillside West will sit at the site's highest point on the south side of the newly named "Lougheed Parkway" stretch of Lougheed Hwy, across from Brentwood Gate.  It will be at the most westerly point along Lougheed consisting of two towers.  The next two towers will be east of the first two and will be aptly called, "Hillside East."

A moment to chill at the Esso Station

If you find yourself pondering the mysteries of life and eventually come back to the present, you are likely only a quarter of the way finished filling your gas tank at the Esso Station at Lougheed and Willingdon Ave. By far, they are the slowest pumps around.  But I keep going back because of the Aeroplan Miles.  I also find that the length of time it takes to fill my tank forces me to let go for a few moments of mindfulness or to begin a conversation with whoever is across from me that is also commenting on how slow the pumps are.

A place to train: InFighting

Located in the building at the southwest corner of Lougheed Hwy and Beta Ave, InFighting arrived in the Brentwood area sometime in the Spring of 2015.  At least that is when I noticed the sign on Beta Ave.

When I told an acquaintance of mine that is thoroughly knowledgable of the martial arts scene about it, he told me that the founder of InFighting, Ritchie Yip, is a highly reputable and credible martial arts instructor.

infighting.ca

Entry to the facility is off Beta Ave and downstairs.  They also have kids classes.

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.

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

BW tunnel entry / outline visible

The tunnel and entry/exit from Lougheed Hwy into Brentwood Town Centre's future underground parking lot appears to be marked out when seen from when viewed from the Sears rooftop parking.  The parts not yet dug up will most likely be the locations of future commercial spaces.

Tough times ahead for drivers on Lougheed

The following notice has been published in the local newspapers regarding work along Lougheed Hwy beginning soon and continuing through to the spring of 2015.

Beta Crossing dangerous long before fatal accident occurred

The unfortunate fatal car accident that occurred last month on Beta Ave involving a cyclist didn't happen out of the blue.  The scene of crossing pedestrians and cyclists at Brentwood Drive and Beta Ave is one of sheer chaos throughout the day as people race across the uncontrolled section of Beta Ave immediately north of Lougheed Hwy.

Cyclist killed in crash with car

• by  Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
• posted May 7, 2014 at 2:00 PM— updated May 8, 2014 at 4:26 PM

A 62-year-old Burnaby man was killed when he was struck by a car while cycling in the Brentwood area Tuesday afternoon.

The incident happened at about 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Brentwood Drive and Beta Avenue.

The cyclist is believed to have been leaving the Brentwood Town Centre mall parking lot and was eastbound headed toward Brentwood Drive, said Burnaby RCMP Staff Sgt. Major John Buis. It's possible his view was obstructed by the hill and a lineup of idling traffic. The driver of the car was northbound up the hill on Beta and believed to be heading into the mall site.

The cyclist was not believed to be wearing a helmet and it's possible he failed to stop at a stop sign, Buis said Wednesday. He died at the scene.

The driver is not from the area, remained at the scene and was cooperating with police, he said.

Longtime area resident Terry MacDonald said the road closure from the incident diverted traffic from Beta onto Delta Avenue for hours. He was not surprised to hear about the accident.

"I'm not surprised at all. It's a chaotic area that we've tried to address with the city."

The intersection at Beta on the north side of Lougheed opened in 2002 when the SkyTrain line came in, said MacDonald. It's a move that was supported by the Brentwood Ratepayers Association to help traffic get from the mall to Lougheed more easily.

But Beta was never blocked off to restrict access from the residential streets up the hill to the north, which turned it into a rat-running route for commuters trying to avoid the intersection at Lougheed and Willingdon Avenue, he said. And then in 2008 or so, the condo development was built on the east side of Beta, which only added to the traffic congestion.

"Where this incident took place is where you have ratrunning traffic heading down the hill from Brentlawn Drive, you've got ratrunning traffic coming up the hill from south of Lougheed Highway on Beta, you've got traffic going in and out of Brentwood Town Centre, and you've got traffic going in and out of Brentwood Drive, the high-density apartments," he said.

"It's a very congested intersection. Coupled with vehicles now using it as a ratrunning route, you've got a combination of a great deal of pedestrian traffic, cycle traffic, and automobiles all fighting for space."

Burnaby's assistant director engineering  Doug Louie said the mall driveway on Beta closest to Lougheed is being monitored due to the large number of pedestrians crossing between the mall and Brentwood Gate, the housing development to the east.

"It's an awkward area because of the steepness of the road and it's close to a signalized intersection which makes it challenging."

But there are plans, as part of the mall site's redevelopment, to make the area more pedestrian-friendly, with crosswalks and road narrowing, Louie said.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

twitter.com/WandaChow

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

Site of Brentwood Motors part of massive development

The current site of Brentwood Motors and Enterprise Rent-a-Car at 4756 and 4828 Lougheed Hwy will be the subject of a rezoning application (RZ #13-20) to be discussed tomorrow at the Burnaby City Council meeting.  The subject site will include a proposal for the purchase of surrounding City-owned property that extends eastward to Delta Ave and southward to Dawson Ave.  The developer has yet to be identified.

The development will include a combination of high, mid and low-rise apartment buildings along with a commercial component to serve the needs of immediate area residents.  If the proposal gains approval, the stretch of the south side of Lougheed Hwy between Beta and Delta Avenues will look markedly different once completed over multiple phases.  The area to the south along Dawson Avenue will likely see Dawson Avenue  extend straight through between Beta Ave and Douglas Rd.

New elementary school and park space

This development will also lay the groundwork for a future elementary school south of Dawson Ave to meet the needs of a growing residential population south of Lougheed Hwy.  I expect that the school will be built on the site of the large red warehouses known as the Dragonwood Lands near the foot of Beta south of Dawson Ave.  The site of these warehouses is part of the land mentioned in the project writeup for this rezoning reference.

Pedestrian/Cyclist overpass on Beta

One of the requirements of the City of Burnaby is that a pedestrian and cyclist overpass be built over the railroad tracks to connect to Still Creek Ave.  Such an overpass will definitely benefit locals that need to take a quick walk to the Costco rather than having to drive around along Dawson to Willingdon  to get there.  A quick connection to the Central Valley Greenway will also be nice.

Dealerships and restaurants for Lougheed and Boundary

According to the City of Burnaby, the northeast corner of Lougheed Hwy and Boundary Rd will eventually become the site of auto dealerships, restaurant/commercial spaces and office buildings over multiple development phases.

Parts of the May 27 City of Burnaby Council meeting minutes regarding this development below

. CITY MANAGER DIRECTOR PLANNING AND BUILDING

REZONING REFERENCE #12-28 Mixed-Use Office and Automobile Dealership

"OpenRoad Development - 2020 Boundary Road, Burnaby, B.C." prepared by Christopher Bozyk Architects Ltd.)

APPLICANT: Christopher Bozyk Architects Ltd. 414-611 Alexander Street. Vancouver BC 

TO seek Council authorization to forward this application to a Public Hearing on 2013 June 25.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

That a Rezoning Bylaw be prepared and advanced to First Reading on 2013 June 10, and to a Public Hearing 2013 June 25 at 7:00 p.m.

THAT the following be established as prerequisites to the completion of the rezoning:

The submission of a suitable plan of development.

The deposit of sufficient monies, including a 4% Engineering Inspection Fee, to cover the costs of all services necessary to serve the site and the completion of a servicing agreement covering all requisite services. All services are to be designed to City standards and constructed in accordance with the Engineering Design. One of the conditions for the release of occupancy permits will be the completion of all requisite services.

The installation of all electrical, telephone and cable servicing, and all other wiring underground throughout the development, and to the point of connection to· the existing service where sufficient facilities are available to serve the development.

REZONING PURPOSE

The purpose of the proposed rezoning bylaw amendment is to permit the construction of a mixed-use office, commercial and automobile dealership development.

Background

The subject site was the focus of a similar rezoning application in 2007 (Rezoning Reference #07-24). The developer, Bosa Development Corporation, purchased the site from Terasen Gas (Fortis BC) with the intent of developing the site with a mix of office, commercial and automobile sales and service uses. 

A detailed design was for the site by Christopher Bozyk Architects, but was not advanced to Public Hearing. In 2008, Translink purchased the site with a mixed intent to either develop the site under the prevailing M3 Heavy Industrial District as a bus depot and service facility, or alternatively to work with the. City towards the re-designation of the site for high-density residential uses. As neither a bus depot nor high-density residential uses were considered supportable on the subject site, the City initiated a Rezoning Application (Rezoning Reference #08-10)in line with the intent of the previous rezoning application (Rezoning Reference #07-24), and advanced it to a Public Hearing and Second Reading. In 2012, the Planning Department was approached by Open Road Auto Group who wished to purchase the site with the intent of completing the mixed office, retail and automobile showroom concept brought forward in 2007, and has retained the original architect to work with the City towards the preparation of a suitable plan of development. Subsequent to discussions with the Department, the site was purchased by Open Road Auto Group and the subject rezoning application was submitted.

A key gateway into Burnaby from Vancouver, the subject site is located adjacent to the Brentwood Town Center plan area, separated by the Horne Payne BC Hydro Substation. It should be noted that the OCP recognizes the need to provide for a diverse range of development opportunities, in part, by encouraging and guiding the transition of key sites that are no longer conducive to continued industrial use, and where compelling community benefits are realized through more intensive development for other purposes. Supportive of this direction, the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth strategy designates the subject site as Mixed-Employment, which is intended for industrial, commercial and other employment related uses to help meet the needs of the regional economy. The intent behind this regional land use designation is to continue to support industrial activities, and complement the planned function of urban centres and frequent transit development areas.  Given the subject site's location adjacent to the growing Brentwood Town 'centre, its proximity to SkyTrain service and increasing pressures for more efficient use of urban land, the development of the subject site for office, light-industrial and commercial uses is considered appropriate within the policy context ofthe City's OCP and the Regional Growth Strategy.

The subject property is located at the northeast comer of Lougheed Highway and Boundary Road, and is currently being used for car storage. The subject property was formerly part of 3700 Second Avenue owned by Fortis BC. The property was subdivided in 2004 (Subdivision Reference #04-05) which created the 7.44 acre subject lot. To the north of the subject site is the remainder portion of the Fortis BC site and an industrial area further north, beyond Second Avenue. To the east is the BC Hydro Horne Payne substation. To the south across Lougheed Highway is Bridge Business Park, which is predominantly comprised of offices and office/warehousing, movie studio space and accessory commercial uses. To the west, across Boundary Road in Vancouver, is a mix of light industrial and commercially- oriented uses including offices and automobile dealerships. Vehicular access to the subject site is currently available to the site from Lougheed Highway.

The proposed development plan is for a phased development consisting of two to three high- end automobile dealerships; a 4-storey fully enclosed and glazed structured car storage . building, and an 8-storey office building with underground parking and grade level commercial/restaurant uses. It is proposed that the two initial automotive dealerships be pursued as part of the first phase of development followed by the office building and car storage building as a second phase. The undeveloped second phase will be suitably landscaped until development advances; with a restriction on interim car storage. A further future phase of development at the southeast comer of the site may be pursued under a separate rezoning application for an additional automobile dealership, office and retail building. Upon completion of the development, surface parking will be limited to patrons, . with only a select number of display vehicles located at giade. All other display vehicles will be located within the dealership buildings themselves. Vehicles awaiting servicing will also be stored within the dealership buildings, with access to screened roof parking by way of internal car lifts and ramps. As noted, the car storage building will be fully enclosed and glazed, with vehicles not being visible from adjacent streets. The maximum density permitted for the site upon build-out is 2.4 FAR reflective of the maximum density under the M2 General Industrial District. As part of the first phase of development, the density being pursued is 0.77 FAR.

To complement the built form, a progressive landscape treatment is proposed for the bounding streets including separated bicycle and pedestrian facilities on Lougheed Highway, complete with Rainwater Management Amenities (RMAs), to help soften the urban environment. Substantial on-site landscaping is also proposed including a treed buffer to the industrial properties to the north and northeast, a landscaped front yard along Lougheed Highway, a public plaza with specialized paving and landscaping at the base of the office. building fronting Boundary Road, landscaped islands and specialized paving within designated parking areas.

As part of this substantial development a public art contribution is required. Given the development's prominent location at Lougheed Highway and Boundary Road, which is a major gateway into the City of Burnaby, it is proposed that a "Welcome. to Burnaby" monument sign and landscape feature be provided as the public art component for the development.

Changing Views

Affinity and Perspectives have taken their places at Douglas and Lougheed.  In the not too distant future, the following sightline will disappear by the time phase 2 of the Brentwood Mall Redevelopment is concluded.

The northwest corner of Lougheed and Beta will see a high-rise tower making up part of a village district on the eastern edge of the Brentwood Mall site.