Gilmore Place ready for excavation

As the Amazing Brentwood approaches Phase One completion this year, the other major station centered development of the area is preparing to get digging.  Onni's massive Gilmore Place development will include the tallest tower in the region and will be a gateway to the Brentwood area of Burnaby on the Millenium SkyTrain Line.

Gilmore to Madison full on north side of Dawson Street

With the site on the northeast corner of Dawson and Madison currently under construction by Porte Development Corp, the northwest corner has already been 1 year into a proposal by Imani Development to build a 40-45 story residential tower atop a retail/office street front at 4285 Dawson Street.

This development will complete the redeveloped street front along the north side of Dawson Street between Gilmore and Madison as Onni has already initiated its Gilmore Place development just west of Imani's proposal.

Vancouvermarket.ca article below

Another Highrise Proposal for Brentwood Area

Posted on July 25, 2016

On the same day that Onni is submitting a formal rezoning application for it’s first phase of 3 residential towers at Gilmore Station, another rezoning application has been filed for a site just East of Onni’s land in the rapidly developing Brentwood area of Burnaby.

The application is being made for a currently industrial property at 4285-4295 Dawson Street, at the northwest corner of Madison Avenue. The site is 56,500 SF. The site is designated in the Brentwood Town Centre Plan a mixed use high-density (RM-5s).

The preliminary proposal by Imani Development, is for a mixed use development comprised of retail, office and a highrise residential tower, to a maximum density of 6.0 FAR, with a residential density of 5.0 FAR.

The application notes that the tower height would be 431 feet, or likely around 40-45 storeys.

Tallest tower coming to Gilmore Place

Western Canada's tallest residential tower appears to be coming to Onni's Gilmore place.  According to the article below, the first 3 towers of Phase One will include the tallest residential tower west of Toronto at 65 stories and the other 2 will stand at 55 stories.

Article and Video from Urban YVR below

Tallest residential tower in Western Canada coming to Gilmore Place

Development will bring 2,000 new homes to Gilmore SkyTrain station

March 25, 2017

A massive new development with the tallest residential tower in Western Canada is set to transform a Burnaby intersection and SkyTrain station.

Onni has begun marketing the highly-anticipated Gilmore Place, a 10-tower residential, office and retail development around the Gilmore SkyTrain station on the Millennium Line.

Phase one will include three residential towers, with the tallest “signature” tower around 65 storeys tall, making it the tallest residential tower west of Toronto. The two other towers in phase one will be around 55 storeys tall.

The signature tower will be taller than the Trump Tower, Shangri-La and upcoming Burrard Place towers in downtown Vancouver.

100,000 sq. ft. of commercial space is also proposed in the first phase, as well as an yet-to-be-determined amount of office space.

Gilmore Place will be integrated with the SkyTrain station, featuring public plazas and retail surrounding the rapid transit station.

In total, four phases are proposed at Gilmore Place, with towers in phases one, two and three between 35 and 50 storeys, as well as 500,000 sq. ft. of office space and 185,000 sq. ft. of retail.

The development is targeting a LEED Gold certification, according to City of Burnaby documents. The development’s architects are IBI Group.

The developer, Onni, describes the Gilmore Place development as follows:

Gilmore Place: a master-planned community that will transform Burnaby’s western gateway into an incredible urban hub for residents and visitors alike. Featuring Western Canada’s tallest residential tower, the seamlessly-integrated Gilmore SkyTrain Station, world-class shopping and entertainment, convenient office space and luxurious residential towers, Gilmore Place will redefine metropolitan living in one of Burnaby’s most up-and-coming neighbourhoods, Brentwood. Live above your own city centre, with stunning panoramic views, contemporary finishes, and unrivalled amenity spaces exclusive to residents.

The Brentwood area of North Burnaby is transforming, with redevelopment of the Brentwood Town Centre shopping mall by Shape Properties. When complete, “The Amazing Brentwood” will be home to 10 new towers up to 60 storeys tall, as well as a new outdoor shopping mall integrated with the SkyTrain station.

Complete build-out of the Gilmore Place development is expected to take up to 15 years.

3 towers and commercial space for Gilmore Place Phase 1

The first phase of Onni's Gilmore place will include 3 towers at the corner of Gilmore Ave and Lougheed Hwy.

Vancouvermarket.ca article below

VANCOUVERMARKET.CA

Posted on November 18, 2016

First Phase of Gilmore Place to Include Three Towers, 1,563 Units

The first phase of Onni’s large scale mixed-use project known as Gilmore Place, goes before City of Burnaby council next week. The 12.9 acre site next to the Gilmore Skytrain Station in the Brentwood area of Burnaby was initially approved via master plan earlier this year, though requires further detailed rezoning applications for each phase of the project.

The Gilmore Place master plan represents one of the larger projects in Metro Vancouver currently, with over 2.5 Million SF of residential development and 1 million Sf of commercial space.

Phase 1 of the multi-phase project is the subject of this rezoning and includes:

• a 64-storey signature tower with 643 units
• a 51-storey tower with 510 units
• a 43-storey tower with 410 units
• 71,498 SF of residential amenity space atop the commercial podium
• 291,652 SF of commercial space in a large 3-storey podium
• large format retail and smaller CRUs as well as potential office and educational space on upper levels
• total density of 6.6 FAR
• connection to Skytrain station
• 1,720 total parking stalls

 

The application describes the design rationale:

“The proposed tower design complements the quality and timelessness of the commercial and public open space components advanced under Rezoning Reference #15-54. Tower I and Tower III are designed in tandem to support the signature tower at the corner ofGilmore Avenue and Lougheed Highway. Tower I and Tower III are the counterpoint to Tower II in the use of dark and light colours, drawing from a charcoal and white motif. The subject tower is distinct from the other two towers in that it breaks up the verticality by using offset balconies with fritted balcony glass in a zipper like pattern. The tower terminates in a large lantern element at the corner as a beacon element symbolizing the entry into the Brentwood Town Centre. At the 35th floor is a Sky Lounge the provides residents within the Phase I the opportunity to have social gatherings with unobstructed views to the west and North Shore Mountains.

Residential entries are clearly demarcated on the exterior of the building with floor to ceiling glass, metal and stone elements. Atop the commercial podium is an expansive residential amenity, complete with 71,498 sq.ft. of indoor amenity area with fitness facility (gym, yoga, running and spinning), movie theatre, games room, lounge, golf simulators, bowling alley, indoor and outdoor pools, steam room and sauna, half-court basketball court, three party rooms, four guest suites, indoor and outdoor children’s play area, study centre, kitchen facilities, karaoke room, outdoor dog run, pet wash area and extensive outdoor leisure and landscaped area.

Within Phase I the Gilmore Plaza provides an open air, but weather protected linkage between on-street bus service on Gilmore Avenue and the SkyTrain station, with access to convenience commercial, signature retail, and anchor tenants. The Gilmore plaza is also connected by a grand staircase to second level commercial and retail uses, with opportunities for direct connection to the SkyTrain ticketing level. Movement to the second and third commercial levels is also accommodated by several escalator and elevator banks to ensure universal access and inclusion. The upper commercial levels are characterized by larger format uses with smaller commercial uses at the ground level to engage passersby. The third level allows for more flexible uses including service commercial uses, medical dental offices and institutional uses such as education and training facilities.”

Onni acquired the site in a deal from Standard Life in 2014 for $110 Million.

Onni project to be called Gilmore Place

The following is a writeup from onni.com.  Photos are also from Onni's site.

GILMORE PLACE

 

GILMORE PLACE

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 Place 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 Place community will truly be at the centre of Burnaby’s larger revitalization and urban growth master-plan.

The first phase of commercial space is preleasing now for Gilmore Place’s dynamic urban and populous community. Don’t miss this chance to be one of the first retailers to become a landmark in this prime revitalized and connected neighbourhood, with the opportunity to provide convenience and amenities for many future residents, and to be part of an upcoming retail destination for countless visitors. Gilmore Place will be one of the most sought-after and visited urban centres in Burnaby and Metro Vancouver.

Features:

• Over 12 acres of land
• Up to 2.5 million sq. ft. of residential development and 1 million sq. ft. of commercial and retail space – preleasing now!
• Large format, big-box and CRU retail opportunities
• Customizable opportunities available
• Transit-oriented, at Gilmore SkyTrain station
• Approximately 15 minutes to downtown Vancouver, by SkyTrain
• Located between high-density routes, Lougheed Highway and Gilmore Avenue
• Located adjacent to Brentwood’s community redevelopment

http://www.onni.com/commercial/retail/canada/burnaby/gilmore-place/

http://www.gilmoreplace.ca/

Dawson developing from Gilmore to Douglas

While the Brentwood and Solo developments continue attract focus at Willingdon and Lougheed, Dawson Street is beginning to garner attention along its length between Gilmore Ave and Douglas Road.

The Gilmore Station Development by Onni is making its rounds at the City of Burnaby as it moves ahead for approval.  The massive mixed use development will be situated as a gateway to the Brentwood Town Centre.

Further east at Madison and Dawson, the site has been cleared to make way for a sold out residential mid-high-rise development by Porte Development Corporation.  Another high-rise development just south of there, Fulton House, is being planned for the south foot of Madison Ave.

Eastward from there at Willingdon and Dawson, the foundation for a low-rise residential building above a street-level commercial development by Amacon is being poured.  The corner front will see a new yet to-be-named restaurant.

On the east side of Willingdon, the Milano development at 2450 Alpha Ave is being initiated by Solterra Development south of Dawson.  Further down will see 2 highrise developments at the south foot of Beta reaching Lougheed Hwy and nearly reaching Douglas Rd.   The higher profile development will be one of the largest developments in the area by Concord Pacific.

The Concord Brentwood development will also see a grocery store, likely an Urban Fare-type store, along with other commercial amenities.

BC's tallest building at Gilmore Station?

The City of Burnaby may allow the construction of a 65 story high-rise tower which would make it the tallest building in BC.  It would certainly give the Gilmore site some distinction beyond just being a gateway to Brentwood.  With the potential for creating enough office space that would house 5000 jobs, the Gilmore Development enable a massive infusion of economic activity in the area.


The article below from Global News (video accompanying this link) has more on this story.

New development near Gilmore SkyTrain station could pave way for B.C.’s tallest building

By Jon Azpiri

Web Producer Global News

Over the years, there has been an explosion of development around SkyTrain stations.

Buildings have popped up around Burnaby’s Brentwood station and developers are eying the nearby Gilmore station.

The City of Burnaby is giving the developer of the land around Gilmore station the option of constructing a tower of up to 65 storeys. If they do, it’ll be B.C.’s tallest building.

“The land is at a premium, so we can probably go up and save ourselves some sprawl,” Burnaby Councillor Sav Dhaliwal said.

The builders of the massive development now underway at the nearby Brentwood station had the option of going up to 70 storeys, but chose 62 because towers higher than that can prove to be cost prohibitive.

What sets the Gilmore development apart is the plan to offer very large office space options for large corporations like Google and Microsoft.

“This one development has the potential for up to 5,000 jobs and that’s a lot of jobs,” Dhaliwal said.

The urban sprawl shouldn’t surprise anyone. Just months after the Expo Line opened 30 years ago large buildings started to pop up around SkyTrain stations.

Videographer John Ball illustrated the change to the city’s skyline with a video that shows a ride along the original SkyTrain line back in 1985 and puts it side by side with video of a ride along the same SkyTrain line more than 25 years later.

As cities become more dense, the idea of living near your workplace becomes more appealing, which is why the Gilmore site is as much about jobs as condos.

The city is asking the public to submit their input through an online questionnaire.

Meantime, the huge development planned for the Oakridge Mall area in Vancouver is shrinking.

The developers are scaling back plans for the $1.5-billion commercial and residential centre by as much as 25 per cent.

They found an aquifer underneath the mall that is bigger than expected and they say that would complicate the construction of a parkade.

They’re taking a new, smaller plan back to the City for re-approval.

-With files from Ted Chernecki

Open House for Gilmore Development

The City of Burnaby will host an open house on Tuesday January 12 for the Gilmore Station Redevelopment.

(Georgia Straight article below)

City of Burnaby will host open house on concept for major redevelopment around Gilmore Station

The Millennium Line has been the catalyst for an enormous amount development around Brentwood Station.

This month, Burnaby council will seek public input to develop a vision for the area around Gilmore Station, which is west of Brentwood Station.

The preliminary concept calls for several residential and office towers, including a signature building of up to 65 storeys.

Next Tuesday (January 12), there will be two public open houses offering the chance for the public to offer input.

One open house takes place in the Burnaby City Hall foyer from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the other runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the lobby of Commerce Court (4180 Lougheed Highway).

On November 23, council approved a "conceptual master plan" for the Gilmore Station area that falls within Brentwood Town Centre. It's one of four town centres in the city (the others being Lougheed, Metrotown, and Edmonds).

According to a staff report, the Gilmore Station area was designated for high office use, high-density residential, and light industrial (i.e. business park).

Properties to the east of Gilmore Station "were identified for high-density and medium density residential development".

Several years ago, Standard Life Assurance proposed developing a one-million-square-foot office tower, but it was never built.

But the plan was amended at that time to remove high-density multiple-family and light-industrial-office designations. They were replaced that with "general commercial district" and "urban village commercial district" designations.

In 2014, the Onni Group bought Standard Life's five-hectare site for a reported $110 million.

"Given this site’s strategic location as a gateway to the Brentwood Town Centre both by road and by SkyTrain, future redevelopment of the area presents a special opportunity to create a fully-integrated, diverse, transit-connected mixed-use community with a focus on employment growth," the Burnaby staff report states. "Re-conceptualizing the Gilmore Station area requires a concept and vision that delivers architectural excellence, and also demonstrates leadership in economic, environmental and social sustainability, exceptional urban design and public realm, and meaningful amenity contribution to the broader Brentwood Town Centre area."

The proposed Gateway precinct would include a "signature residential tower" on top of retail stores, including a grocery uses.

"The intended form of development would be characterized by up to three high-rise residential apartment buildings between 45 to 65 storeys in height, with four storeys of retail and flex office space at the ground level," the report states.

The proposed Station precinct would have an "enlarged public transit plaza" that would provide better ground access to Gilmore Station from Gilmore Avenue and Dawson Street. It would also include three storeys of retail and flex office space.

The proposed Dawson High Street precinct would have up to four high-rise apartment towers between 25 and 45 storeys on top of a five-storey retail and office podium west of Carleton Avenue. There would be a four-storey podium on the east side of Carleton.

Staff have called for the Carleton precinct to be linked by plazas and open spaces, making it "conducive to restaurants and cafes with outdoor patio seating". It would also include one high-rise residential building of 25 to 35 storeys on top of a 10-storey office and retail podium.

The proposed Commerce precinct could feature two office buildings of between 15 to 30 storeys on top of a four-storey retail and flex office podium.

"The expansion of high-amenity ofice uses on the site is fundamental to the mixed-use employment based concept," the staff report states.

In recent years, it's been difficult for many suburban office landlords to attract tenants. Burnaby, however, aims to permit up to one million square feet of office space in Brentwood Town Centre, which could provide up to 5,000 office-related jobs.

Gilmore Station Development moving along

The Gilmore Station Development (GSD) is being forwarded to the City of Burnaby and is getting coverage in the Burnaby Now (article below).

The GSD, built by Onni Group, will unfold over a period of 15 years.


Get ready for the growth of Gilmore
Jeremy Deutsch / Burnaby Now November 5, 2015 03:51 PM

In several years’ time, the Gilmore station area in Burnaby will be the hub of Brentwood Town Centre with shops, cafés and a plethora of office workers.
That’s at least the city’s concept for the future of the large piece of land in the growing neighbourhood.
The Gilmore Station Conceptual Master Plan for the Brentwood Town Centre is a grand document that sets out the future for the site as the area continues to be developed.
On Tuesday, the preliminary concepts and vision for the plan were presented to the city’s planning committee.
The Gilmore station site is 12.48 acres in size and is made up of six individual parcels – three of the properties are vacant with a portion of these sites occupied by the Gilmore SkyTrain station and guideway.
According to a staff report, the preliminary concept plan for the Gilmore station area is comprised of five different “community precincts,” each with a distinct and unique architectural and landscape expression.
The plan describes the Gilmore station area as the primary western gateway into the Brentwood Town Centre and will become “a hub of activity with a variety of open-air shopping experiences, cafés and restaurants, office space, and high-density residential opportunities, all designed around new public plazas, open spaces, and tree-lined pedestrian streets.”
“These changes will help create a new, high-quality, integrated neighbourhood in Burnaby that will be a seamless extension of existing surrounding neighbourhoods,” the report noted.
Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, a member of the planning committee, suggested the proposals in the plan will complement what’s happening in the Brentwood Town Centre development.
“I think this is a very exciting proposal master plan that’s come forward,” he told the NOW, noting the aggressive timeline to complete the plan within 15 years.
The plan also includes a commitment of 500,000 square feet of office floor space with the potential for up to one million square feet accommodating roughly 5,000 office jobs.
“This is a great place for what I see as a huge advantage for office space,” Dhaliwal said.
“This is a great opportunity to bring growth and economic prosperity to the city.”
The councillor also noted the site will belong to the citizens of Burnaby and not the strata of the development, adding the city wanted to make sure there was access to the Gilmore station from all corners of the development.
The report noted the opportunity provided by the redevelopment of the Gilmore station area is to transform the site into an activity hub centred on the Gilmore SkyTrain Station.
“The most significant goal of the Gilmore station area’s redevelopment is the achievement of a truly transit integrated development where residential, office, retail and open space uses are connected directly to the SkyTrain station,” the report stated.
The city is planning an open house later this month to get feedback.

© 2015 Burnaby Now

Gilmore Station development phases

According to an online retail leasing brochure at gilmorestation.ca, Phase 1 of the Gilmore Development will be situated at Gilmore Ave and Lougheed Hwy with phases 2 and 3 focusing on Carlton Ave and Dawson Street.

Undertaken by Onni Group the development will include "Carleton Plaza" which will be a main pedestrian access point to the site.

Related news story below

Major changes eyed for Burnaby's Gilmore Station

Wanda Chow / Burnaby NewsLeader

July 29, 2014 12:00 AM

The Onni Group is planning a major redevelopment around the Gilmore SkyTrain station that will turn it into a "gateway" to the Brentwood Town Centre area.

The developer has applied for a rezoning to establish a conceptual master plan and a detailed first phase of development.

The property, identified as 4161 and 4171 Dawson St. and 4120, 4160, 4170 and 4180 Lougheed Highway, is almost 12.5 acres and located on the east side of Gilmore Avenue between Lougheed and Dawson.

While six of the parcels are vacant, two are home to light-industrial and office buildings and the largest is occupied by two mid-rise office buildings built in 1982.

A portion is taken up by the Millennium line SkyTrain station built in 2003.

Onni is proposing a highrise, mixed-use residential and commercial development with a substantial office component.

It also proposes building a new public road linking Dawson to Lougheed on the site to improve access to the station and pedestrian-oriented retail on Dawson, said a city staff report.

The Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan adopted by council in 1996 designates the site for high-rise housing and business park development "with a high office use component."

n 2002, the former owner of the property, Standard Life Assurance Company, received rezoning approval in principle for a proposed mid- and high-rise office project.

It was to be a new regional office for Standard Life and to include over one million square feet of office space.

It also included a smaller multi-family and mixed use component along Dawson.

But the rezoning never moved forward to final approvals "with the applicant citing changes in the office market which made the proposal no longer economically feasible," the report said.

Between 2004 and 2010 Standard Life tried to amend the redevelopment concept but one suitable to be forwarded to council never materialized.

The company sold the site to Onni last year.

The aim is to create a "mixed-use gateway" into Brentwood Town centre that's been long expected, the report said.

"While Burnaby has become a model for transit oriented development, including the Master Plan concepts for Brentwood and Lougheed Malls, the subject site is one of few within the region that have the opportunity to be fully integrated with SkyTrain at ground level, mezzanine level and potentially at track level, providing unprecedented access to transit by residents, employees, patrons and the surrounding community," it said.

"With this opportunity in mind, the Gilmore SkyTrain Station was purposefully scaled back in its form and materiality, so that in the future it could be fully integrated with surrounding development."

Burnaby's planning department will work with Onni on a concept and Phase 1 development plan. When it's complete, it will go to a future public hearing.

© Copyright Burnaby NewsLeader 2015 - 

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.

Gilmore Station Development mentioned in NewsLeader

The following Burnaby NewsLeader article mentioning the Gilmore Station development by ONNI Group provides a bit of a glimpse into what we might expect there.

Photo of approach from the west dated 2012 

Major changes eyed for Burnaby's Gilmore Station

• by  Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
• posted Jul 29, 2014 at 11:00 AM

The Onni Group is planning a major redevelopment around the Gilmore SkyTrain station that will turn it into a "gateway" to the Brentwood Town Centre area.

The developer has applied for a rezoning to establish a conceptual master plan and a detailed first phase of development.

The property, identified as 4161 and 4171 Dawson St. and 4120, 4160, 4170, and 4180 Lougheed Highway, is almost 12.5 acres and located on the east side of Gilmore Avenue between Lougheed and Dawson.

While six of the parcels are vacant, two are home to light-industrial and office buildings and the largest is occupied by two mid-rise office buildings built in 1982.

A portion is taken up by the Millennium line SkyTrain station built in 2003.

Onni is proposing a highrise , mixed-use residential and commercial development with a substantial office component.

It also proposes building a new public road linking Dawson to Lougheed on the site to improve access to the station and pedestrian-oriented retail on Dawson, said a city staff report.

The Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan adopted by council in 1996 designates the site for high-rise housing and business park development "with a high office use component."

the subject site is one of the few within the region that have the opportunity to be fully integrated with SkyTrain at ground level, mezzanine level and potentially at track level.

In 2002, the former owner of the property, Standard Life Assurance Company, received rezoning approval in principle for a proposed mid- and high-rise office project.

It was to be a new regional office for Standard Life and to include over one million square feet of office space.

 It also included a smaller multi-family and mixed use component along Dawson.

But the rezoning never moved forward to final approvals “with the applicant citing changes in the office market which made the proposal no longer economically feasible,” the report said.

Between 2004 and 2010 Standard Life tried to amend the redevelopment concept but one suitable to be forwarded to council never materialized.

The company sold the site to Onni last year.

The aim is to create  a “mixed-use gateway” into Brentwood Town centre that’s been long expected, the report said.

"While Burnaby has become a model for transit oriented development, including the Master Plan concepts for Brentwood and Lougheed Malls, the subject site is one of few within the region that have the opportunity to be fully integrated with SkyTrain at ground level, mezzanine level and potentially at track level, providing unprecedented access to transit by residents, employees, patrons and the surrounding community," it said.

"With this opportunity in mind, the Gilmore SkyTrain Station was purposefully scaled back in its form and materiality, so that in the future it could be fully integrated with surrounding development."

Burnaby’s planning department will work with Onni on a concept and Phase 1 development plan.
When it’s complete, it will go to a future public hearing.

More activity along Dawson Ave

With Onni Development already looking at developing the site around Gilmore Station including along Dawson Ave, 2 more sites are being considered a bit further east on or near Dawson Ave.  2450 Alpha Ave south of Dawson is up for a proposed tower by Solterra Development and now the 4300 block of Dawson west of Willingdon Ave at Madison is being eyed for a mid to high-rise development by Porte Development Corp which would include a commercial component fronting Dawson Ave.

According to the Burnaby NewsLeader article below, the huge plot of land that makes up the 2 Carter dealerships has been considered by the owners for their sale to make way for more development.  Such a development, if and when it happens, would rival, if not exceed the magnitude of the Brentwood Mall Redevelopment.

Burnaby NewsLeader article below

More condos proposed for Brentwood industrial area

• by  Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
• posted Jun 16, 2014 at 5:00 PM

The industrial area in Brentwood town centre south of Lougheed Highway could continue its transformation into a residential neighbourhood if two projects get the okay from Burnaby council.

Solterra Acquisition Corp. has applied for a rezoning of 2450 Alpha Ave., a parcel of almost one acre between Dawson and Alaska streets. It proposes building a high-rise apartment building with apartments or townhouses at a podium level to camouflage the above-ground parking.

City staff are proposing guidelines for the area bordered by Dawson and Alaska streets and Alpha and Beta avenues taking into account factors such as geotechnical and groundwater issues, according to a report on the Solterra application.

The proposed guidelines are that the area result in a mix of six to eight mid- to high-rise apartment buildings ranging in height from 15 to 30 storeys. Podium-level apartments or townhouses, potentially used to screen above-ground parking structures, would be a maximum of four storeys along fronting streets. Retail would be considered at ground level along Dawson.

City staff have encouraged Solterra to acquire the property next door, the site of the Carter automotive body shop at 2460 Alpha Ave., as part of its project. But the owner of that parcel is not willing to sell and has stated any future sale would be together with the rest of the Carter automotive dealership lands, the report said.

It noted that "a substantial portion" of the Carter auto body site is intended to be dedicated as road right-of-way for the extension of Alaska Street. That would make the remainder of the site too small for a future multi-family housing development.

Over on the other side of Willingdon Avenue, Porte Development Corp. has applied to rezone 4305 and 4349 Dawson St. on the northeast corner with Madison Avenue. It proposes constructing a six-storey, mixed-use building—five storeys of wood-frame construction above one level of concrete—with commercial space at street level, apartments above and full underground parking.

The six storey plan is due to the fact an underground rail tunnel is located on the eastern part of the site, a city staff report said.

"As the rail tunnel imposes significant challenges on the site in terms of building siting and underground parking, the site's available density is proposed to be coalesced west of the rail tunnel, at the corner of Madison Avenue and Dawson Street."

Burnaby planning director Lou Pelletier told council Monday that the six-storey height is "really dealing with the conditions of the site rather than setting the standard for Dawson."

Council gave city staff the go-ahead to work with both Solterra and Porte toward  development plans that could be presented at future public hearings.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

twitter.com/WandaChow