Brentwood Station

 

October 13, 2020: Brentwood Entertainment Plaza

 

Solo 3 phase underway

Solo District's 3rd tower will soon begin to rise as the western end of the site on Rosser Ave has been undergoing excavation for several weeks now.   Once completed, the lower level of Solo District will become an open space situated between the 4 towers.

Brentwood Station no longer visible

As Brentwood Two rises, Brentwood Station is no longer visible from the Sears rooftop parking lot.

Solo District's 2nd tower (below) disappears into the clouds on a cloudy overcast day.

Monday February 13, 2017

Pho D'lite open at Solo District

I noticed yesterday that Pho D'lite is now open at Solo District.

Meanwhile, the signs for Solo 3 have gone up on the south side of Skyline Drive.

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.

Changing views

As construction continues around Brentwood, views will begin to change as new vantage points appear.

While new views appear, some will either change or disappear completely.

2011

2012

2014

2016

Shoppers Drug Mart Solo District opening March 31

With Whole Foods and the BC Liquor Store having already opened, Shoppers Drug Mart will soon follow with a March 31 opening next week.  I have also heard that Uncle Fatih's Pizza is already open as well.

Whole Foods bustling on opening day

I had a chance to check out Whole Foods at Solo District on opening day today.  The place was busy as was the smiling staff who must have been just as excited as the customers there.  Finding my favourite organic tomato soup made my day.

A new restaurant will also be opening at Solo district.  We already know that Ricky's Diner is coming soon and Uncle Fatih's Pizza will offer a faster food alternative.  Pho D'lite will add to the food options in the area.

Whole Foods opening tomorrow

With the awaited arrival of Whole Foods upon us with its grand opening in Solo District, I wonder if it will be a good idea to check it out on its first day.  I will have to make a "gameday" decision tomorrow.

Burnaby Now article below

There’s a new competitor in town: Whole Foods set to open in Burnaby

Jeremy Deutsch / Burnaby Now

January 26, 2016 03:52 PM

The grocery store landscape in Burnaby is about to add a new player to the game in an already competitive market.   

This week, the popular American-based grocery chain Whole Foods Market will be opening its latest store in the Lower Mainland, in the Solo District development in the Brentwood neighbourhood.

The NOW was given a chance to take a tour of the new location ahead of Thursday’s grand opening.

The 41,000-square-foot store will offer similar products and shopping experience Whole Foods devotees are accustomed to – and then some, according to Grant Daisley, a marketing coordinator for the company in B.C.

He noted the company tries to model each store to fit the community, offering unique features that won’t be found at other locations.

Specifically, Daisley noted in Burnaby there is a crow theme throughout the store in a nod to the large number of crows that flock to the Still Creek area.

He also said the store is trying to bring in an assortment of international vegetables not carried in other stores to complement the diversity of the people living in the community.

The new store will also feature a mod bar espresso and coffee system. A mod bar essentially has all the major hardware under the counter.

If you’re not familiar, Whole Foods markets itself as “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” offering organic and natural foods.

Daisley explained Whole Foods chose Burnaby as the fifth location in B.C. and just second outside Vancouver because of the number of requests for a store in the city.     

But the company has also come under a number of criticisms, mainly that its products are overpriced. In the summer, Whole Foods became the butt of jokes when it was discovered that a store in California was selling water with three asparagus stalks for $6.

Daisley said the Burnaby location will offer a number of items at prices customers will want, also encouraging people to come and check out the store’s experience.    

“As people are learning and asking more questions about their food … you can come into a Whole Foods market and know we’ve done the work to ensure you’re getting the best food you can get,” he told the NOW, arguing the company’s quality standards are unmatched.

The company announced it would be opening a Burnaby store back in 2012.

It’s not exactly the easiest time to open up major grocery store, with the cost of fruit and vegetables climbing sky high and the Canadian dollar in a free fall.

Those will just be some of the challenges the new store will face, according to Lindsay Meredith, a marketing professor with Simon Fraser University.

He said the store is appealing to urban millennials and Generation-Xers with the healthy and organic labels but noted it comes with a higher price point.

However, the SFU professor suggested the company has picked the right location, pointing out Brentwood is a relatively high-income area with a lot of single-family high rises dotting the landscape. 

“What you’re looking for is the ability to purchase right off the bat,” he said.

While Meredith said the store is catering to a niche market, he expects the Safeways of the world to keep their market share.

Paul Holden, the president and CEO of the Burnaby Board of Trade, welcomes the new store and believes the company has done the research as it enters the local market. 

“I think they’re coming in here with the ambition to be very successful,” he said.

Holden also sees the location of Whole Foods, which is a member of BBOT, becoming a destination for people who want the Whole Foods experience, providing spin-off benefits to the local economy.

The new Whole Foods officially opens its doors on Jan. 28, but will mark the opening with a “breaking bread” event at 8:30 a.m. at 4420 Lougheed Highway.

© 2016 Burnaby Now

- See more at: http://www.burnabynow.com/news/there-s-a-new-competitor-in-town-whole-foods-set-to-open-in-burnaby-1.2159306#sthash.pYVmWpgw.dpuf

Whole Foods readying to open January 28

With 14 days to go for the opening of Whole Foods, the activity around Solo District will begin to increase.  I particularly can't wait for the Ricky's Diner to open.  BREAKFAST!!!!!

Brentwood Entertainment Plaza at street level

During my longest absence between posts, plenty of change has occurred and that change hasn't been limited to just the Brentwood area.  While our new Prime Minister will be extending Canada's credibility on the international stage, his infrastructure funds targeting Metro Vancouver will be extending Metro Vancouver's rapid transit system out towards UBC and into the Fraser Valley.  The development of mass transit infrastructure is the key to setting a framework and focus for urban planning in Metro Vancouver.

Now back to Brentwood.

Since my last post, the opening date for Whole Foods in Solo District has been moved from this month to sometime in 2016.  It's quite a surprising difference from the original planned opening but I guess all good things can't be rushed.

Solterra is moving ahead with promotional pieces on its latest development to begin on Alpha Ave south of Dawson St. (Vancity Buzz link below)

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/10/boutique-living-brentwood-area/


Further east near Holdom Station, the Lake City Inn is being slated for removal to make way for a new residential development between Springer Ave and Holdom Ave.  The development is being presented to the City of Burnaby by Ledingham McAllister.

International Sausage House has closed down to make way for a development at Halifax and Gilmore.

Finally, the Brentwood Mall Redevelopment is beginning to climb out of the massive pit that has marked the beginning of the highly anticipated transformation at Willingdon and Lougheed.

October 5 opening for Whole Foods

The opening date for Whole Foods Solo District has been pushed to October 5.  The rush is on to get the finishing touches completed on the building and the inner southern  side of the storefront is beginning to take form as seen from Rosser Ave.

Scenes around Brentwood

With the recent hot spell leaving me feeling lazy, I haven't done much more than muster a few photos over the past month.  Brentwood Mall's 3rd Tower is being forwarded to public hearing and Whole Foods will be opening soon as August is soon upon us.

Solo District's Altus rising

As Altus continues to rise, the Stratus tower is beginning to disappear when viewed from the east.

Morning glow

With the nice weather this past week, the sun has made the high-rises glow in the morning.

Evening stroll through Brentwood

As the Brentwood area continues its transformation from the evening quiet, dark void into the evening entertainment destination that it is slated to become I can't help but take a few photos of it's current state.    It will be the only evidence of how quiet the neighbourhood once was.