Future celebration square perfect spot to watch Canucks playoff runs?

On the potential eve of the first ever Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup Championship, I have been imagining what the future celebration square that will one day sit next to Brentwood Station on the northeast corner of Willingdon Ave and Lougheed Hwy will look like.  The community value of public gathering places has skyrocketed along with Canucks fever this spring as the Canucks have battled their way to the Finals and into the hearts of many people who normally are not aware of the Canucks.

The currently vacant lot situated west of the station will one day be developed into a celebration square with shops and cafes along with a bus loop that will be better integrated with the station.

The scenes of crowds gathered at Hamilton and Georgia Streets outside the CBC broadcast centre have been nothing less than spectacular.  The spontaneous, joyful interaction with complete strangers during the playoffs has been very enjoyable during my commute on the Expo and Millennium Lines back to Burnaby.  As the area around Brentwood Station develops into a town centre, I hope it develops in a way that will attract large crowds for events during important days of the year such as Remembrance Day, international sporting events, Canucks playoff runs or even local entertainment productions that will attract outdoor crowds.

Until it happens, I can continue to dream.

Brentwood Park Kindergarten buildings in place

The new Kindergarten buildings at Brentwood Park Elementary School were put in place in late May.  The prefabricated buildings will be put to use this fall when full day kindergarten classes begin in the Burnaby School District.

Brentwood Zellers doesn't make the first cut

Target Corp, the US retailing giant that bought Zellers earlier this year, has announced the first wave of Zellers stores to be converted into Target stores. Although the Metrotown store was included among the 13 BC stores on the list, the Brentwood Town Centre store did not make the list.  Target has emphasized that this is merely the first phase and that more stores will be announced in later phases.

The decision to not include the Brentwood location in the first phase may be related to the fact that Brentwood Mall will be undergoing a major redevelopment in the future and Target will need to collaborate with the mall to transition the Zellers into a Target store at that time.

A place to watch Canucks playoff games

With the Canucks having made it to the semifinals, playoff fever is hitting new highs.  The excitement is definitely good for local bars and restaurants if the games are shown there.  Two places to catch the action are Striker's Bar at the REV's Bowling Centre just west of Holdom Station and at Joey Burnaby at the Madison Centre on Lougheed Hwy.

Not all has been rosy with Canucks fever as the sign at Destination Toyota shows (below). In response to the NHL's legal department warning them that they are infringing on the trademark rights of the NHL by displaying the Canucks name, businesses such as Destination Toyota have cleverly resorted to altering the signs to cheer on the Canucks.

Burnaby Mayor's 2011 State of the City address

Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan spoke at an event hosted by the Burnaby Board of Trade on Thursday April 7.  It may be the first mention by a member of City Council of the redevelopment of Brentwood Mall.  That the Mayor mentioned it suggests that the project is being actively pursued by the owners of Brentwood Mall.

In his speech, the Mayor mentioned the following in relation to Brentwood Town Centre:

Brentwood continues to accommodate much of the City's growth. Construction of the Millennium Skytrain Line included three town-centre stations that serve as the focus of transit-oriented development. The Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan recognizes and capitalizes upon this significant transportation corridor by designating its highest, most efficient land uses within walking distance of the stations.

Redevelopment interest in Brentwood remains strong, as indicated by several major development applications approved and advanced in 2010-2011. Among the largest of these projects is the Appia Developments application for the southwest corner of Lougheed and Willingdon. This project would include three high-rise residential towers with 644 units and a 324,000 square-foot, 12-storey commercial office and retail building. We are also looking forward to the new plans for Brentwood Mall that will fundamentally "re-shape" the key element in Brentwood Town Centre.

 The 17 acres of City-owned land near Still Creek Drive and Westminster Avenue is planned as the City's new centre of environmental excellence. The proposed facility will include an area where residents and businesses can dispose of recyclable and compostable materials and learn about how to make their community greener, healthier and less chemical dependent. Part of the site will be protected as a habitat zone for the Still Creek corridor. The centre will also have an operations component for the City's garbage, yard waste and recycling collection division as well as the parks maintenance and forestry services. The design of the facility will demonstrate environmental leadership, as it will focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas reduction, water use efficiency, stormwater best management practices, environmental education, and use of recycled building materials.

Read more: http://www.burnabynow.com/Mayor+gives+2011+State+City+address/4586451/story.html#ixzz1JJmpRLyS

Brentwood Park Elementary Expansion

To make space for full-day kindergarten beginning in September, the construction of the new kindergarten space has begun on the eastern side of Brentwood Park Elementary School.  Work crews have laid the foundation for the new portables that will house the kindergarten classes.  Construction is scheduled for completion by this summer.

Brentwood Blossoms

Spring has arrived in Brentwood.