[Burnaby] Concord Brentwood | U/C and Proposed

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I find it stupid that they have already narrowed Lougheed Highway at its busiest section across Brentwood from 3+3 lanes to basically 2+2 lanes. The result is long line-ups in the traffic lights and having to stop at every light.

Lack of foresight and long-range planning. IMHO

Originally Posted by GilmoreStation

This is actually a very good thing... We don't want Lougheed Highway to turn into a Highway 1. Highway 1 already got expanded by additional two lanes anyways.

It would unlikely be a another Highway 1, I rather think

Originally Posted by Klazu

One cannot limit the amount of traffic flowing though Brentwood by reducing lanes. All it does it makes the cars idle more in intersections, in between all residential.

Lougheed Hwy has always been a major thoroughfare and should be kept us such. The new super mall will also introduce lots of car traffic, which will require 3 lanes to merge in and out.
....agreed
On other topic I am 100% of the mind that they under-built the new Highway 1 through Burnaby. It should have been built to be 10 lanes from Day One, as traffic crawls in direction of rush hour every day. It should be 10 lanes from Willington Avenue all the way to Brunette Avenue.

I think Central Lougheed should have a tunnel option that goes under Willingdon, connected perhaps by a "Diamond Intersection". This Vancouver propensity to squish all traffic onto signal-controlled roads, and even narrowing them - has got to change, IMO. But people here are tunnel-phobic, it seems. I guess we're destined for a gridlocked Burnaby Town Centre

[officedweller]

WRT Lougheed - the north side Madison Centre and the south side Renaissance developments are older, so probably planned for on-street bike lanes, but the recent trend for separated bike lanes has lead to a ree-valuation and change in future configuration.

Originally Posted by GilmoreStation

This is actually a very good thing... We don't want Lougheed Highway to turn into a Highway 1. Highway 1 already got expanded by additional two lanes anyways.

Yeah, but as an urban artery it should be a West Georgia Street or a Burrard Street - which are each 6 lanes.

[Large Cat]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Lack of foresight and long-range planning. IMHO


It would unlikely be a another Highway 1, I rather think


I think Central Lougheed should have a tunnel option that goes under Willingdon, connected perhaps by a "Diamond Intersection". This Vancouver propensity to squish all traffic onto signal-controlled roads, and even narrowing them - has got to change, IMO. But people here are tunnel-phobic, it seems. I guess we're destined for a gridlocked Burnaby Town Centre

Not if measures are introduced to discourage new condo owners from owning cars--or to encourage them not to drive. Massing condos near Skytrain is a good start, but we wouldn't even have to consider widening any roads if the underground parking at Amazing Brentwood, etc. were of a reasonable scope, with limited spaces for shoppers and a max of 1 space per condo unit. Also, Burnaby really needs the car share companies to expand to its town centres to save on space.

[matrix_dot_ca]

Anyone knows what the prices for the units are? What is the average per sqft for this area?

[exhaust]

Anyone know the price range for each floor plans?

EDIT: Sorry for asking the same question as above didn't realize there is page 3 already.

[vanman]

Electric car charging for every parking stall and an electric car sharing program is a huge step in the right direction. Hopefully this becomes the standard for all large condo developments.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by vanman

Electric car charging for every parking stall and an electric car sharing program is a huge step in the right direction. Hopefully this becomes the standard for all large condo developments.

Electric charging stations should be standard for every new build of any type, SFH etc.

[EddieVH]

Originally Posted by exhaust

Anyone know the price range for each floor plans?

EDIT: Sorry for asking the same question as above didn't realize there is page 3 already.

Previews are starting tomorrow at their Surrey presentation center. These previews are for those that registered early for priority access. They were asked to bring a cheque as a deposit for suite selection (not guaranteed that you will get it but you will be on a list). I believe that they will disclose the prices to those that have made appointments to attend these previews.

I did get the invite but will not be attending since I have already bought a unit at another development.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Large Cat

Not if measures are introduced to discourage new condo owners from owning cars--or to encourage them not to drive. Massing condos near Skytrain is a good start, but we wouldn't even have to consider widening any roads if the underground parking at Amazing Brentwood, etc. were of a reasonable scope, with limited spaces for shoppers and a max of 1 space per condo unit. Also, Burnaby really needs the car share companies to expand to its town centres to save on space.

I agree that's a very valid part of the equation here, but does it really go far enough? Will it really help smooth through-traffic at this intersection?
I was thinking of people using Lougheed as a way of getting to destinations further west (or east) and was thinking of a grade-separated tunnel for that.
Nothing too long, just to get under the main controlled intersections.
Not a chance, I know.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

does it really go far enough? Will it really help smooth through-traffic at this intersection?

Nothing will. One must simply accept that traffic there will never again be smooth. To me, that's simply part of city life. Improve the road and vehicles will appear to fill it up. The only limit will be the willingness of drivers to put up with it: it will only stop getting worse when driving is so bad that it's not worth doing.

I find the tunnel idea preposterous. Where would the intersections go? I presume you would end up with two levels of road - one for the intersections, one for through traffic. So where do you build the massively wide road needed for the tunnel portals? What about the barrier created by the trench as the road descends underground? What about existing infrastructure, such as the rail tunnel or the foundation of the Skytrain guideway? Is a tunnel to help some traffic through a couple of intersections really a good use of money compared to investing in transit, bike routes or walkable urbanism?

Reducing traffic should never be the goal. It's a futile one. Instead, we should reduce the time we spend in traffic: by providing alternatives, as Large Cat suggests.

Traffic around here has worsened dramatically over the past decade and a half that I've been in the area. But, year by year, I spend less time in it. As new shops and services open up, as transit improves, my car trips get shorter and shorter. I no longer use Highway #1. Driving to Metrotown is an unusually long and congested trip. With the completion of the mall and the Willingdon greenway I will have even fewer reasons to get in the car in the first place.

[VarBreStr18]

I really like the unique design. But to all the engineers out there, can some one please explain why the building is on pillars? Is it because of ground condition, or to gain elevation because it is in the low lying area, or simply esthetic.
I thought buildings should be firmly planted on the ground. The render shows the parkade is next to it and not underground.

[Tetsuo]

Ground conditions, very swampy (similar to Coquitlam Centre and New West DT)

[Geof]

Someone asked about whether that stretch of Lougheed will be turned into a parkway. According to the city's open house panels (p. 20), the answer is yes. You can even see the road overlapping private land in the zoning plan linked below (and more clearly on p. 24 of the panels).

Someone else criticized the towers in the park design. The panels explicitly refer to them as such (p. 23). Only a short stretch will be mixed with commercial. The city's zoning plan for that area actually shows no commercial there. Instead there is ground-level commercial to the east, along Douglas and Goring, and to the west along Dawson.

In the zoning map, Douglas is blocked at Lougheed. I long wondered why there has been a strange traffic turn-around there since the tower was built at that intersection. But the panels seem to show Douglas going through. I wonder which will be the final plan.

[spiritofevil99]

So I went to the previews with cheque in hand and all they wanted from you was how much you are willing to pay for said unit on the floor you want. They didn't even have a price list! Complete waste of time. You won't know if you even qualify for a unit until three weeks later.

They were basically doing market research to find out what your bottom line you are willing to pay for the unit of your top 3 choices.

They "estimate" 735 sq feet two beds will start at $460K and up. None of the units include parking. Parking for a regular sized car is $30K and $35K for large car.

YUP.

[s211]

Originally Posted by spiritofevil99

735 sq feet two beds

That's silly small for a two bed unit, unless one bunk bed qualifies.

[Klazu]

Yeah, why do we have tiny shoe boxes also in the suburbs? I can understand Downtown, but the living space should increase the further you go.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by VarBreStr18

I really like the unique design. But to all the engineers out there, can some one please explain why the building is on pillars? Is it because of ground condition, or to gain elevation because it is in the low lying area, or simply esthetic.
I thought buildings should be firmly planted on the ground. The render shows the parkade is next to it and not underground.

One of the newspaper articles said the architecture (buildings on stilts) preserves views from Lougheed Highway to the south - so it's aesthetic - with the benefit elevating the suites about a floor.

In any other modern tower, solid perimeter walls wouldn't be load-bearing anyways, they'd just block the view.
The load would be borne by columns (whether vertical, angled, round or rectangular) (or sheer walls).
The Bayshore towers or the new south Rogers Arena tower all have similar airy lobbies.

Originally Posted by Klazu

Yeah, why do we have tiny shoe boxes also in the suburbs? I can understand Downtown, but the living space should increase the further you go.

As you go farther out, buyers may be more sensitive to price, so they make them smaller to keep the illusion of "cheaper" suburbs.

[VarBreStr18]

Originally Posted by spiritofevil99

So I went to the previews with cheque in hand and all they wanted from you was how much you are willing to pay for said unit on the floor you want. They didn't even have a price list! Complete waste of time. You won't know if you even qualify for a unit until three weeks later.

They were basically doing market research to find out what your bottom line you are willing to pay for the unit of your top 3 choices.

They "estimate" 735 sq feet two beds will start at $460K and up. None of the units include parking. Parking for a regular sized car is $30K and $35K for large car.

YUP.

I am afraid this is the new normal. Smaller units don't come with parking. you don't even have the option to buy. Larger units allowed one parking , but you have to pay for it. Toronto has been like this for a long time.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Yeah, why do we have tiny shoe boxes also in the suburbs? I can understand Downtown, but the living space should increase the further you go.

You will notice that with pre 1980's apartments and condos in the suburbs are noticeably larger with more storage space but recently they're building them the same size as downtown Vancouver condos and IMO they won't be worth as much in 20-30 years time when they're just all considered old.

[EddieVH]

Originally Posted by spiritofevil99

So I went to the previews with cheque in hand and all they wanted from you was how much you are willing to pay for said unit on the floor you want. They didn't even have a price list! Complete waste of time. You won't know if you even qualify for a unit until three weeks later.

They were basically doing market research to find out what your bottom line you are willing to pay for the unit of your top 3 choices.

They "estimate" 735 sq feet two beds will start at $460K and up. None of the units include parking. Parking for a regular sized car is $30K and $35K for large car.

YUP.

Crazy. I figure the price of the 3 bedroom units in their Sky Collection to start at 1.2 million. And those aren't even their penthouse suites. I'm glad I bought when I did.