CANADA’S FIRST ELECTRIC PICKUP
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MEETING CHINESE LADIES AT THE POOL
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SPRINKLING REGS WILL BE TIGHTER
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FRIDAY
MAY 25 2012
www.burnabynewsleader.com
A new face has stepped forward, hoping to be the NDP’s provincial candidate in Burnaby-Lougheed. See Page A13
Highrise proposal goes to public May 29 Wanda Chow wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
The Value Village property in Edmonds has been acquired, and will likely be redeveloped in the near future.
Crucial Edmonds property sold Value Village site sold to developer; store to remain as tenant until redevelopment begins Wanda Chow wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
The Burnaby Value Village site at Kingsway and Edmonds Street has been sold to a developer, the latest step in the area’s revitalization. Cressey Developments’ purchase of the three-acre property closed last week, con¿rmed Hani Lammam, the company’s vice-president of development.
The site has been acquired for redevelopment, “but our plans are very preliminary at this stage,” Lammam said. “It could be mixeduse, it could be pure commercial, it’s probably too early to say at this time.” Value Village would remain as a tenant for the time being, he said. Once the leasing agreements are worked out Cressey would then work toward an application for rezoning. “What we’re looking to do, of course, is to look in the neighbourhood, understand the neighbourhood, try and ¿gure out what the community is looking for
and try and ful¿l that need.” Vancouver-based Cressey Developments started out in 1969 as a builder of multi-family residential projects but in the past 10 years has diversi¿ed into developing retail, of¿ce, hotel, industrial and mixed-use projects throughout British Columbia, Alberta and Washington state, according to its website. Among its current projects is the planned redevelopment of the Ridge Theatre site on the west side of Vancouver. According to Burnaby’s director of planning, Basil Luksun, under the
Edmonds Town Centre Plan, the Value Village site is designated for future high-density, mixed-use development. Burnaby Coun. Paul McDonell said what city hall is trying to do on larger redevelopment sites is to have open space, with outdoor cafes and gathering places where people can just sit and talk. “We want a real community-type development.” McDonell said he could see something on the Edmonds site similar to what is proposed as part of the transformation of Station Square mall up the road on Kingsway. Please see COULD BE HOME, A8
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A 37-storey highrise tower with three-storey townhouses is being proposed for Burnaby’s Metrotown area on Patterson Avenue. The project, by Polygon Development 277 Ltd., is being proposed for a site comprised of eight lots—5821, 5829 (two lots), 5845, 5853 and 5861 Barker Avenue and 5808 and 5826 Patterson Avenue, according to a city planning report. The properties on Barker Avenue are currently occupied by older single-family homes in fair to poor condition, the report said, while the two lots on Patterson are currently occupied by two older two-storey apartment buildings in poor condition with a total of 16 rental units. The Metrotown Town Centre Development Plan designates the overall site for highdensity apartment development. A public hearing on the proposal will be held Tuesday, May 29 at 7 p.m. in city council chambers. Please see $7.5M, A3