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Delivery 604-942-3081 • Wednesday, June 5, 2013
A banner meet for Knight boys
Burnaby advocate gets lifetime award
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Pretty in pink:
There was plenty of clowning around, far right, at the annual Hats Off Day parade on Saturday. Above, this 1947 Chrysler was on display during the show and shine, and, immediate right, Monica Madsen, left, and Kaitlyn Johnson greet performers.
For more photos of the day, scan with
All photos by Jason Lang/burnaby now
Sears reveals big plans for its Metrotown site Stefania Seccia staff reporter
Cranes might be a long-term addition to Metrotown’s skyline with yet another big rezoning development being pursued, this time by Sears Canada Inc. Sears has applied to Burnaby council for a rezoning amendment, which seeks to make a dramatic transformation at its Metrotown department store, with five mixed-use, high-density residential towers on a podium of commercial-retail space and two office towers. “Sears is committed to working with the City of Burnaby staff in determining
the appropriate neighbourhood needs, and to designing an iconic mixed-use development, appropriate for this important gateway location,” said Stephen Champion, vice-president of real estate for Sears Canada, in a letter of intent to council. The preliminary conceptual master plan consists of a new flagship department store for Sears, high-density residential and office towers above a commercial-retail podium, and public realm improvements, including plaza areas along Kingsway and Nelson Avenue, as well as internal plazas. The plazas are expected to be part of the redevelopment proposal, which will be characterized by urban elements such
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as public art, seating areas and special paving. “Such plaza areas could potentially be programmed for a variety of active and passive daytime and night-time uses through the year,” the report states. The 8.9-acre site redevelopment aims to include provisions to support greater pedestrian and bicycle access that extend south from Kingsway to Central Boulevard, with links to SkyTrain and the bus loop, according to a city report. “This corridor should be enhanced as a stronger primary pedestrian promenade, in keeping with the notion that pedestrians should not be treated secondary to vehi-
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cles,” the report states. “In order to achieve this objective, pedestrian and vehicular corridors within the subject redevelopment site will be designed in consideration of its eventual extension and connection to Central Boulevard, with the potential future redevelopment of the adjacent Metropolis at Metrotown site.” The Kingsway access and frontage will be designated as the main gateway into the Metrotown core and the redevelopment “should be highly animated,” according to the report. The development’s timeline will be done in phases, but a date has yet to be given. sseccia@burnabynow.com
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