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The Future Teardown Of Metrotown Might Happen Faster Than You Think

Metrotown

Photo: City of Burnaby

While undoubtedly the most popular mall in Metro Vancouver, the Metropolis at Metrotown may be torn down in the future.

Burnaby city council announced last year that the mall’s demolition was part of long-term plan. Specifically, the teardown is part of a massive vision to restructure the entire Metrotown area.

Indeed, the city centre is currently the most populated one in British Columbia after downtown Vancouver. Also, it is expected to grow more rapidly in the coming years. Over 125,000 new residents are set to move into the city in by 2041.

In turn, the restructuring is meant to accommodate this tremendous growth; however, residents are furious about the decision.

RELATED: Metrotown Station Just Opened An Additional Four Escalators

Efforts to Prevent Metrotown Demovictions

“The new plan will designate three thousand apartment units in Metrotown for rezoning by raising their legally allowable building heights from three to twelve (or more) stories. This Plan will demovict and displace more than 6,000 renters and further diminish the lower mainland’s shrinking rental stock by handing them over to condo development corporations for massive profit,” reads a campaign from Stop Displacement.

Although these plans are disconcerting, the full timeline was expected to take up 40 years to fulfill. With that in mind, some recent decisions are putting pressure on locals.

On Monday, April 9th, applications were submitted to city council to build four high-rise residential buildings. They would be located at 4960 Bennet St., 5900 Olive Ave, the shared property of 6366 Cassie Ave, and on 6433 McKay Ave.

Mayor Derek Corrigan said that it was too early to decide, but that something would likely need to be done.

“It’s a situation that happens in all different areas, and you can stall development as we’ve done in Metrotown for many years, but it reaches a point where the buildings are basically dilapidated and the owners aren’t putting money into them, and there are choices to be made,” he told Burnaby Now.

Sadly, the new buildings require the demolition of old, residential apartments. These units were built in the 60s, and some of them are quite rundown. In turn, many of the tenants would not be able to afford higher rent that would be associated with the new luxury condominium.

These changes would also take place much sooner than the teardown at Metropolis, forcing the evictions to come much sooner than expected.

Do you think that the city should hold off on creating these new condos? Alternatively, how do you think the residents should be compensated?

Sound off in the comments below! 

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