Burnaby is one step closer to building a new event centre in Metrotown after city council approved a $500,000 study.
The city will issue a request for proposals seeking a consulting firm that can study the market demand, economic impacts, surrounding infrastructure requirements, potential floor area and site requirements for a potential Metrotown Event Centre.
The conceptual design phase is expected to take two years.
Burnaby’s 2017 Metrotown Downtown Plan determined an event centre could contribute to the area’s “excitement, vitality and urban character,” according to a city report.
“The facility is intended to be a multi-use centre, capable of hosting a variety of public assembly uses and events, including celebrations, conferences, exhibits, festivals, installations, performances, trade shows and other significant gatherings,” the report states.
The city wants the project to be built in the Metrotown neighbourhood, but otherwise the “location, size and scale of the project have yet to be determined.” The consultant will not be asked to determine an exact location at this stage, but rather study the minimum site size for the facility.
