The Mondrian is is rising at the corner of Johnson and Cook streets.  Designed to appear like a Mondrian-inspired painting (a grid of squares painted with three primary colours), the tower features colour queues and vibrancy not common with development projects in Victoria.  The building will consist of 93 residential units with a groundfloor commercial base.

Developer Alpha Developments purchased the property in the late 2000’s after a previous proposal by a different development firm fell through.

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The proposal calls for a 224 unit residential development between 605-629 Speed Avenue and 606-618 Frances Avenue.

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Developer John Weyand proposed a five-storey rental and commercial building on the site of two vintage commercial buildings on Fort Street. The two historic buildings, both in poor shape and unremarkable, were deemed unworthy of heritage status and demolished to make way for The Cosmopolitan.

The proponent had hoped to build four floors of rental housing (51 units) atop a 25-foot first floor commercial space. The oversize commercial floor would be the height of two floors, a feature considered necessary due to an adjacent residential development’s (The Sovereign) 24-foot podium.

Ultimately the City of Victoria’s Planning and Land Use Committee objected to the project and city councillors chose not to forward the proposal to a public hearing.

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The deadline for bids has been extended a second time in recent weeks. Saanich Parks and Recreation boss Doug Henderson says builders now have until August 26 to show staff and Council how they plan to make the stimulus-funding infrastructure project a reality by next Spring.

A sign announcing the proposed new arts facility at the Cedar Hill Rec Centre is seen in this June 2010 photo. David Foster's name has since been removed. Photo by Robert Randall © VibrantVictoria.ca.

Saanich planners extended the initial June 30 deadline for contractors bidding on the centre to mid-July. Saanich Manager of Development and Municipal Facilities Donavon Bishop said at the time that prospective construction companies needed more time to consult with material suppliers in the face of rising costs.

Recent price fluctuations for concrete, steel, labour and other expenses have thrown a wrench in several local construction proposals as companies struggle to bid on projects that were assigned budgets set by municipal councils months in the past. Victoria City Hall put the Pandora Green rehabilitation project on hold for the better part of a year when tenders received for the project came in about double what had been initially estimated.

As the July deadline approached, the Times Colonist reported that David Foster no longer wanted to have his name associated with the Centre, telling Saanich City Hall that he wants the building to be primarily focused on music at the expense of the other arts. Although Foster is quoted as saying he doesn’t want to dilute his brand with non-musical ventures, it should be noted that Foster has built a career out of profiting from the interaction between music and the visual arts, having scored and produced music for numerous television shows, theatre productions and movies.

When the tenders arrived following the July deadline, planners realized the project would have to be scaled back in order to meet the planned $3.2 million budget and scrapped the planned music recording facility. Henderson insists the centre was intended from the start to be a venue for all the arts and that the mixed-use facility could still be used for musical purposes.

The centre is being designed by Vancouver-based firm Hughes Condon Marler Architects. HCMA’s most recent Saanich project was the renovations to the Gordon Head Rec Center.

Follow the progress of the as-yet unnamed Cedar Hill arts centre by reading this thread on VibrantVictoria’s discussion forum.

Copyright © 2010 by VibrantVictoria.ca.  All rights reserved.

The Jukebox is the third proposal on the 1000-block View Street property since the early 2000’s.  The original concept was 7-storeys and in early 2011 was redesigned as a 9-storey building.

The first proposal, designed by Number 10 Architecture, was for a two-tower residential project.  A second design featured a low-rise building with a 14-storey component on the northwest corner of the property.

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The Northern Junk Complex is a proposal to refurbish the two heritage Northern Junk buildings along Victoria’s downtown waterfront (just shy of the Johnson Street Bridge).

The remainder of the property (currently a patch of green space split off from the Northern Junk buildings by a short stretch of Wharf Street) is envisioned to include a 5-storey modern curved residential and commercial structure designed by Victoria-based Merrick Architecture.

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Andrew Sheret Limited, currently occupying head office space on Kings Street, plans to build a multi-use 8-storey office tower on the site of the Holiday Court Motel at 740 Hillside Avenue between Douglas and Blanshard Streets.

The project will encompass ground-floor retail space for an Andrew Sheret/Splashes Bath and Kitchen Centre.  Office space on the remaining floors will be utilized for Andrew Sheret’s head office operations. The remainder of the space will be available for lease.

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Originally proposed as a 4-storey building, the proponents increased the height by two floors due to the relaxation of woodframe construction regulations.  62-units will be constructed in this hillside project.

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The 82-bed Ellice Street shelter is located on Ellice Park which was reclaimed by the City of Victoria in order to build the facility.

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Construction Photos

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Originally planned as a six-storey condominium residence, The Wing’s construction stalled after a lack of sales dried up project financing.  The Wing is now slated to become an affordable rental residence.

The building has sat empty for several years awaiting a buyer.  In 2009 the City of Victoria and the Province provided $9.5-million towards the purchase and completion of the building and conversion into affordable rental housing.

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