Excavators dig up the soil in preparation for construction of the Promontory project in Vic West. Photo © Skyscraper Source Media.

Excavators and drilling machines have arrived signaling the start of construction activity for what will become the City of Victoria’s tallest building.  James Bay’s 1960’s-era 22-storey Orchard House tower has held the title for over 40 years.

The 177 unit, 21-storey Promontory condo tower, phase II of the Bayview Project in Vic West, will stand some 66 meters above the neigbhourhood and become a new beacon for the central core of the south Island.

Construction should take approximately two years with completion anticipated in early 2014.  To-date 77 units, or roughly 44% of available homes, have sold according to sales representative Peter Gaby.

In an odd twist of fate project partner Bosa Properties nixed Victoria in the mid 1990’s over a tumulteous rezoning process for it’s first and at the time only Victoria condo project, The Manhattan (on Yates Street across from The Market on Yates).  After vowing never to return to the City, some 15 years later the company has found itself partnering with Bayview Properties to build Victoria’s tallest tower.

The official groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Monday, January 30th, to celebrate the start of construction.  A groundbreaking planned for January 18th was canceled due to inclement weather.

To stay up to date on the Promontory project, refer to VibrantVictoria’s discussion thread for the project here.  To view the Major Construction Projects entry on Promontory, click here.  For a diagram of Victoria’s tallest buildings, refer to SkyscraperPage’s Victoria skyscraper diagram.

© Copyright 2012 by Skyscraper Source Media.  All rights reserved.

This project rendering shows the proposed mixed-use development and the refurbished Northern Junk buildings likely housing an eatery with waterfront views together with other commercial uses. Rendering © by Reliance Properties.

There has been much heated debate over the future of land near the historic Northern Junk buildings at the eastern foot of the Johnson Street Bridge in downtown Victoria.

Multiple contributors to VibrantVictoria’s dedicated discussion thread on the Northern Junk complex have questioned the loss of a tract of public space to make way for commercial and residential buildings enveloping to-be remediated heritage structures, while others have cheered the developer’s vision as representing the prospect of positive change to what is otherwise a crime-ridden nook of Old Town.

Developer Jon Stovell of Reliance Properties, the proponent of the project, has provided the public via VibrantVictoria’s forum multiple clarifications about the proposal in an effort to swing the debate from misinterpretation to fact.

Seemingly unbeknownst to those in opposition to the project’s use of public land, Stovell confirmed that the development will double the public space currently available within the immediate area while opening up access to the waterfront and contributing to the City’s vision for the Victoria Harbour Pathway.  Concern over the loss of a grassy median to make way for the project’s newly built mixed-use buildings was voiced, albeit the public land in its current form has the tendency to draw drug-related activity.

“In the proposal the open space (open to the public) is actually being doubled. It is also better open space being closer to, or actually on the water,” Stovell wrote.

A public plaza along the waterfront together with a connection to the Victoria Harbour Pathway are also envisioned and represent an integral component of the developer’s commitment to public access.  Stovell further confirmed that public access will be guaranteed through legal agreements with the City of Victoria with the only gated portions located at the building lobby.

The re-use of the land for mixed-use commercial and residential units has supporters (including the City of Victoria which welcomed Reliance’s vision for the public median in return for remediating two heritage structures), many of whom welcome the opportunity to reclaim an area of downtown that has both poor pedestrian infrastructure and lacks a sense of place.

A comparison of present-day public space within the vicinity of the Northern Junk proposal and the public space upon the project's completion. Reliance Properties claims their project will double public space and allow public access to the waterfront. Image reproduced from materials © by Reliance Properties.

The Northern Junk complex is proposed with some 56 residential units over 53,600 square feet and 14,600 square feet of street level commercial space spread over five floors.  The design is in the hands of Merrick Architecture, an internationally recognized architectural practice based in Victoria with proven experience designing heritage-sensitive projects.

To stay up to date on the Northern Junk complex, refer to VibrantVictoria’s discussion forum thread here.

© Copyright 2012 by Skyscraper Source Media Inc.  All rights reserved.

A model represents a potential massing of an office building, centre, on the Roth Site, as envisioned by previous Roth Site owner Townline. Photo © by Robert Randall.

The purchase of the Roth Site in the 700-block of Pandora by Jawl Properties and it’s appetite to build an office building on the lot, together with the news that developers of the 15-storey Gateway Green office proposal are fielding calls from the provincial government, hint at yet another race in the making to build downtown Victoria’s next major office building.

Travis Lee of Tri-Eagle Development says the company’s Gateway Green tower has an advantage over every other office proposal in town: the project is only “60 days” away from a construction start the moment a key tenant is signed.

However, Jawl may have acquired a serious contender to Tri-Eagle’s impressive 60-day tenant-to-shovels offering considering the Roth Site is already zoned for highrise office use and a hasty municipal process would yield a greatly reduced planning-to-shovels period.

The bidding war in the making between Tri-Eagle and Jawl Properties is similar to one that played out several years ago.  The duel played out like so: as Tri-Eagle was courting BC Ferries with its offerings at Fisgard and Blanshard in the Gateway Green tower, Jawl Properties, coincidentally BC Ferries’ landlord at the time, purchased the BC Telephone Company property at Johnson and Blanshard streets with plans to build a first-class office building and, according to industry insiders, made BC Ferries an offer that the company could not refuse.  Ultimately BC Ferries walked from Gateway Green, the BC Telephone Company property became the Atrium building and Tri-Eagle put it’s tower on-hold.

This time around no one major tenant has yet revealed itself, other than loose interest expressed by the “provincial government,” and Jawl has some legwork to do before it is ready to present its plans to City staff, let alone potential tenants.

“We have designers looking at massing possibilities for the site and it is too early to say whether the project will be all office or maybe a mix of uses,” said Jawl Properties representative Robert Jawl, stopping short of making a preference for a slimmer, taller point tower design or a shorter, wider building.  Jawl did confirm that D’ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism, the team behind the Atrium building and several of Jawl’s newer residential buildings, is on the roster once again.

The zoning currently allows for almost 200,000 square feet of space and heights in excess of the typical 12-storey office building height.  The previous proposal on the site was for two residential buildings, one of which was to stand some 54 meter talls over 19-storeys.

Asked if any tenants had their sites on Jawl Properties’ upcoming project, Robert Jawl said the company has a solid grasp of public and private office space demands in the region and as of yet no one formal potential tenant has expressed definitive interest in the project. VV

To stay up to date on and to discuss office proposals throughout greater Victoria, view the Office space and office development thread on VibrantVictoria’s forum.  To stay up to date on Gateway Green click here and follow the discussion of the Roth Site development by Jawl Properties here.

© Copyright 2011 by Skyscraper Source Media Inc.  All rights reserved.

Two additional residential towers could join this changing north downtown skyline with the sale of the Roth Site property on Pandora Avenue between Douglas and Blanshard streets. © Copyright by Skyscraper Source Media.

One week after Vancouver-based developer Dave Chard purchased the Emaar property on Yates Street, Victoria-based Jawl Properties, developer of downtown’s Atrium office building, has taken ownership of the Roth Site in the 700-block of Pandora Avenue.

The land’s previous owner, Richmond-based Townline (developer of the Hudson’s Bay Department Store site at Douglas and Fisgard streets), had envisioned a two-tower residential complex, dubbed Centro, on the Pandora lot situated just a stones throw from Victoria City Hall.  Due to the economic downturn of 2008 the land was never developed and eventually put up for sale.

Prior to the downturn an active re-zoning was under way for two residential towers of 19- and 14-storeys with a commercial base.  It is unclear, however, if approval for the two towers was granted although the City’s Advisory Design Panel was in support of the project.  The only use for the property in recent memory prior to and since the rezoning proposal has been surface parking. VV

To discuss the Roth Site and the sale of the land to Jawl Properties, follow the Centro discussion on the VibrantVictoria forum.

© Copyright 2011 by Skyscraper Source Media.  All rights reserved.

Site preparation has begun for Tri-Eagle Development's 1590 Cedar Hill X project, a three storey office building at Shelbourne Village Square in Saanich. Photo © VibrantVictoria.ca.

A laundromat at 1590 Cedar Hill X Road in Shelbourne Village Square has been torn down to make way for Tri-Eagle Development Corporation’s latest office project in Saanich.

Receiving unanimous approval from Saanich council on October 4th, construction of the three storey, 15,000 square foot building is expected to start soon with occupancy anticipated by the end of 2012.

Travis Lee of Tri-Eagle confirms that the anchor tenant will be VanCity Credit Union and the remainder of the space is eyed for medical offices.

Artist's rendering of 1590 Cedar Hill X. Image supplied.

Tri-Eagle’s Saanich development activities have intensified in recent years with the completion of the award winning Raven Building at Tri-Eagle Plaza along West Saanich Road, a seniors residence also in the same neighbourhood, and making its way through the municipal process is Thunderbird Building, a 5-storey, 50,000 square foot LEED Gold office project that will mark the last phase of Tri-Eagle Plaza.

The company is also banking on Uptown’s future as a major transit hub with the recent purchase of property bordered by the Pat Bay Highway, Rowland Avenue and Huxley Street just a stones throw to the north from the Saanich mega-project.  Tri-Eagle is partnering with Michael and David Jawl to build either condos or townhomes.

“BC Transit has invested heavily in property around Uptown for use as a major transit hub and the site on Rowland is perfect for a residential development with easy access to transit and alternative transportation options,” Lee said. VV

To learn more about 1590 Cedar Hill X Road, follow the VibrantVictoria discussion on the project.

© Copyright 2011 by Skyscraper Source Media.  All rights reserved.

The Capital Region grew by 1% between 2010 and 2011. Photo © by VibrantVictoria.ca.

3,525 new residents called metropolitan Victoria home in 2011 according to a population estimate released by the Capital Regional District.

In total, the Capital’s population rose to 360,063 from 356,538 in 2010.

The fastest growing region was the west shore, encompassing Colwood, Highlands, Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, Langford, Metchosin and Sooke, adding 1,846 residents, or just over half of the entire metropolitan area’s population growth.  The fastest growing municipality on the west shore was Sooke with a growth rate of 4% (adding 460 new residents) followed by Langford at nearly 3.5% (adding just over 1,000 residents).

The peninsula, comprised of Central Saanich, North Saanich and Sidney, was the slowest growing region adding only 292 residents over the last year, mostly in Central Saanich.

The urban core, comprised of Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Saanich, Victoria and View Royal, grew by 1,387 people, 823 of whom were in Victoria and 282 in Saanich.  The fastest growing of the core municipalities was View Royal with a growth rate of nearly 1.7% (164 people).  The City of Victoria’s growth rate was 1%.

The population for the entire Capital Region including the Gulf Islands increased to 376,222 from 372,565.

The Capital Regional District (CRD) derives its annual population estimate from the 2006 Census.  The CRD assumes an undercount of 2.9% and targets the estimate for the 1st of June of each year. VV

To discuss the south Island’s population on the VibrantVictoria discussion forum, view this thread.  To view the CRD’s population statistics, including past census figures, click here.

© Copyright 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca.  All rights reserved.

The Cosmopolitan, pictured above in an artist's rendering, was recently denied approval by City Hall despite falling within existing guidelines and promising to bring much needed rental housing to the urban core. Rendering © by Jurgen Weyland.

The City of Victoria has announced that it is considering giving builders a variety of incentives to develop more rental housing throughout the City.

The Times Colonist reported on September 1st that City Hall’s incentives could come in the form of tax breaks, parking requirement reductions, density increases and fast-tracked municipal handling of applications.

However, for one developer who had planned to bring rental housing to the downtown core and in essence build what City Hall now says it wants to see built, talk of incentives comes two months too late.

Jurgen Weyland had proposed a five-storey rental and commercial building, dubbed The Cosmopolitan, in the 600-block of Fort Street on the property that once housed Lens & Shutter.  Instead of an open armed welcome for proposing to build much needed rental housing when other developers were operating in a condo frame of mind, Weyland was turned away.

“The opposition against the Cosmopolitan was really because of Councillor Madoff and her strong disagreement with the design, especially the colors, and the height. The density increase was within the existing bonus density rules of the City of Victoria for residential use but the height was unacceptable to her,” Weyland said.

The City’s Planning and Land Use Sitting Committee (PLUSC) also denied the project further advancement at the municipal level with a vote of 2-to-1 against the proposal.  That decision was ultimately the last nail in the coffin, and despite The Cosmopolitan’s design falling within City Hall’s own guidelines and matching the height and size of adjacent buildings, Mayor Fortin and council would not overrule the PLUSC decision and forward the project to a public hearing.

The Cosmopolitan proposal brings up the question of whether City Hall and its elected representatives are ready and willing to stand behind any new incentives, or whether opposition will continue unabated.  If one councillor and two members of a City Hall committee can wield enough power to turn down a project that molds to the City’s housing plans and is architecturally in keeping with its neighbours, City Hall will need to do more than simply roll out new perks to builders.

Nevertheless, Weyland is hopeful that new incentives will ultimately make a difference and spur the desired interest among developers.

“While I am disappointed that I lost my project 2-to-1 at the PLUSC, I do appreciate that the City now considers a rental housing incentive plan and I am very much in favor of it,” Weyland said, adding that The Cosmopolitan has been placed “on-hold” which suggests that the project may resurface when, or rather if, the time is right.

“All areas of downtown need as much residential use as possible to be vital and exciting. The economics of building new rental housing are difficult. Every cost saving through a City incentive program helps to make the numbers work. We should all applaud that Mayor Fortin is promoting a rental incentive plan for Victoria.” VV

To discuss The Cosmopolitan project on the VibrantVictoria discussion forum, click here.  To discuss rental housing throughout the south Island, click here.

© Copyright 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca.  All rights reserved.

Vic West's eastern shore features the Dockside Green development (before the bridge) and The Railyards (behind the bridge). Photo © by VibrantVictoria.ca.

Once an epicenter of heavy industrial operations and a maritime industry mecca, Victoria West’s (Vic West for short) waterfront properties have undergone a multi-decade transformation into desirable residential and commercial nodes across the harbour from downtown Victoria.  Although the pace of construction throughout the south Island has slowed over the last two years, development activity in Vic West remains strong as home buyers continue to flock to a neighbourhood surrounded by the sea and within easy reach of urban amenities.

Below is a real-estate activity update on Vic West’s industrial-turned-urban renewal projects.

Promontory
The Songhees lands abutting the active Inner Harbour were the first industrial lands in Vic West to be redeveloped.  And almost two decades later interest in the mainly residential district continues to grow.

Bayview Properties together with Vancouver-based Bosa Properties have teamed up to build phase two of the Bayview Victoria project located on an old helipad just a stones throw from the harbour.  The building is a 21-storey residential tower dubbed Promontory with promises of largely unimpeded views in every direction from its raised site overlooking the Songhees.  Promontory will also hold the enviable title as the City of Victoria’s tallest building, eclipsing just slightly the 1960’s-era Orchard House in James Bay.

Project sales manager Peter Gaby of DFH Real-Estate confirms that 63 units have already been sold since sales started in July, or roughly 36% of the tower’s 177 homes.

Construction is expected to begin in December of this year with completion by January 2014, Gaby says, and plans are already in the works for the third phase of Bayview which will include up to 194 units spread across 17 floors.

Roundhouse
Bayview Properties has amassed over 20 acres of land between what it refers to as the Bayview (the rise above Songhees) and Roundhouse (industrial railroad warehouse land) properties stretching all the way from Tyee Road in the east through to Catherine Street to the west and bound by Esquimalt and Kimta roads.

“Roundhouse will include four residential towers and a hotel. [Bayview Properties] is preparing for a start to the project within two-to-three years,” Gaby said.  The Roundhouse towers will scale up to 23-floors and the development includes refurbishment of the historic roundhouse building and an integration of railroad activities throughout the property.

Victoria International Marina
Along the shore of the Songhees between Cooperage Place and Paul Kane Place the Victoria International Marina project is in the final stage of approvals and construction on the 29 yacht slips for vessels ranging from 65 to 150 feet, together with two single-storey buildings at the end of either street, is expected to begin in 2012.  The marina has been part of the master plan of the Songhees since the 1980’s and after two decades the project is finally moving ahead with recently acquired approvals from the provincial government and local First Nation’s.  Municipal approval is still pending although it is expected to be granted soon, and federal approvals are expected by the end of the summer.

The Victoria International Marina will provide moorage for 29 yachts along the Songhees shoreline. Image © by WAM Development Group.

BMW and Mini dealership
Immediately south of Bayview at Tyee and Esquimalt roads a warehouse once occupied by a food distributor has been demolished and work is moving forward on a BMW and Mini  dealership.  The project calls for a modern showroom structure together with a tasteful redesign of the vehicle lot.

Dockside Green
Across the street from the BMW dealership the globally recognized Dockside Green project is officially taking a break with the proponent speculating that it could be some time before construction resumes at the ultra-green mixed-use residential, commercial and office mega-project.

“Right now, we’re focused on selling remaining suites (currently there are 2 residential suites remaining) and ensuring the needs of existing residents are met,” states a paragraph in a report supplied to Victoria City Council on the progress of Dockside Green.

Real-estate insiders believe that Dockside Green developer, Vancouver-based VanCity credit union, is on the lookout for partners or potential buyers for some parcels of land and until a partnership is forged it is unlikely that a construction start will be announced any time soon.

The Railyards
Immediately to the north of Dockside Green the vibrant Railyards development (not to be confused with the Roundhouse project) continues to bring new product to the market and residents to the area.  Currently 28 waterfront townhomes are under construction and earlier in the year a four-storey condo, dubbed Bond’s Landing, was built.  Bond’s Landing II is already in planning although no start date for sales or construction has been announced.

Johnson Street Bridge
The $77-million Johnson Street Bridge replacement project promises to deliver a modern and seismically sound gateway to Vic West from downtown Victoria.  Planned to replace the aging Joseph Strauss (of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge fame) designed bascule bridge, the new project received $21-million in federal funding and monies from the Capital Regional District’s gas tax fund.  Billed as one of the most controversial undertakings by the City of Victoria in decades, many in the community felt that refurbishment was a more economically-feasible option and would preserve a historic structure that is unique to the City.

Nonetheless, the public got the chance to vote on whether to replace or refurbish the bridge and the decision was made to replace given the benefits of a 100-year lifespan for replacement and the opportunities a new bridge presented for multi-modal usage.  However, as the publisher of local magazine Focus writes in a piece for the September 2011 issue, the bridge design and life expectancy appears to be changing and neither the public nor politicians are aware of the latest revisions. VV

To stay up to date on the latest news and updates on projects in Victoria West, refer to the Victoria Construction and Land Development – The Core sub-forum on the VibrantVictoria forum, and select a project of interest.  Completed projects can be found in the Completed and Canceled Projects sub-forum.

© Copyright 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca.  All rights reserved.

Commuter transit services between the Cowichan Valley and downtown Victoria are quickly gaining popularity, according to newly released BC Transit statistics. Photo © by VibrantVictoria.ca.

Metro Victoria’s burgeoning real-estate prices have pushed many homebuyers north of the Capital Regional District (CRD) to the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), which includes the communities of Shawnigan Lake, Malahat, Mill Bay and Duncan.

With the population growth in the CVRD and its partial dependence on the CRD for employment, education and amenities, BC Transit (in partnership with the CVRD and Victoria Transit Commission) launched a two-route commuter network in 2008 connecting Duncan and Shawnigan Lake (and multiple communities in between) with downtown Victoria.

The Cowichan Valley Commuter routes, according to newly released numbers by BC Transit, are being hailed as a success with 118% growth in passenger volumes between October 2008 and March 2011.

“I’m encouraged and delighted to hear that more people are choosing to travel by transit,” said  Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Blair Lekstrom. “The rising popularity of the Cowichan Valley Commuter is a testament to the high level of service being provided on this route by BC Transit.”

Monthly combined ridership as of March 2011 is just under 6,000 passengers for routes 66 Duncan Connector (not to be confused with route 66 East Sooke) and 99 Shawnigan Connector with two-thirds of surveyed passengers  saying the service is “very good” or “excellent.”

Expansion plans for the Cowichan Valley Commuter service, currently offered on six buses heading southbound during the AM rush and northbound during the PM rush, are part of BC Transit’s 25-year Transit Future plan for the CVRD, could one day include expanded service hours and frequency.

“As the Cowichan Valley grows, and continues to realize the benefit to the environment in reducing the number of vehicles on the roads, more residents will see the value of transit service,” said Cowichan Valley Regional District Chair Gerry Giles. “As the service grows, we will require additional transit expansion hours and infrastructure from BC Transit and the Province to sustain the service.”

Funding for the Cowichan Valley Commuter Transit System is cost shared between the Cowichan Valley Regional District, Victoria Regional Transit Commission and BC Transit.

A one-way fare on the commuter service is $7 and monthly passes are priced at $165 for transit travel within the Cowichan Valley and on the Cowichan Valley Commuter, and $200 for a pass valid in both the Cowichan Valley and Victoria regions together with the Cowichan Valley Commuter. VV

To stay up to date on the south Island’s transit issues and news, refer to VibrantVictoria’s Victoria Regional Transit System discussion thread.

© Copyright 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca. All rights reserved.

Victoria International Airport. Photo © by Victoria International Airport Authority.

For the third month in a row and compounding what could become the third year in a row of declining passenger volumes at Victoria International Airport, May 2011’s passenger statistics released by the Victoria Airport Authority show a 1.4 per-cent decline over 2010.

Year-to-date, passenger volumes are down by 2.1 per-cent with 592,723 passengers having walked through airport gates.

Victoria International had negative growth in both 2008 and 2009 after a record year in 2008 with nearly 1.54-million passengers.  Declining passenger volumes are believed to be attributed to competition from more competitive markets in Vancouver and Seattle usurping travelers, and the economic slow-down.

Meanwhile Vancouver International (YVR) and Sea-Tac International (SEA) airports are reporting positive growth in 2011 through the month of April (the most recent publicly accessible statistics). VV

To stay up to date on the latest news and issues affecting the Victoria International Airport on the VibrantVictoria discussion forum, click here.  To view Victoria International’s statistics, click here.

© Copyright 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca.  All rights reserved.