3132 replies to this topic

[johnk]

The Whole Foods building still strikes me as unusual for a grocery store, and if I didn't know better I'd assume it was going to be a tire and auto center.  The large, evenly spaced rectangular windows look like service bays and the main entrance looks like the tire store - just like many Firestone centers I've seen...
 
Like a hypermarche in France. Tires and batteries in the aisle next to fine Burgundies.
So could I get an oil change with my organic bananas?  
 

 
 

[LJ]

Once the locals get a look at the prices it could well become an auto service facility.

[sdwright.vic]

Are you kidding, in our granola crunching town?

[Gary H]

Some updates from today...
 
- That's some massive entryway into the new Brown's Social House.
- Parc Modern Interiors is moving from their Bay St. location into the LARGE remaining ground floor space next to Steve Nash's recent expansion.
- They're building more retail in a new building that will connect the existing site to the new Whole Foods on the west side.
- It certainly is a cavernous concrete underground beneath the new development.
 
... and why does spinning the exterior cladding design wheel always come up "brick"?
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LJ]

sdwright.vic, on 01 Apr 2016 - 9:48 PM, said:

Are you kidding, in our granola crunching town?

You mean in our notoriously cheap granola crunching town.

[JanionGuy]

wow, Gary, that telephoto lens you have is amazing!    

 

Regarding Brown's, they had to redo the sidewalk and build that huge steel framing for the outside deck.  I'm wondering how successful this location will be at this far end. Only time will tell and certainly WHole Foods will be a draw.

 

Has anyone else shopped at Parc Modern?  My wife and i went in there a few times while outfitting a condo and found their prices to be high -- ie. REAALY HIGH  -- while service on all occasions was at an all time low. I'm interested to hear others' experience.

[Nparker]

...Has anyone else shopped at Parc Modern?  My wife and i went in there a few times while outfitting a condo and found their prices to be high -- ie. REAALY HIGH  -- while service on all occasions was at an all time low. I'm interested to hear others' experience.

I only went into their showroom once, but the prices were so outrageous that I did not stay long enough to discover what their customer service was like.

[Jared]

found this post and just wanted to bump it up, since the Mckenzie interchange and bus lanes are in the news. as far as i know BC Transit hasnt given a timeline on when they plan on building the exchange. one thing is for certain this option will not work, as the residential component is planned for this site. I believe the exchange is to be built along crease ave

 

I really hope they make it easier to get into Uptown from the Goose. Right now it's clear that they're not really interested in bicycle traffic.

[nagel]

By September this will be built:

http://saanich.ca/se...ept_Jan2016.pdf

[Gary H]

Impressive.  

 

While it's not clear from the sat image, the new connector is near the top of the Goose overpass so traversal across to Carey Rd. might be at/near the Carey Rd. grade.  It also eliminates that steep path from the Goose with its hair-pin turn (correctly used here) at the top.  It further looks like I might be able to bike right to the Whole Foods bike rack from Ravine Way.

Edited by Gary H, 05 April 2016 - 03:19 PM.

[nagel]

There's a large image at the switch bridge triangle right now. Also Saanich staff will be on site on the 17th during the Saanich Cycling Festival to answer questions about the new connector.

Yes there will be a bike path from the current access to uptown that will wrap around to the corner of ravine and Blanshard. No plans to continue it to Saanich road as of yet. They would like to continue it to Vernon at some point.

Yes it's mostly at grade but I'm not thrilled with the turns. Hoping they can smooth it a bit so less speed loss.

[Mike K.]

Second only to the McKenzie/TCH interchange, this is a major step in the right direction (no pun intended).

 

 

Trans Canada Highway/Carey Road connector to streamline Uptown access

http://victoria.citi...-uptown-access/

 

Road access to Uptown Shopping Centre is about to get easier with the installation of a connector between the Trans Canada Highway and Carey Road, Citified has learned.

 

The existing road alignment prohibits northbound drivers from turning onto Carey Road from the highway while access to the busy shopping centre has been limited to a small entranceway steps from the Douglas Street/Trans Canada Highway and Saanich Road intersection. An access lane connecting Uptown’s underground parkade will remain open, albeit its entrance will be realigned. [Full article]

[nagel]

I believe part of the funding from this comes from Transit.  I think this has to do with them using this area as a hub/future exchange.

[Mike K.]

Yup, makes sense, but Whole Foods was the major driver here. The bus exchange isn't anticipated to materialize for quite some time.

[RFS]

Damn all that expensive land scaping ripped up. On a side note, bunch of police cars at uptown today and they had part of the road blocked off

[Nparker]

Damn all that expensive landscaping ripped up...

Funny, that was my first thought as well.  One wonders how this was not part of the original Uptown plans.

[sdwright.vic]

The big underground cavern under WholE Foods is getting duct work put in. Strange for what is supposed to be more parking?

[LocalMom]

Hhmm although there are air sensors in the rest of Uptown's underground parking so maybe it has something to do with that? Or maybe Whole Foods pumps in their bakery's exhaust to make us all hungry...?

[sdwright.vic]

I know... it's strange... like there may be another large retailer that's not been announced.

[Gary H]

... On a side note, bunch of police cars at uptown today and they had part of the road blocked off

 

Whatever it was it apparently merited a posting on the Uptown website.

 

http://shopuptown.ca/534-2/

Edited by Gary H, 18 May 2016 - 06:13 PM.