1676 replies to this topic

[aastra]

Yeah, it occurred to me after I posted that Centro was also a Townline project, hence my edit there.

I have no problem with a developer reviving a decent design that was never built, believe me. But I think I'm a bit surprised that a design would be repurposed for a completely different site in this manner.

So if they can do that, how about building Radius on the block between Cormorant and Pandora?

[Holden West]

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!

The Hudson towers were supposed to be triangular--the three towers would interact nicely that way. Centro was two offset towers--rectangular--playing off each other. They're not interchangeable. Hudson's triangle towers were what made the extra height palatable to the skeptics.

If the Hudson turns out to be another standard rectangle I will be very disapointed.

[Holden West]

Centro was designed my Mark Whitehead of MCMP. Hudson was Merrick.

[aastra]

It does raise some questions, doesn't it? Mike K. already made the observation about the floor count, but there's also the downhill slope shown in the image, which suggests the north side of the block, yes? So the shorter condo tower would now be on the Herald St. side and the taller condo tower would be on the Blanshard St. side? The old plan had the taller condo tower on the Herald St. side, and the base of the tower was right on the carriageway.

[G-Man]

Maybe there is just not a push for three buildings anymore or at least not for one with 24 floors...

[jonny]

It does raise some questions, doesn't it? Mike K. already made the observation about the floor count, but there's also the downhill slope shown in the image, which suggests the north side of the block, yes? So the shorter condo tower would now be on the Herald St. side and the taller condo tower would be on the Blanshard St. side? The old plan had the taller condo tower on the Herald St. side, and the base of the tower was right on the carriageway.

I was assuming that they were using that picture as a representation of the general plan for the next tower. But then I thought, wasn't Hudson Place supposed to be two towers? If so, why does this picture on the website only show one?

I believe aastra has a good point that, if taken literally,this picture suggests that this tower would be on the corner of Blanshard and Herald, where there was not a tower planned in the original plan. The original plan had three towers, one on each of Fisgard, Blanshard and Herald, along with of course the HBC building itself.

Then again, if you look at the Hudson Mews building that is being constructed, it looks a lot different than the old massings in this thread. I don't think Townline has ever released final designs for these buildings, have they? I'm sure the design will continue to evolve as this project plods along.

[DirtyBoots]

Plods along? Concrete is flowing, the Mews can go on the Active list.

[Baro]

Yeah I'm shocked there isn't a final "for real seriously THIS is what we're going to build!" render yet. Or maybe they aren't really sure yet?

[jonny]

Plods along? Concrete is flowing, the Mews can go on the Active list.

Well, there was little to no activity for over two years. I thought "plods along" was actually being quite generous. This development has basically been on hold since the Hudson was finished.

Baro, with the exception of the Mews, the renderings Townline has released look very preliminary to me which leads me to believe they don't have final detailed designs.

I would guess that it's a combination of not having a finished master plan, continually re-evaluating the market and not putting money into designing the finished product without having a final vision. Or maybe they do have detailed designs, but don't want to release them until they are sure for fear of upsetting the market by promising one thing and delivering another?

[thant pix]

Or maybe they do have detailed designs, but don't want to release them until they are sure for fear of upsetting the market by promising one thing and delivering another?

Perhaps the above reason, sneaking it in? How could you pour concrete without having a detailed plan?

[D.L.]

The rendering used on the Hudson Place website is probably just a filler image and not a representation of the final design of the project.

[Mike K.]

I agree, this looks like a filler image now that aastra pointed out that the design for Townline's now cancelled Centro project (Roth Site, purchased by the Jawls last year) is identical.

I recall seeing quite detailed renderings of Hudson's two tallest towers. They were conceived by Merrick way back during the rezoning phase.

[ryno8097]

After carefully looking at the new rendering, I believe this is the "17-storey" high-rise that will sit on the southwestern corner of Blanshard & Herald. The "24-storey" high-rise sits right on the mid-block lane at Herald St, seperating the three towers from The Hudson. I do not think we have lost what will become Victoria's tallest tower (if built, of course).
The updated Hudson Place website states two towers are to be built (in addition to The Mews rental tower that has commenced construction).

[Mike K.]

I think we can be fairly certain that no developer would ever, under any circumstance, give up on zoning for the tallest building in the city. They'll sell the land if they have to but will not under-develop it themselves.

[aastra]

So exactly where would the southwestern corner of Blanshard & Herald be? The rental building will go on the southwestern corner of the parkade site, where Fisgard meets the carriageway, right? The new-but-not-so-new image of the condo tower shows a sloping grade along the sidewalk that didn't seem to be present in the Centro version of the same building. Are those townhouses facing the Blanshard St. sidewalk? If so, the slope would seem to be running in the wrong direction. Also, townhouses along Blanshard just wouldn't work, methinks. But townhouses could be okay along Herald, and the slope would seem to be running in the correct direction for it to be Herald.

I'd also bet a donut that it's not supposed to be a particularly accurate image at this point. I'd guess that they were trying to suggest Herald St. with the slope? There's no such slope along either Cormorant or Pandora on either side of the Centro site, is there?


picture from http://www.hudsonplace.ca/what/

[G-Man]

It had better be commercial along Blanshard or all hope is lost.

[Holden West]

None of this explains why Townline is using a recycled MCMP rendering in place of their existing Merrick rendering. Unless Townline has dumped Merrick for MCMP.

[jklymak]

It had better be commercial along Blanshard or all hope is lost.

OK, I'll bite - why do you think Blanshard needs commercial? Its not very commercial north or south of the Hudson, and Douglas has a pretty decent commercial strip a block away. I think streetscape commercial would stick out here and be a long time in finding neighbors.

[G-Man]

Well I would suggest that Blanshard offers a far better commercial strip than any part of Douglas. With the addition of Atrium and Juliet this is becoming the commercial centre of the city. Douglas has had its day IMO. Time for this change to carry on here. South of this point the main gap is between Cormorant and Pandora. There is commercial north and south of this point.

[jklymak]

^ I agree Blanshard S of Johnson is great. Just seems a long way to the Hudson from there.