A rooftop restaurant space one level above Wharf Street should be a given.
Perhaps with terraced outdoor dining areas on the waterfront side to take advantage of the view.
Posted 25 July 2017 - 08:57 AM
A rooftop restaurant space one level above Wharf Street should be a given.
Perhaps with terraced outdoor dining areas on the waterfront side to take advantage of the view.
Posted 25 July 2017 - 09:21 AM
Take the pavilion building as conceived and make it 2-3 times longer along Wharf Street. Even at just a single story that roof would be a fantastic spot for a restaurant or even a public lookout space. You need some "there" there, is my point. You could leave everything else as is and yet that incredibly minor change could end up being hugely positive.
And make some attempt at an architectural statement with the portion above Wharf. An interesting shape. Lots of glass so you can basically see right through it. Some fine natural stone as a reference to the notable buildings around the inner harbour. Contribute to the harbour milieu instead of making concessions to it. Again, the only thing you'd be (partially) blocking out is the old shopping mall on the other side of Wharf. Nobody should be concerned about preserving the prominence of that place.
Who am I kidding? They're trying to hide the building under the lawns. The only good building is an un-building. Even though the inner harbour is all about the frickin' buildings. Just look at how small the structure is in the image below. This is supposed to be some big deal? It's landscaping more than anything.
Posted 25 July 2017 - 09:27 AM
So much soggy grass so much of the year.
Posted 03 September 2017 - 12:50 PM
Posted 03 September 2017 - 12:54 PM
Here is what real vision looks like....
Pam would have a stroke just thinking about such development on the waterfront, even when it's not in Victoria.
Posted 05 September 2017 - 07:18 PM
Quite interesting to me at least that virtually any other city has no lack of verve and vision in terms particularly of redevelopment of their waterfront lands/parking lots while we will fret and waffle and wring our hands for decades in all too many cases.
Here is a Bosa proposal for the New Westminster waterfront and yes it involves one of those pervasive and all too pesky parking lots:
http://dailyhive.com...estminster-bosa
Posted 05 September 2017 - 07:33 PM
...Here is a Bosa proposal for the New Westminster waterfront and yes it involves one of those pervasive and all too pesky parking lots...
Blasphemer!! High rises have no place in Victoria, most especially on the waterfront. Parking lots must be preserved at all costs!
I am going to recite a novena to St. Peter of Pollen that you might be exorcised of your demons.
Posted 16 September 2017 - 07:37 PM
This was back in front of the City this week and I did up a quick post on my thoughts here: https://www.sidewalk...17/9/16/update
Posted 17 September 2017 - 10:50 AM
Introducing excessive green space there is effectively an affront to the old town. So many of Victoria's supposed principles re: "sensitive development" are really nothing more than veiled contempt for the city's historic built form. These properties should be terraces of small buildings and sitting/viewing areas that take you right down to the waterfront. It should be automatic, come on. But right off the bat somebody decided that conspicuous green space should dominate and that even extremely small buildings shouldn't be allowed. I also think there's a fair amount of built-in inadequacy in this vision. Guaranteed, it would involve all sorts of expensive tweaks and adjustments going forward in order to address all of the ways that it doesn't really work.
Posted 28 September 2017 - 11:34 AM
For the north parking lot why not keep it really simple? Cover over two levels of parking, put a public space with benches, fountains, nighttime illumination, etc. on top, put commercial spaces down below close to the water, and create a nicely surfaced pedestrian promenade that loops all the way around. Create cozy urban spaces that draw people to walk about and discover what's up there or down there or around the next corner.
Posted 28 September 2017 - 11:51 AM
...create a nicely surfaced pedestrian promenade that loops all the way around. ..
As long as "nicely surfaced" doesn't mean lawn (rhymes with yawn).
Posted 28 September 2017 - 11:59 AM
create a nicely surfaced pedestrian promenade that loops all the way around.
Pedestrians going loopy will be a major tourist attraction.
Posted 10 May 2018 - 10:21 AM
The draft Ship Point Master Plan is ready for your review!
Join us on Tuesday, May 15 at 5 - 7 p.m. at City Hall to find out more or read the plan at victoria.ca/shippoint
Posted 10 May 2018 - 10:22 AM
More rolling hill and grassy spaces, soaked in rainwater half the year?
Posted 10 May 2018 - 12:04 PM
While not anything one could call "exciting", and most certainly lacking in any sort of innovation ... there's really nothing particularly wrong with this design.
It's pretty typical Victoria fare, which translates into "nothing going on here folks" other than you walking yourself down here and sitting on this bench.
The real issue is that, also in typical Victoria style ... we'll start off with this draft plan at a some multiples of million dollars, and then start to get quotes from various contractors, at which time half the project will be cut in order to fit into the budget ... and in the end we'll wind up paying more for the half-a-job than was originally set aside for the whole job.
In the end Ship Point will wind up looking largely like it looks right now, with a few new trees, some benches and planters ... perhaps a new structure or two, and a bevy of colorful party umbrellas.
Of course, this being Victoria - where the weather is essentially miserable for 6 or 7 months of the year ... much of this will be a vacant wasteland for huge chunks of the year as people have no reason to go down there ... it's not like there are any real attractions to go see, things to do, restaurants to eat in, entertainment facilities to enjoy year around, or anything else that might prompt people to visit a celebration space like Ship Point.
The disappointment will last for decades afterwards when folks realize that we (the COV) could have done so much better with one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the world ... but we choose not to.
Posted 10 May 2018 - 12:39 PM
Of course, this being Victoria - where the weather is essentially miserable for 6 or 7 months of the year ...
If Victoria is miserable for over half the year I'd hate to hear your thoughts on the rest of the country.
Posted 10 May 2018 - 12:47 PM
If Victoria is miserable for over half the year I'd hate to hear your thoughts on the rest of the country.
I've lived here all my life, so take my use of "miserable" as it relates to Victoria weather with a grain of salt
For example, I'd not hesitate to hike down to China Beach in the middle of winter, in the rain .. in fact I've done it many times over the years, and enjoyed every single hike.
But given the same conditions, I'd probably not choose to go down to Ships Point to sit on a bench in the middle of the harbour, hungry, wet, and with nothing to do but look across at buildings I've already seen about half a million times in my life.
That's just me though ... YMMV.
The "rest of the country" can indeed keep their endless months of freezing cold, and deep snow.
Posted 28 October 2022 - 04:14 AM
Coun. Sara Duncan also questioned the generational fairness of maintaining the iconic wharf
https://www.vicnews....ney-councillor/
Posted 28 October 2022 - 06:50 AM
Posted 28 October 2022 - 06:52 AM
That would be a big loss to Sidney. I can't tell if its a fiscally responsible or SJW argument for not replacing it. Maybe a confused bit of both from this Sara Duncan.
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