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[Downtown Victoria] The Mozart condo & office | 39.5m | 12-storeys | Canceled

Started by Scaper , Aug 01 2006 12:51 AM

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67 replies to this topic

#1 Scaper

Member
1,262 posts

Posted 01 August 2006 - 12:51 AM

Mozart Building

726-728 Yates Street
Victoria BC Canada

Status: cancelled

Floor Count: 12
Floor Area: 6,596 m²
Units/rooms: 20
Building Uses
• office
• residential
• retail

Heights : Mechanical roof 44.3 m

The Roof 39.5 m

Developer: Eric Charman
Architect: Jim Aalders, CEI Architecture

This proposal was for the 700-block of Yates street it was a mixed-use, curved tower with columns and a metronome "Mozart" clock. An integrated plaza for musical performances was to be included as well as $100,000 of public art. The tower would have included groundfloor retail, six floors of office space and 20 units of condominiums on the upper floors.

The development hoped to revitalize and spur further development in a once vibrant shopping and retail district in the 700-block of Yates Street.

Construction was expected to be finished by Spring of 2007.

The main reason this proposal failed was due to the fact it was unviable. With such a small foot print, such few units, & construction/Labour increase costs, the project never got passed the aproval stage.

Too bad cause I really like it. :cry:

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#2 G-Man

Senior Case Officer

Moderator
13,964 posts

Posted 01 August 2006 - 05:24 AM

Apart from the musical performances and the mozart clock I love this building. It is really too bad that we will not be seeing it rise on Yates. It truly would have been a unique piece of architecture.

Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com

It has a whole new look!

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#3 aastra

Member
21,881 posts

Posted 06 September 2006 - 03:08 PM

This approved proposal was indeed a beauty. I don't understand why they don't simply add a couple of stories to it and increase the number of residential units down to maybe the fifth floor.

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#4 Holden West

Va va voom!

Member
9,058 posts

Posted 18 March 2007 - 08:41 PM

Sad to think this building was supposed to be topped out by now!

Article in Sunday's T/C on developer Eric Charman has only this to say about Mozart:

Since retiring, he keeps busy in real estate development and has been criticized by city hall for shelving plans for Mozart House (named for his favourite composer) near the Odeon Theatre, where a huge hole stands full of stagnant water.

"Eric has been a wonderful citizen, but perhaps we have higher expectations of him than other developers," says city councillor Pam Madoff, who hopes he'll clean the site soon. But Charman is focused on a $15-million redevelopment of the Brentwood Bay shopping centre.

"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

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#5 G-Man

Senior Case Officer

Moderator
13,964 posts

Posted 20 March 2007 - 08:30 AM

They should bump this up to 14 stories reduce the office component by 2 floors and raise the residential by 4 floors.

Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com

It has a whole new look!

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#6 aastra

Member
21,881 posts

Posted 20 March 2007 - 10:08 AM

You and your "solutions."

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#7 G-Man

Senior Case Officer

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13,964 posts

Posted 20 March 2007 - 10:15 AM

It just seems sad that we are missing out on such a great looking building...

Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com

It has a whole new look!

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#8 aastra

Member
21,881 posts

Posted 20 March 2007 - 10:18 AM

Would they be able to build 14 stories of residential without going through the whole rigamarole again?

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#9 aastra

Member
21,881 posts

Posted 20 March 2007 - 10:21 AM

So Mr. Charman has "been criticized by city hall" because they have "higher expectations of him than other developers."

You're criticizing somebody for not going forward with something that isn't viable? Does that really mean you have higher expectations of the guy? Sounds more like you're trying to play him for a sap.

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#10 G-Man

Senior Case Officer

Moderator
13,964 posts

Posted 20 March 2007 - 10:24 AM

I am sure that the site specific zoning they did for it included wording that set office and residential amounts.

Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com

It has a whole new look!

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#11 Baro

Member
4,317 posts

Posted 20 March 2007 - 11:45 AM

Seems a lot of projects in this city get scrapped by greedy developers for obscure technical reasons like "can't even break even" or "no longer proffitable". These developers being rich corporations, which as we know are always evil and have infinately deep pockets need to be gouged more. We should make them put at least 50% of the projected proffits (projected by council) into ammeneties, up front, before they can even apply! Surely this will greatly help the city and hold these horrible people to account!

"beats greezy have baked donut-dough"

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#12 aastra

Member
21,881 posts

Posted 21 March 2007 - 10:10 AM

Good idea. Force them to complete the amenities before they start work on the building itself. That way, if the projects stall, you'll still have the amenities.

A mid-block walkway is still a pretty sweet amenity, even if there are no buildings around it.

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#13 Mike K.

Administrator
90,779 posts

Posted 21 March 2007 - 10:13 AM

Nature reserves aren't bad, either.

Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.

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#14 aastra

Member
21,881 posts

Posted 21 March 2007 - 10:15 AM

Downtown's nature reserves tend to get lost in the development frenzy, you're right.

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#15 Holden West

Va va voom!

Member
9,058 posts

Posted 21 March 2007 - 10:15 AM

A mid-block walkway is still a pretty sweet amenity, even if there are no buildings around it.

Yes, that's true. Even if you have to spray paint it on the ground and imagine the other buildings.

Theatre Alley

"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

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#16 Caramia

Member
3,835 posts

Posted 21 March 2007 - 07:19 PM

Hahahaa!

Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

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#17 Icebergalley

Member
596 posts

Posted 22 March 2007 - 09:08 AM

Thanks for the memories Holden....

I do miss the option to hoof it through Market Square and off to "the Bean" instead of having to deal with the traffic lights at Pandora snd Store etc...

The DRA's little note about it's presence is smart, but, it still doesn't cut across the block...

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#18 aastra

Member
21,881 posts

Posted 18 September 2007 - 02:19 PM

This document contains a good image of the rendering and also a nifty aerial of downtown:

http://www.jjb.com/client/JJB/JJB_LP4W_LND_WebStation.nsf/resources/PDF+5/$file/726+Yates+Street+Marketing+Brochure+Fall+2006.pdf

Upon seeing the good rendering, I'm more than a bit flummoxed by the enormous setback on the left side of the facade. What the heck was that all about? Vehicle entrance?

There would have been a 7-story blank wall on the east side. Just in case the Royal Theatre and St. Vincent de Paul weren't blank walls enough for you.

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#19 G-Man

Senior Case Officer

Moderator
13,964 posts

Posted 18 September 2007 - 02:56 PM

I guess that wall is at the lot line. If they put windows in it they would have to set it back. At the SVP wall will soon be hidden by 819 Yates. It seems dumb that you can't put windows on lot line walls anymore but you know people would complain when they got covered up.

Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com

It has a whole new look!