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.

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