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CANCELLED
Duck's Building
Use: condo
Address: 1314-1324 Broad Street
Municipality: Victoria
Region: Downtown Victoria
Storeys: 7
Condo units: (studio/bachelor, 1BR, 2BR)
Sales status: in planning
The Duck's Building development was originally envisioned as a 108-unit condominium and ground floor retail pr... (view full profile)
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[Downtown Victoria] Duck's Block | Condos; rentals; retail | 7-storeys | Cancelled


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#1 Mike K.

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 12:15 PM

Plans afoot to convert Old Town properties into student housing, condos and retail space

http://victoria.citi...d-retail-space/

 

Duck's-block.jpg

 

We've got info coming in that UVic Properties has partnered with Chard Development to redevelop/restore the Duck's Block on Broad Street between Johnson and Yates streets.

 

There will be some 50-odd units and a commercial ground floor. The development will incorporate the surface parking lot adjacent to the Duck's Block. The top height of the project would be seven-storeys.

 

Press release:

 

UVic Properties is partnering with Chard Development Ltd. on a proposal to redevelop the Broad Street properties, a collection of revenue real estate holdings in downtown Victoria owned by the University of Victoria.

The proposed redevelopment will retain and renovate the historic Duck’s Building and create two new buildings to provide commercial space, housing and rental units.

The properties comprise:
·        1312 Broad St., a parking lot
·        1314 Broad St., the historic three-storey Duck’s Building
·        1324 Broad St. and 615-625 Johnston Street, a two-storey commercial annex building

The Broad Street properties are part of the late Michael Williams’ donation to UVic to provide the university with long-term financial returns to support its academic mission.

UVic Properties, a wholly owned entity that manages UVic’s revenue properties, selected Chard as a partner as a result of a public request for expressions of interest process in 2015.

“UVic Properties is pleased to be working with Chard Development for the Broad Street properties,” says Peter Kuran, president of UVic Properties. “This proposal is intended to provide housing downtown, including for UVic students, increase UVic’s downtown real estate investments, as well as enhance the future returns of a donation that was intended to provide ongoing financial support to UVic.”

The proposal calls for Chard to build a 52-unit market residential rental complex on the parking lot property,  which will be retained by UVic. In order to address a shortage of on-campus housing, UVic students would be given preference to rent the units.

As part of the proposal, Chard will purchase and renovate the Duck’s Building, built in 1892 and designated in the Community Heritage Register as one of Canada’s Historic Places. The proposed renovation respects the heritage character of the Duck’s building and will create 51 residential condominiums and commercial spaces at grade.

Chard also intends to purchase the adjacent annex building and construct a new building to create a further 53 residential-market condominiums.

“We have been committed to developing a broad range of housing alternatives in downtown Victoria for more than a decade,” says Dave Chard, president of Chard Development. “We are thrilled to be working with the University of Victoria and UVic Properties to help realize the potential of this historic site.”

Next steps include public consultation with the City of Victoria’s Community Association Land Use Committee as well as submitting a rezoning and development permit application to the City of Victoria that will address land use, density, design and neighbourhood character.

UVic Properties regularly reviews how each non-academic revenue property is performing and implements strategies to optimize returns while minimizing operating risk, as net proceeds support UVic’s academic mission.

An online version of this release with backgrounder is available here.

-30-


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#2 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 12:18 PM

What's in Ducks now, Mike?


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#3 RFS

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 12:23 PM

7 storeys there would be quite the thing. This combined with the old montys building if it ever gets developed would add some nice density and height to the area

#4 Nparker

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 12:27 PM

..We've got info coming in that UVic Properties has partnered with Chard Development to redevelop/restore the Duck's Block on Broad Street between Johnson and Yates streets...The top height of the project would be seven-storeys...

Yeah right. Pam is going to allow a 7 floor building here. I'll believe it when I see it.



#5 Coreyburger

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 12:31 PM

What's in Ducks now, Mike?

 

Franks, a empty store front. I think there is still a yoga place and a dance club on the upper floors. I know there was some office space on the 2nd floor too.


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#6 aastra

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 12:46 PM

So this includes the corner? Chard can restore my shaken confidence by doing a full restoration of that building.

 

M00431.jpg

 

Same corner today...

 

If this project works out then I nominate Broad at Pandora for the sequel.


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#7 aastra

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 12:53 PM

Key concern: it should not all come together to look like one complex. The new construction shouldn't resemble the Duck building even a little bit. The old town atmosphere is all about small-footprint buildings that have their own individual personalities even though they stand shoulder-to-shoulder.


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#8 Mike K.

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 12:54 PM

For a while there even VV had an office in Duck's Block!

 

That raised area at the western side of the building is a MASSIVE space large enough to play a game of basketball in. The Ceiling height must be 20 feet or thereabouts. The dance studio is now in that space.

 

Saint Frank's may not even re-open following their fire, I don't think.


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#9 aastra

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:04 PM

 

Pam is going to allow a 7 floor building here. I'll believe it when I see it.

 

Did she have any problem with that parking lot being there? I believe the "Unbuilt Victoria" book talks about the old plan to extend that parking lot right through to Government Street. You know, in order to introduce yet more unneeded & unwanted "open space". All part of that glorious post-1945 mission to blow Victoria's formerly intimate historic district wide open. I'm hoping Victorians have finally clued in to the fact that the old town's atmosphere isn't and never was about parking lots and the absence of buildings. It's about the buildings.


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#10 Nparker

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:14 PM

So this includes the corner?

I wouldn't think so. I presume it is only the properties show here.

Capture.JPG

 

Edit: I stand corrected. Mike's post also included the Broad @ Johnson Property: 

 

...1324 Broad St. and 615-625 Johnston Street, a two-storey commercial annex building...

 


Edited by Nparker, 02 June 2017 - 01:19 PM.


#11 Mike K.

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:20 PM

Correct, it'll include everything from that parking lot north to Johnson, and from Johnson at Board to the alleyway behind the "Canada Hotel" building at 615-625 Johnson.


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#12 jonny

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:23 PM

From the infamous Plan B / Boutique nightclub (and the name before, which I forget) to housing...that's a big change....lol



#13 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:30 PM

From the infamous Plan B / Boutique nightclub (and the name before, which I forget) to housing...that's a big change....lol

 

Club California.  The Limit.  A few other names.  

 

Good for Chard and UVic.  Chard has made a very positive impact here in this town.


Edited by VicHockeyFan, 02 June 2017 - 01:32 PM.

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<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#14 Nparker

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:35 PM

...it'll include everything from that parking lot north to Johnson, and from Johnson at Broad to the alleyway behind the "Canada Hotel" building at 615-625 Johnson.

So everything as shown in the red outline here?

Capture2.JPG



#15 Mike K.

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:38 PM

Yup! It appears that's it! We should have more info soon.


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#16 aastra

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:39 PM

I'll say this much: the supposed defenders of Victoria's heritage and history will never get an easier pitch to hit than this one. Their credibility is hanging by a thread after the JSB fiasco & the Northern Junk fiasco. If their focus here is anything but the restoration of the Johnson Street side then that'll be it for me. They can say 7 stories is too tall, I don't have a problem with that. Heck, we expect them to say it. They can say 6 stories is too tall. But if their top priority isn't a good restoration of the Johnson Street side and if they don't press for a good restoration of the Johnson Street side above all other concerns then I'll be done with them.


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#17 Nparker

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:49 PM

The major concern will be height, and not much else. Just wait and see.



#18 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:56 PM

Circa 1987 a very young VHF parked his 1974 Firebird (shown below) right about here and cranked the stereo volume via an external loudspeaker to about 867.  The whole downtown was rocking for an hour or two.  I'm still unsure how we did not get arrested.

 

 

screenshot-vibrantvictoria.ca-2017-06-02-14-50-21.png

 

File_000 (141).jpeg


Edited by VicHockeyFan, 02 June 2017 - 02:01 PM.

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<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#19 Jackerbie

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 02:03 PM

DougG posted a Development Proposal notice in the Rumours thread that includes more properties than Mike has listed:

1306 Broad Street

1312 Broad Street

1314-1324 Broad Street

615-625 Johnson Street

622 Yates Street

630 Yates Street

 

That's everything fronting this block of Broad!



#20 Mike K.

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 02:06 PM

Hmm, perhaps those are all owned by UVic, but they aren't necessarily part of the Chard development? The press release above referred to only 1312-1324 Broad Street and 615-625 Johnson Street.


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