157 replies to this topic

[hoi polloi]

Yeah, some kind of buffer, although honestly I think housing geared towards working men, or even students would make for a very vibrant and non-complainy neighbourhood. Throw in some art academy, or such thing and it could become one of the best areas of town for locals. Victoria's increasing degrees of plastic affluence over the last couple of decades really bugs me, it would be nice to have an area that felt more real. It seems to me that almost every part of town has become more suitable for tourists and retiries and yuppies and less suitable for tradesmen and young people. It feels like colonization of a sort. Im not sure if anyone on this forum can relate to what I am saying and it is hard to explain, but I have lived here my whole life, and while downtown gets seedier by the year, it also seems more "tame" in a way.

where does the pink collar ghetto fit in to this housing ideal:confused: other than that, i get it.

[HB]

I am not sure that this is the correct topic but I am posting this here because it has to do with Rock Bay.

 

The West side of Government St between Princess and Queen will soon have waterfront views. That is until they dam up and pump the water out of Rock Bay.

 

The remediaition of the BC Hydro Lands where teh coal gas plant used to reside is in full swing.

Testing over this past summer and autumn has found lots of ground contamination in the area and into the centre of Government St.

 

The buildings located in the are I just mentioned are going to be razed very soon.

 

The main building is a U- shaped one that until recently contained an autobody shop and Phoenix Gym . This building will soon be gone and the ground dug up and replaced with fresh dirt.

 

 

[Sparky]

Great information HB. I wonder where the contaminated soil is going?

[HB]

I was told yesterday that a lot of the land is being given to sold and or released `back`to the Songhees and Esquimalt people.

 

Makes me wonder how they will develop it.

 

Could they build a casino there and this could become some sort of gamling and Hotel area.

[spanky123]

I started reading this thread with Mike. K's comment about remediation nearing completion and the intended land use and then realized that the comment was nearly 8 years old!

 

The east side of Douglas is essentially a dead zone now from Herald through to Bay. The south side of Bay has a cement plant and Ralmax providing wonderful views and a fine coating of dust whenever the wind blows. I don't see any quick fix for the area even if remediation completes within the next few years.

[HB]

It works fine in Vancouver and seems to be working fine her.

 

There is an Ocean Cement Plant on Granville Island and it sits amoung restraunts and shops and services that people from all over the area flock to.

 

Lets no forget that the inner and upper harbours have had heavy industry since the area was first settled.

 

It is slowly reverting to commercial and residential and seems to work fine during this decades long transition

 

 

Maybe the dust from the Cement plant adds flavour to the beer brewery next door . (Van Isle Breweries) or Phillips 1 block away.

 

Around the corner there is an asphalt plant operating still next to a health food store.

Edited by History Buff, 04 January 2014 - 10:02 AM.

[HB]

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[Hotel Mike]

Wow. The potential of that part of town is amazing. Are there any extant plans for the development of that area?

[HB]

A chink of it will be given to the Esquimalt/Songhees this is part of a transfer agreement that I heard about a couple weeks back.

[Mike K.]

Where'd you hear that a portion will be given to the Esquimalt/Songhees nations?

[HB]

From a worker onsight and I also remember reading it somewhere else possibly in the TC when they ran the story about this current demo.

[lanforod]

Casino opportunity!

[amor de cosmos]

at the end of this page

http://www.timescolo...finish-1.778322

[Bingo]

at the end of this page

http://www.timescolo...finish-1.778322

 

"The federal government has already sold some of its waterfront to the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations for $2.8 million. The agreement is expected to close when remediation is complete"

[HB]

The building as of today is gone.

The property is now officially waterfront.

 

 

[Hotel Mike]

Thanks for the update HB.

[29er Radio]

Hey VVers, I have been looking for a specific forum to post my thoughts and picked this as the best. My number one gripe with THE CITY is their inability, even after an "exhaustive" OCP process, to have plans for Rock Bay. AT THE SAME TIME, two owners of parking lots have been making efforts to turn their parking lots into cultural centres. Anyone following the group behind Fort Common has to be impressed with the effort the owners have exhibited to not only take parking away from their retail tenants (not easy to do) but also re purpose the space for community involvement. It will eventually pay off for the whole area. The Phillips parking lot has served as an amazing base for some great events over the last few years. Two private owners working with their tenants for the benefit of both and the community as a whole.

 

AND STILL we cant figure out what to do with the parking lots north of Pandora. The question is when the city councilors are walking along the much lauded David Foster pathway with their out of town guests to show off what amazing things they have done, they will walk along large tracks of land being under used. If any of those visitors were interested in investing in this city and looking for a new location for their idea, our representative would have to ask them to wait a few years as we conducted community outreach surveys, argue about housing the homeless and some other "got their **** together" city will steal them away.

 

Just saying. Rant is over, thank you for your time. Please remember to vote.

[Mike K.]

Lots of those lots are owned by individuals who simply don't want to bother with redevelopment. They're paid off, earning income, and are low risk/low problem holding properties. Rock Bay will stay as is until the current owners pass them along to younger generations who will then sell or develop.

[sebberry]

If there weren't so many barriers to development, perhaps a developer would offer the owners a deal they can't refuse?

[aastra]

If the area around the Hudson is still stuck in neutral after 100 years then I have to think Rock Bay is a long, long way from seeing any major changes.