220 replies to this topic

[sdwright.vic]

^ Gross

[AllseeingEye]

^ Gross

/\ ......yup. "Dreck". How utterly......um.....uninspiring. In true Victoria fashion. But "hey" at least its not tall.

[Mike K.]

The proponents have increased the building height to six-storeys (18.73 meters) and have reduced parking spaces from 12 to 10.

[nagel]

What about the design of the ground level? Any changes?

[Rob Randall]

That's a substantial change. Does it need reappraisal?

[Mike K.]

Sorry, reappraisal?

 

I've put in a request for more information from the architect.

[Rob Randall]

I doubt the developers can simply go, "oh, by the way, we plunked two more storeys on top". Even if the zoning permitted it, it might need to reappear before Advisory Design Panel.

[Mike K.]

Oh I see. It's gone before council. Planners approve of the changes and urge council to do the same. I'm unclear as to whether or not council approved the changes last week.

 

Just to reiterate, the change is from five to six floors with the sixth floor being recessed some seven meters from the frontage.

[nagel]

• removal of two parking stalls and replacing these with 16 secure bicycle storage racks (2 of which have been relocated from the basement)

 

All these developments with hardly any parking and bike storage out the ying yang.  There's definitely a relationship between recent development and essentially forcing people to bike or walk (or Modo but you can't do that every day).  You'd almost think it was in developers' best interests to have better bike infrastructure in town if they want to keep pushing bikes as an alternative to providing ample parking.

[Mike K.]

Approvals sought for amended Chinatown condo proposal at 613 Herald Street
http://victoria.citi...-herald-street/
 
A revised proposal for a six-storey mixed-use 32 unit condo and ground floor commercial development at 613 Herald Street in Victoria's Chinatown district will be before City of Victoria in the coming weeks.
 
Project architect Peter Hardcastle, Principal at Hillel Architecture of Victoria, cited community feedback as the driver of design improvements that have allowed the development concept, formerly known as Kunju Residences, to mesh into the existing fabric of the neighbourhood. [Full article]
 
Latest (2016) six-storey design
 

 

 
2015 five-storey design
 

[nagel]

Do you have a direct front photo?  I'm curious how the smaller parking entry looks.

[Mike K.]

Sure, here you go.

 

[nagel]

Thanks. Looks better. Might have preferred the entry off to one side though. It's probably nothing you'll actually notice though because who is going to stare at the building from the tire place. Most views will be from the same sidewalk.

I couldn't really tell you where the car park entry is in Trevor Lindens building.

[sdwright.vic]

If the city ever wanted to vote something down and have me in agreement, this thing would be it.

[Rob Randall]

Almost ten years this thing has been passed around various architects and City Hall and it looks it.

[Rob Randall]

Attached Images

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[nagel]

Different shades of lipstick on a pig.

 

My favourite one actually is the one with 600% of the daily pedestrian traffic on Herald, including the only child to have ever walked on this street.

Edited by nagel, 22 January 2016 - 07:32 AM.

[Rob Randall]

Note how the red moves around before being virtually eliminated.

This no knock against Hardcastle, he's doing the best with what he's given considering the circumstances, I think it's just a conflict of visions. D'Ambrosio wanted a jewel, an eye-catching piece of Asian-inspired modernism sandwiched between two big "heritage influenced" condos.

What others wanted was more like filler, something that contained elements from its surroundings like camouflage so that it blended in seamlessly without drawing attention.

[Mike K.]

237 condos approved for downtown Victoria
http://victoria.citi...ntown-victoria/
 
City of Victoria councillors have approved two downtown Victoria mixed-use condo and ground floor commercial proposals.
 
989 Johnson, a two tower, 205-unit 17- and 15-storey development, the future tallest building along Johnson Street, will rise on Johnson Street at Vancouver Street on McCall Bros. Funeral Home’s surface parking lot. Units will range between studio, one bedroom, two bedroom and penthouse layouts with 9,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space fronting onto both thoroughfares. [Full article]

[attica]

also 100% support from the few speakers and council