3804 replies to this topic

[Matt R.]

Buzzed by the new shelter in Vic West. Sure looks ugly.

[aastra]

The architecture of such projects seems intended to test the limits of what people will tolerate. Case in point: that project on Yates Street up the hill from Cook. One would hope it can't get much more extreme than the Yates project. But even so, I suspect we'll be getting some nearly windowless blank boxes before too long. With maybe a small opaque porthole per unit or something like that (a small opaque porthole that cannot be opened, of course).

 

Just consider all those past decades of Victorian hand-wringing about design issues and "livability", whereby the most minute aspects of every project were scrutinized with a microscope. All of it has been rendered meaningless in just the past couple of years. (completely by accident, of course -- by goofs, mistakes, blunders, well-meaning incompetence... or whatever other explanation we prefer to fall back upon)
 

 

...the province announced it was fast-tracking four new supportive housing projects, including Catherine Street, in Victoria for people without homes. It bypassed public hearings and council approvals to allow construction to start as early as the summer.

[Mike K.]

Bypassing public hearings and council approvals.

Sounds similar to the changes Mayor Helps wants to introduce city-wide.

[Kapten Kapsell]

Skale Properties is proposing a 10-unit townhouse development in Vic West at the corner of Edward and Mary Streets; three buildings would be built.  Unique to this proposal is the proposed creation of a 'woonerf' @ the Bella St laneway with unique paving and landscaping features.

 

Something about the the upper level's roofline evokes 80s/90s design in my opinion ....

 

[rayms]

Looking at the above, 2 things could look better:

1. Get rid of the service pole on Mary St. ( It may be too costly)

2. The deck railing is too dark in a black colour. (This may also be a cost issue to use a standard stock colour)

 

Anyone have more info on this project?  Where is the above info from?

Edited by rayms, 21 June 2022 - 06:26 PM.

[fitzsystar]

New development being proposed on the south side of Gorge Rd, in burnside gorge neighbourhood beside the hospital. Residents received this letter:

 

129, 131, 133 & 135 GORGE ROAD REDEVELOPMENT INFORMATION FOR TENANTS AT THE OXFORD & GORDREAU APARTMENTS

Itracorp Homes and Belmont Properties have partnered together to explore the development of 139, 131, 133 & 135 Gorge Road Victoria B.C. Please note this letter is for information only and no action is required at this time.

The team is currently in the pre-application stage with the City of Victoria and a formal submission is expected for late 2022. The proposal is to redevelop the sites in two or more phases. The Oxford at 133 Gorge Road would be the first phase which could be redeveloped as early as 2024. We greatly appreciate that the unknown schedule of our redevelopment plans may cause some concern and we will keep you appraised on the status of our proposal and share our timelines with you once they are better defined.

As our team proceeds through the planning stages, Sommerville Community Relations (Sommerville) will be keeping you up date of projects details and timelines. An introduction letter from Sommerville has been included for your information. Residents should contact Sommerville directly with questions.

For your reference we have enclosed a copy of the City of Victoria’s Tenant Policy: Victoria Housing Strategy 2016-2025 (TAP) with this letter. Your rights and responsibilities as a tenant under the Residential Tenancy Act do not change as a result of the City of Victoria’s Tenant Assistance Policy. In the coming month or so, Sommerville will be reaching out to you to invite you to TAP workshop. The workshop is not mandatory, but we encourage you attend and learn about the TAP and the Gorge Road project.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely Itracorp & Belmont Properties gorgeroad@sommerville_cr.com (250) 896-3744

[Victoria Watcher]

 

New development being proposed on the south side of Gorge Rd, in burnside gorge neighbourhood beside the hospital. Residents received this letter:

 

129, 131, 133 & 135 GORGE ROAD REDEVELOPMENT INFORMATION FOR TENANTS AT THE OXFORD & GORDREAU APARTMENTS

Itracorp Homes and Belmont Properties have partnered together to explore the development of 139, 131, 133 & 135 Gorge Road Victoria B.C. Please note this letter is for information only and no action is required at this time.

The team is currently in the pre-application stage with the City of Victoria and a formal submission is expected for late 2022. The proposal is to redevelop the sites in two or more phases. The Oxford at 133 Gorge Road would be the first phase which could be redeveloped as early as 2024. We greatly appreciate that the unknown schedule of our redevelopment plans may cause some concern and we will keep you appraised on the status of our proposal and share our timelines with you once they are better defined.

As our team proceeds through the planning stages, Sommerville Community Relations (Sommerville) will be keeping you up date of projects details and timelines. An introduction letter from Sommerville has been included for your information. Residents should contact Sommerville directly with questions.

For your reference we have enclosed a copy of the City of Victoria’s Tenant Policy: Victoria Housing Strategy 2016-2025 (TAP) with this letter. Your rights and responsibilities as a tenant under the Residential Tenancy Act do not change as a result of the City of Victoria’s Tenant Assistance Policy. In the coming month or so, Sommerville will be reaching out to you to invite you to TAP workshop. The workshop is not mandatory, but we encourage you attend and learn about the TAP and the Gorge Road project.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely Itracorp & Belmont Properties gorgeroad@sommerville_cr.com (250) 896-3744

 

 

 

Good catch.

 

Yes, that area could use a revamp.

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 June 2022 - 06:18 AM.

[fitzsystar]

I live across Gorge Rd from here. The new Cool Aid building is almost done at 210 Gorge. This site is gorgeous waterfront and could house a lot of people. I'm looking forward to seeing what they propose here. I just wish multifamily developments were legal in more of the city so they didn't have to tear down more affordable older apartments every time they develop new apartments (because these are the only lots zoned for apartments). 

[Mike K.]

Is it itra, or intra-corp? There is an Intracorp already operating in BC.

[aastra]

That aerial puts an exclamation point on the surface parking issue. For every square foot devoted to housing there's almost as much square footage devoted to surface parking. It would have been so easy for the CoV to come up with an incentive program to address this issue over the long term. But no, it makes more sense to go after the SFDs, because they're the real problem, right? Thus, in the year 2022 there are still hundreds of surface parking lots in neighbourhoods all over town. Pay no attention to the surface parking lot behind the curtain.

 

 

Daily Colonist
February 14, 1973

Committee Recommends: Underground Parking

Builders of four-storey frame apartment buildings will have to provide... at least 50 per cent underground parking, if city council approves a recommendation by Victoria's zoning committee.

The proposal... specifies that at least 50 per cent of the parking spaces must be underground. At present, all parking may be above ground.

...the amendment was designed to put an end to black-topping half the city.

"...even those which are considered of a good design and quality, have acres of surface parking. We had to do something about that,"

[Nparker]

The CoV: "Solving" the housing crisis for 50 years!

[DavidSchell]

The CoV: "Solving" the housing crisis for 50 years!

Lol, that about sums it up 🤣

[Nparker]

I am sure aastra can provide ample evidence that the CoV's stellar track record on the housing portfolio goes back even further than the 1970s.

[Kapten Kapsell]

Milliken Developments and Amica Senior Lifestyles, the team behind the "Amica Oak Bay" underway at 1900 Richmond, are proposing a 6-storey, 88-unit assisted living facility to be built adjacent to 1900 Richmond on Ashgrove Street.  This would require the removal/replacement of 4 houses on Ashgrove Street, and the new building would be connected to 1900 Richmond.

 

Plans are now up on Dev Tracker.

 

Here's a look at the new building proposed for Ashgrove Street:

 

[aastra]

Methinks at least one of those houses would be worth preserving rather than knocking down.

[Redd42]

Nickel Bros have been very busy in the neighbourhood, maybe they will get another.

Edited by Redd42, 29 June 2022 - 03:37 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The DP application for 515/519 Rithet Street is now on the development tracker. 4 storeys, 27 units, variances requested for site coverage, open site space and front, rear and side yard setbacks. No plans yet. https://tender.victo...Number=DPV00062

 

Council had no such problem moving the 18-unit project forward.

 

Plans call for a four-storey building to replace two older homes at 515 and 519 Rithet St. The new condo building would feature a shared building rooftop deck, raised front-yard patios with direct unit entry and one level of underground parking with 21 spaces.

 

Both projects were unanimously moved to public hearing.

 

 

https://www.timescol...hearing-5542117

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 03 July 2022 - 04:53 AM.

[Nparker]

4.5 years later and the only "progress" on this proposal is the loss of 9 housing units?

[Victoria Watcher]

4.5 years later and the only "progress" on this proposal is the loss of 9 housing units?

 

This City and council sets their bar very low.  So this is a huge win.

[Mike K.]

Down nine units, of course.