54 replies to this topic

[Scaper]

The Sussex was built in the 90's. It was suppose to be a story taller but the Developer almost didn't build it because they couldn't get it leased. That's when B.C.B.C. stepped in and got a wicked deal on leasing the entire building. The original proposal at 12 stories was possibly not going to get approved as they felt it was too tall. So B.C.B.C. and the developer decided to knock a story off to 11 stories to help the approval of the building. It got built and the original facade of the Sussex hotel got save. The original proposal had the office tower right on Douglas Street. But the Halmark Society and heritage buffs made the Sussex a heritage building and thus it was saved and the tower got moved back along Broughton street.

I always laugh when I here people call this a heritage tower. I believe it was Betty Gibbon's at City Hall who stated How it's too bad that developers today don't build like they use to in the 40's and 50's...just look at the Sussex building....blah blah blah...I shook my head....Hmmmm that was built about ten years ago lady!!! hahhahaha

Anyways, it would have looked so much better at 12 stories. I remember the original rendering and proposal.

[aastra]

I bet a lot of people think the Sussex is older than it is.

I think the parking lots on Herald Street are a goldmine waiting to be discovered. If you want hip (expensive) little lowrise condos in Victoria (like Roar One, for example) then Herald Street is the place for them.

I really don't understand why all of the parking lots in that area haven't been touched yet. Herald Street is like a work of unfinished art. Actually, it's more unfinished than finished. But the stuff that is finished is terrific. Fill in those gaps!

[Holden West]

The area IS being filled in!

Uh, by a bus depot. :smt009

[G-Man]

That is two blocks away from Herld Street.

I still don't have a problem with it going down there.

We are having a hard enough time having residential push north of Fisgard. It will be a decade before we see signifigant growth around Discovery Street.

[gumgum]

I wonder if you're right about that. There seems to be a real trend to push res in north D/T as we all know. We may see some significant development proposals north of Fisgard sooner than you think.
Besides, a decade is a a short period of time when it comes to city planning. This planned bus depot is in the way of what should be there. (res. and com.)
Besides in some ways I see this move to push the bus depot out of the the centre core as an elitist one. Who's going to be inconvenienced by this other than the youth and poor?

[aastra]

Tourists will be inconvenienced by it.

[gumgum]

Yes, the young ones and the poor ones. Which is unfair.

[aastra]

Wealthy people and old people are also allowed on the PCL.

[gumgum]

Yes they are. But the wealthy can afford not to.
What's your point?

[aastra]

The inconvenience affects everybody who takes the bus into town.

Also, the negative first impression of a bus depot in a less-than-desirable area affects everybody. As does the 20-minute walk through an unfamiliar downtown in search of accommodation.

[gumgum]

It is generally the poor and the youth that take the bus.

[G-Man]

I disagree.

A real bus depot should be closest to the largest amount of people. The depot in its current location is there for tourists not locals. A terminal farther north is more central and easier to reach by the vast majority of those in the Capital region.

Also bus depots should not be in the centre of tourists districts. Vanouver's is much farther a walk from Robson and say Canada Place than from the Inner Harbour to Discovery Street. I am sure we can count on tourist buses to still hang out in front of the Empress for rides to Butchart.

I still think that the lot across from the Times Colonist would have been preferable but that is even farther north.

Has anyone walked around this part of town? It is a **** hole and this will be a vast improvement on what is currently there. If there are so many people lining up to build condos here than where are they? Right now this area is industrial and it will be a long time before developers see any chance of making money anywhere near here.

In addition a Bus terminal is not going to necessarily stop people from living there. Our current location is metres from the most expensive hotel in the city and across from another motel that I have only heard good reviews for.

[aastra]

I have no data to back this up but I'd bet you a donut that 90% of the Victorians who ride the PCL are from Victoria proper. Hardly anybody gets on or off at any of the stops along the way.

It's pretty much the same deal on the mainland.

Gumgum, I'm being a stinker on this because everybody I know thinks the coach is the rich man's way to get to Vancouver. They're all poor, that's why they take their Acura SUVs onto the ferry instead.

[gumgum]

re: g-man
It is my contention that because the neighbourhood is a **** hole that they should rethink where they locate it. Bus depots tend to always be put in the **** area of town for whatever reason, and I have never seen an example of how a bus terminal has improved an area.
I don't know how you can say that it won't disuade people from living there. I wouldn't want to live near one.
And yes, there is one now metres from the most expensive hotel in the city...and they're now moving it.
Sure there are tourist around the current location, but there are also a lot of residential in that area as well; there is neither where they plan on moving it.

[G-Man]

So they should choose a location that is both nice and has lots of residential around it? Not going to happen.

It is not going to stay where it is no matter what, so where would be a good place for it?

Also my hood houses about 3000 people and is about a 5 minute walk from the new location. It is a 20 minute walk to the current one.

[gumgum]

A five minute walk is far enough away that hopefully the smell of the toxic fumes and the late-night deisel engine noises probably won't bother you. Not to mention the loiterers and possible druggies that might see it as an untapped market. You may not notice any of these problems, but what about potential residential closer to this site?
This will be and I guarantee it, one of the worst decisions recognized is 5 years. If it isn't, you will witness me eat my shorts.

I don't have a problem with them moving it. It's beyond its physical capacity. How can I argue with that?

As for a better location? Hmmm.... How about Ogden Point?

[G-Man]

Nah Ogden Point is even farther away from people.

I lived in James Bay for years and I have to admit that it was an extremely inconvenient place to live if you were going anywhere except downtown. I was working in Saanich at the time and getting home was the longest journey. Once I moved back into the downtown it seemed like I had shaved about ten minutes off the trip.

I already have druggies sleeping outside my place. I live next to an auto yard and I have diesel trucks outside my window at 2 and 3 in the morning. I still chose to live there because it was convenient and I don't mind noise. I expect that there are those that won't mind having a Bus depot across the street from them either.

Probably the best location would have been Mayfair or T&C Mall but that won't work until we have at least the BRT line into downtown. That is one reason that Vancouver is able to have their station in a bad part of town and so far from tourist amenities. There is Main Street station right there.

Also we have also acknowledge that this terminal is not going to be that busy. It will not even have the same amount of buses that the current one has, as only PCL is occupying it so far.

Really will this location be any noiser than the Falls will be? At least the buses stop running by 10:30 or so.

[gumgum]

Wow G-Man, you must be a heavy sleeper.
I don't mind noise too much either, but even the creak of the boards in my place in the middle of the night wakes me up.
Which auto yard do you live next to?

[G-Man]

It doesn't bug me usually though there have been nights when at three in the morning a tow truck driver leaves his truck idling while having a smoke. That does get me.

For the most part I think you have to make conscious decisions about where you are going to move. Spend time in the spot and visit at various times of the day. I go and visit my parents in the burbs on the mainland and the quiet keeps me up at night.

[Mike K.]

I've given up on worrying over city noise and wear earplugs. The only time I ever wake up is during stints of prolonged sirens passing by the homestead. Otherwise I sleep like a baby every night 8)