68 replies to this topic

[Holden West]

^Very Zen.

[Galvanized]

^^^^It was bought by Andrew Sheret. My guess is it will be retail at the front and the trades would be at the back on Market St.

[Oxford Sutherland]

I'm putting The Roxy on the deathwatch list

[Holden West]

What? Never!

[FunkyMunky]

The junction where Oak Bay Avenue, Pandora Avenue and Fort Street meet could be so much more. Despite it being well located and a short 20 or 25 minute walk to a large number of shops and services, the Sound Hounds building is a big disappointment. It makes me sad every time I travel past it so I nominate this tired edifice for a rebirth.



The Junction Confectionary in 1947 when it was a neighbourhood attraction (love the neon sign) but the building was no more attractive then either.

[Galvanized]

^I'm just waiting for Sound Hounds to go under. Once that happens I'm sure we'll see something happen with that building.

[Holden West]

^Perhaps. Sound Hounds has a pretty loyal clientele and its been there for a while. On the other hand, why haven't they leased out the barber shop on the opposite side? I think the landlord is conducting "demolition by neglect". It's shameful the deterioration that building has experienced just in the last few years. That vintage photo is great, by the way.

[Galvanized]

I saw some scaffolding in front of this building and a couple of peeps standing around and pointing to the exterior/talking... Could something be up with a restoration?

[Ms. B. Havin]

It would be great to see this building restored. Recently, I thought it's starting to look like mould is coming through the stucco under the windows on the upper storeys. (Maybe it's just normal discoloration... but whatever, it looks terrible.) There are some cute little apartments in that building -- tiny studios with Murphy beds built in, but access to back porches, too. IMO that's the sort of project that should get a tax incentive for restoration, to continue to provide affordable rental housing.

[Holden West]

...There are some cute little apartments in that building -- tiny studios with Murphy beds built in, but access to back porches, too....

Yes, good affordable housing candidate.

Here's the back end:





Good 1947 night view of what's now "Sound Hounds":

[Galvanized]

That scaffolding is gone now so I guess it was some sort of quick repair.

[Galvanized]

They've now painted both sides of the building but it looks to me that those sections in front below the windows need new stucco, we'll see if they go that far (I hope so).

[Holden West]

The unit on the end that's been vacant for years (Figaro Barbers) is going to be a model train store. BTW, the name of this building is the Mt. Douglas Apartments.

[Baro]

MODEL TRAIN STORE?!?!?!??!

**** YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111111111111111111

Where'd you hear this?!????????11111111111111

We've got only 2 decent train stores anywhere near Victoria. BC shavers is over-priced and has shitty service. Bob took me to one way out past wallmart that was great but it's so far for me as a non-driver.

A hobby shop RIGHT by my house? Christ I better start making more money. IF this is a decent store that is.

[Holden West]

I heard this directly from the grizzled old proprietor himself, who was in the midst of preparing his shop.

[Ms. B. Havin]

Oh wow! Well, Baro, I know a couple of really big kids (more than twice your age, in other words) who'll be thrilled by this. The guy doing the store might be tapping into something here...

[Caramia]

/HAPPY SNOOPY DANCE
Model train store! Near my house too!
Hey Baro, someday we need to introduce ourselves since we are neighbours and I bet you have good toys.

[ressen]

924 esquimalt rd.

before








after

[VicHockeyFan]

^ Classic!

Stephen Andrew was talking on CFAX today, bemoaning the loss of 17 rental units of housing. He wondered why the landlord was not required to come in, on two hours notice, to clean feces from the floor. OK, I'm pretty sure no one moved in with feces on the floor, so I'm not sure why the landlord has to fix that.

[Holden West]

The landlord wants to tear the whole mess down and build condos.

[url=http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=2841d044-14e3-42a2-b8f5-77b3dec799a3&k=65823:dd1a5]Four rental buildings condemned[/url:dd1a5]

Nitpick: I think that was Murray Langdon on C-FAX today.

Yeh, later on they had Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard on and he was talking about how condo development in downtown is forcing low-income people out of their housing and I'm like, (I keep a little WTF flag handy by the radio).

Who's tearing down low cost housing downtown?