556 replies to this topic

[zoomer]

http://www.julietliving.com/

I love this new building!! The appropriately named Juliet replaces the old Romeo's restaurant on the corner of Johnson and Blanshard. Here's a quick blurb on this David Chard project:

The Juliet, one of Victoria’s newest residential towers, will be a 14-storey, 95-unit residential tower. Construction is expected to begin in August 2006 and will be completed in the Spring of 2008. Designed to provide an urban lifestyle, the project consists of 93 one- and two- bedroom units of 450 sq. ft. to 1,000 sq. ft. and two 1,300 sq ft. penthouses, a three-level underground parkade and street-level retail.

Located at the corner of Johnson and Blanshard streets in downtown Victoria, the design is contextual in its approach, especially sensitive to the heritage buildings to the north and south of the site on Blanshard Street. The building is expressed in rhythm, proportion, scale and materials as a more modern interpretation of the ‘commercial’ style present in these buildings. The corner is addressed by bringing the curved window wall from the top to the bottom of the building.

On Johnson Street, the four-storey portion, expressed in Tyndall stone, shields the blank sidewall of the adjacent parkade and relates to the scale of both it and the buildings across the street. On Blanshard Street the four-storey portion and its cornice tie together the streetscape of existing heritage buildings to the north and south. Accessible roof areas will be landscaped with planters and pavers.

[Scaper]

Man that is going to make such a huge improvement to Johnson street. How exciting!!!


Here is a play by play look at what will become something great!



Too bad that Pam and Sonya both voted against this project, yet thank God that we won't have that eye sore there any longer.

I am so excited to see this building finilized.

[Galvanized]

Man that parkade is hideous!!!

[Scaper]

Yet it was claimed by Pam to be the Axis to Heritage!

[Mike K.]

...and didn't Pam Madoff and Sonya Chandler state that this building would actually bring about negative change to the area?

In fact, Sonya Chandler stated that the density was too high and the building would be a concrete eyesore with a multi-decade lifespan.

Nice, hey? Our "Green Party" candidate Sonya Chandler is actually voting against urban dwellings using existing infrastructure and densifying the core of the city even though her election platform and the Green Party platform advocate such developments.

[zoomer]

Wow, nice pics of the demolition! Yes, that parkade has to go!! It's one of the worst ones in town with a bad history, not to mention it's a black hole on that part of Johnson.

Seriously, I'd love the city to demolish that and replace it with underground parking with new retail/office/residential units above. The biggest eyesores downtown are the parkades, and the city has the power to do something about it!! SO LET'S GET ON WITH IT! Once the current "boom" cools we'll have to wait another 10-20 years before the conditions exist again for this to be feasible.

[Scaper]

She has done this on the last four condo proposals downtown.

The Juliet above
The Chard 5 story building on Michigan St. (currently a parking lot)
The Falls on Douglas St. (A parking lot for 40 years)
& I believe it was the Clock tower proposal on Fort Street a small condo redevelopment.

[Galvanized]

^It ain't easy being green!

Ya, I said it! :-D

I should also add the presentation site is looking good.

[D.L.]

With the expansion of the Ocean Island hostle and this building, this block of Blanshard will be complete.

[G-Man]

Ocean Island is not expanding as far as I know. It is just making the space of some of its rooms bigger by removing walls.

[D.L.]

Oh. I thought we heard they were expanding into the parking lot at the south of the building. We'd loose the forest mural. But they're just removing walls you say? I hope the walls aren't load bearing.

[Holden West]

No, just minor alterations, increasing the number of rooms from 71 to 79. If the walls are typical thin hostel walls, they should be able to be knocked down by applying pressure with a moistened Q-Tip.

[Galvanized]

What's with the shack in the parking lot? Are those rooms too?

[aastra]

Very exciting to see work starting on this one.

[G-Man]

Yeah I am in some ways more excited about this then I am about the Falls. Now don't get me wong the Falls will be awesome but we see too little of this kind of development in the heart of the city.

[Baro]

I love them both because they both almost 100% use their roof space.

Flat downtown roofs should HAVE to be used in some way. Even if it's just a crappy access stairway with some potted weeds or a bricked over patio to smoke on. Unaccessable wasted flat roofs is like wasted land.

[Scaper]

Zoomer can repost the photo at the top?

[Holden West]

I didn't know about the theatre and the hot tub! Hey, is that a telescope on a tripod? What kind of Hugh Hefner grotto are they planning up there, anyway?

[zoomer]

excellent point about using the rooftop Baro, I never really thought of that before, but it's a great point.

Scaper which picture can't you see? I noticed at work the top one was a red x, but at home I can see them all? If it's a problem I'll find a new source for the top picture.

[VicHockeyFan]

Speaking of flat roofs, last night was the first time that Corazon utilized their round zeppelin docking structure on their roof. Oh, the humanity of it was great.