23 replies to this topic

[Number Six]

I was inspired by the spirited surface parking lot discussion in another thread to dig up some pix of old parking lots which once occupied some prime real estate. Here's a photo showing the parking lot upon which the Provincial Museum was built:

[Number Six]

and here's the same lot in 1947, before it was "redeveloped":

[Number Six]

Before the Hudson's Bay parkade was built it was a surface parking lot. Here are a couple of photos from 1947, the second shows the construction of the Memorial Arena and the original configuration of Blanshard St. (another wonderful photo by Duncan MacPhail):

[Number Six]

And speaking of the HBC ... we can't forget the parking lot which *still* exists on the site of the old warehouse (torn down in 1937):

[Number Six]

Here are a couple more, taken from Bastion Square (then Bastion St.):





and here from Government St, looking down Bastion St.:



and one that show's it in relation to the Johnson St. bridge:

[Holden West]

Are those frickin' tennis courts on the corner of Belleville and Menzies?! Today, that corner has those striated glacial rock formations on it. What's going on? Was the last ice age fifty years ago?

[G-Man]

^ perhaps that is encompassed in that minor setback you can see.

[Holden West]

^Yeah, I guess so. It looks different than the boulevard to the south. But it sure looks small.

The facade of the Bay warehouse is amazing. What architectural style is that? All I could think of is "circuit board".

[Number Six]

Those are indeed tennis courts ... the building and courts were owned by the CPR and their employees used it for R&R.

[Baro]

Man our harbour used to be nasty looking.

[Number Six]

I found one more photo of the area around the Johnson St. Bridge, showing the old ravine, taken in 1935:

[Holden West]

1977, location unknown:

[aastra]

Must be James Bay by the legislature?

You just know it would be controversial to try and build something on those parking lots today, even though an older picture above shows that they already were developed prior to becoming undeveloped again as parking lots. I count at least a dozen houses and other small buildings that must have been wiped out.

[G-Man]

^ you are correct. That would be a great place for a few more 4-5 storey res with grounf floor commercial along Menzies to go in. But yes it would create an uproar. Think of how long it took for the project on the parking lot across from the Orchard Park building to get approved.

We sure love our parking lots in Victoria.

[gumgum]

Those parking lots ruin James Bay.

[Bernard]

I have long thought at the parking lots around the Legislature need to be redeveloped with a parkade as part of it. Ideally I would love to see a new Legislative library on the site along with a downtown UVic campus with a decent library and a GVPL downtown library. All three libraries operated together for a maximum collection and an amazing building.

[Hotel Mike]

And how about the low rise building sitting squarely on the lawns of our Parliament Buildings, on Government Street? That building was meant to be temporary when it was first built. A good start would be to remove that one and restore the east side of the legislature lawn. Same with that parking lot that's right next to it. Then build some well thought out structures on some of the other parking lots.

[Bernard]

There is also some very crappy old low rise wooden buildings to the south of the Legislature that need redeveloping. They, along with the parking lot at Menzies and Superior, offer 6.2 acres of land.

The parking lot on Menzies between Kingston and Superior is 2.9 acres

These are decent sized parcels that could make a huge shift and change to the area in a positive way.

A large multi user library, condos, government offices, retail, UVic downtown, and more could all be in this area. The two sites have the potential to add 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 sq feet of mixed use to the area and not go over five stories and not cover more than half the surface. If you move to 65% surface cover and 7 stories, you get to close to 2,000,000 square feet.

You can put in a large underground parking lot and make it clear to tourists that it exists with signs sending them there from North of Downtown. Frankfurt has signs indicating where the parkades are and how spaces are free in the parkade at any one time.

[Barra]

I agree with Bernard. There is quite a bit of land that is underused to the south and west of the legislature. During the last NDP administration a Legislative Precinct plan was developed which had some great ideas for residential and commercial use. The next administration had no interest in this idea at all. And so it sits there...............

[Lorne Carnes]

The CPR Club was established in 1923 as a lawn bowling facility. Just one of many across the country. Note roof of Empress behind trees.



Tennis took over when bowlers moved to new green behind the Crystal Garden in 1930. Pic of Mom in late 30's.