799 replies to this topic

[concorde]

Wow, David Chard really has a lot of guts to be even considering building in this market

[aastra]

The "spectacular copper cladding" sounds very intriguing.

That's a good question there, jklymak. Obviously the finished building itself is two or more years away at the very least.

I suspect they mean the project's full-blown website is coming in 2009.

[aastra]

Exactly. It looks like they're betting that things will be stable again by late 2009/early 2010 or so. How long was the interval between the completion of Corazon and the beginning of construction on the Juliet? Does anyone remember? Corazon was completely finished before they started tearing down the pizza place, wasn't it?

Edit: From the looks of it, Corazon was finished in early 2006, just a couple of months before they started work on the Romeo's Pizza site.

[G-Man]

Yeah if they started a new project soonish say in about 6 months they would be finishing just in time fro the next upswing.

[Mike K.]

Chard appears to be going for the lower-end market this time. With units starting in the low $200,000's I think a lot of people will see the appeal, downswing or not.

[gumgum]

The price of materials and labour will be down for him, that's for sure.

[Mike K.]

Remember that even in the stale '90's several highrises were built. The Metropolitan, Shoal Point, The Manhattan, Regent 1, Regent 2, etc.

One to two larger downtown residential projects going up every year between now and 2015 shouldn't be out of the norm and we still have multiple office projects coming down the pipes including Gateway, Radius, the church property, etc.

[Mike K.]

Yup, late '09/early '10 sounds reasonable.

[Kapten Kapsell]

Chard placed a large print ad for this project in today's T-C; the ad stressed the developer's commitment to downtown as well as Chard's record with the Corazon and Juliet.

[Caramia]

It is easier to make money in Langford, and that's where most of the developers seem to be doing it. The people who have stuck with downtown have some kind of special commitment - many of them, including Chard, spend a lot of their leisure hours involved in various non-profits serving downtown too. I do give people like the Jawls, Van Bellingham, Chard and that ilk credit for what they do downtown. If they can make a business work while they are at it, then all the better - it keeps people employed.

[G-Man]

Exactly I have spoken to him and he is committed to downtown.

Why are developers incapable of any emotion except greed? I think that a developer is just someone with a job the same as a nurse, a public servant, a banker you name it. Yet for some reason if you create new buildings essentially creating our built environment they are only capapbel of acting on what will make them a buck.

I think it is time for this stereotype to die.

[Phil McAvity]

Wow G-Man! You and Caramia are actually starting to sound like a couple of sensible, perspicacious people (in other words, right-wing-like me!). I understand Marcat's point though. Why would any developer work extremely long hours dealing with myriad different individuals, groups and local government if there were no money in it? I doubt money is the only motive, but it's certainly a contributing factor in getting people to bust their asses. Having said that, I too get sick of people in this town demonizing developers for being greedy. They go a long way to improving the city, regardless of their motives.

Remember that even in the stale '90's several highrises were built. The Metropolitan, Shoal Point, The Manhattan, Regent 1, Regent 2, etc.

That's only partially true Mike.

The Regent Parks were finished in 1991 but they started in the late '80's and while Shoal Point was started in the '90's, it wasn't finished until well into the new millenium. The Metropolitan and the Manhattan were the only residential high-rises that were erected the whole decade. The 90's were as bad as we remember for residential development.

[Mike K.]

Ah, thanks for the heads up, Phil. When was the Pacific Monarch built?

[Caramia]

LOL I don't buy into either left or right wing rhetoric. I've spent a lot of time working towards the social health of downtown over the last 10 years, and I know who has been beside me with their sleeves rolled up. That's all.

[aastra]

Chard could be absolutely insincere in everything he says and yet I'd still be cheering for his projects. He's promoting downtown and he's trying to generate a positive vibe re: downtown's image. Just check out the "faces of downtown" link on the 834 Johnson website. Many Victorians could take a lesson. It makes for a very refreshing alternative to the doom and gloom, in my opinion.

[aastra]

...just as with any developer their "commitment" only goes so far as they are making money...

Yeah, but unfortunately, the commitment of many Victorians to downtown doesn't even go that far. Many people are perfectly happy to burn a tank of gas to go shopping in Langford.

If he's able to make money doing good things in the city then all the power to him.