445 replies to this topic

[aastra]

Okay, I'll add it to the list of lost buildings then.

[Mike K.]

Btw, for all we know this could be a six-storey building. Tower can mean anything in relation to the single-storey buildings around the hospital.

[FunkyMunky]

Btw, for all we know this could be a six-storey building. Tower can mean anything in relation to the single-storey buildings around the hospital.

I think you should consider the short stubby North and South Towers of the VGH as a reasonable model for this campus.

[Mike K.]

^Yup, good call. And just a heads up, the current in-patient building is also referred to as a "tower" standing some five or six storeys tall.

[Galvanized]

I'm looking at that photo thinking what a waste of space that helicopter pad is, and how noisy it must be for the neighbours and why the heck don't they put it on the roof.

Then I remembered [url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=OLRipwGXCeI:8c50f]this[/url:8c50f].

You get used to it, they use it a lot less than VGH. It's a lot busier in the summer and the noise isn't much worse than it's flight path over Oaklands. BTW, you should see that oak tree blow around next to the pad when they land, it looks like it's going to fall over sometimes. VIHA owns a small chunk of land to the notheast of the pad on the other side of Bowker creek, it's a good buffer to the pad.

FunkyMunky has it right, that stuff does look temporary and the spot makes perfect sense, too bad there still isn't a rendering yet.

[concorde]

Before they even consider this tower they need to complete a master plan for the hospital to ensure there will be enough room for future expansion.

The biggest problem at the hospital currently is there is zero parking available. If they were to build the tower on a parking lot, where do they accommodate temp parking while the tower is built (likely 3 years). Obviously they need to start to consider extensive amounts of underground parking which isn't cheap.

I suspect the job would go P3 anyway just like the Abbotsford Hospital or the Ambultory Care on Oak Street.

[Baro]

underground parking is expensive, surface parking is a waste, but multi-level parking gets the job done pretty well. The new parkade there actually isn't even too offensive on the eye!

[Mike K.]

Royal Jubilee tower a priority for 2007
Abbott ‘cautiously optimistic’ about $250-million project

BY CINDY E. HARNETT Times Colonist staff
A 500-bed patient tower for Royal Jubilee Hospital, with a price tag of $250 million, is one of B.C. Health Minister George Abbott’s top funding goals for 2007.

“It certainly is a very important and high-priority project,” Abbott said in a year-end interview with the Times Colonist.

Although there is no firm timeline for the funding, Abbott said he is “cautiously optimistic” he will get “clarity” on it this year.

“Royal Jubilee is a priority,” the minister said.

[...]

[Mike K.]

Royal Jubilee’s South Block near end of line
After decades of service, aging edifice is in desperate need of replacement

BY JEFF BELL Times Colonist staff

The South Block at Royal Jubilee Hospital is well over 80 years old, but the writing wasn’t on the wall until 2004.

That’s when portions of the crumbling edifice finally began to close. The staffers on the third floor — 3 South — decided to etch their feelings on the peeling paint when they held a farewell party for their unit.

“Good-bye 3 South. The best ward in the hospital is moving.” “I will remember our crazy, sad, happy times here.” “Ah, 3 South. You old SOB!”

[...]

[aastra]

Hate to see us knocking down heritage buildings, but I'll be less upset about it if we replace them with something interesting/detailed/potentially controversial (new heritage buildings) instead of a massive, drab institutional bunker.

Love it or hate it, the new BC Cancer Research Centre is an interesting building:


(picture from www.bccancer.bc.ca)

The other new building on the other side of VGH is less interesting but still not bad:



The newer buildings at the Jubilee aren't in the same league:

[Icebergalley]

Looks as if they have much space for infill...

Would be interesting to see the RJH ashphalt, lands and buildings overlain the downtown... to get another idea of the scale of our downtown versus our "suburban" commercial and institutional areas..

[Galvanized]

There is a fence around the old Bay pavilion and I saw a H.L. Demolition truck parked close by. Anyone know what they're up to?

[G-Man]

No idea.

[Mike K.]

VIHA unveils hospital tower plans, location
Proposals for public-private funding and building site made in secret, regional politicians complain

BY CINDY E. HARNETT Times Colonist staff

The Island’s health authority has identified a site for a 10-storey patient tower at Royal Jubilee Hospital, investigated a public-private partnership and is set to break ground in March — decisions regional politicians say were made in secret.

The Vancouver Island Health Authority revealed its tentative plans for the $300 million, 500-bed tower to regional politicians at a meeting of the Capital Regional Hospital District yesterday in Victoria.

Georgina MacDonald, VIHA vicepresident of planning, said while nothing has been approved, “some initial analysis” of the tower as a P3 project — public-private partnership — has been done by Partnerships B.C.

[...]

mailto:ceharnett@tc.canwest.com

[Mike K.]

Yes, the Island's largest hospital and one of the largest research centres in the area will draw traffic. If you move next door to a hub of activity, a hub of activity is what you'll get.

Traffic, tower height worry area residents

BY CINDY E. HARNETT Times Colonist staff

North Jubilee residents already coping with frustrated drivers looking for parking around Royal Jubilee Hospital on their streets may soon be facing even more traffic and a 10-storey tower.

Resident Kathrynn Foster said the 500bed patient tower likely to rise near Bay Street and Richmond Road in Victoria will likely cause more traffic congestion.

“People come out of the hospital grounds circulating around our neighbourhoods, annoyed, looking for a parking space where our elderly people and cats and dogs and children are playing and working and living,” she said.

[...]

mailto:ceharnett@tc.canwest.com

[G-Man]

Depending on how they do it, this could be a significant landmark in the city. I do think I agree that it should be on the corner of Fort and Richmond though.

[Icebergalley]

Has VIHA published a functional design program for the RJH site?

It would be helpful to see what they are working towards...

[gumgum]

Since when does a ten story building constitute a tower? Gimme a break.

[aastra]

“People come out of the hospital grounds circulating around our neighbourhoods, annoyed, looking for a parking space where our elderly people and cats and dogs and children are playing and working and living,” she said.

News flash: it's always been like this. Another news flash: it's actually nowhere near the problem that these people are making it out to be.

They've already closed half of the streets in that neighbourhood, much to the chagrin of longtime residents. If hospital-related xenophobia is still such a big issue then implement a permit parking system or something.

I disagree with G-Man; I think the surface parking near Bay is the best spot for a major new building.

However, neighbours are also concerned about the height of the tower, the loss of green space and the potential look of the building, given the already “institutional” look of the existing hospital, said Foster.

Yep, building on that parking lot will constitute a net loss of green space. Total baloney. The newer buildings at the Jubilee were built on parking lots!! I'm so sick and tired of these misplaced arguments about green space. Meanwhile we're gutting forests to build megamarts in the suburbs.

If you want to make a fuss, make a fuss about the design of the building.

[G-Man]

The parking issue could be addressed in part by a B-line along the #14 bus route. This route has the highest ridership in the city and is actually higher currently than many LRT lines in the US.