445 replies to this topic

[rchauhan]

That's awesome, thanks for that.

[FunkyMunky]

In other activity on the property, the house on the corner of Fort Street and Lee Avenue was demolished last week (two storey building on the right in this photo).



This week it looks like they're moving over to the old TB Clinic (which has relocated to what used to the the Emergency unit in the Centre Block).



The city is also monkeying around with the curbs and sidewalks on the corner of Fort Street and Lee Avenue. I assume this has something to do with installing a traffic light here and pedestrian refuges in the centre of Fort Street.

[Galvanized]

^That was the old student residence. They had a big kegger a couple of months ago after they moved out and started the demo for VIHA! That's why those windows were boarded up so long before hand.

It's quite the obstacle going down Fort St these days. Leaving Downtown there is only one lane at Vancouver, Fernwood (new gas station) and at Lee.

[Holden West]

NEW HOSPITAL TOWER ZONING DISCUSSED AT CITY HALL

C-FAX News
Jan 10, 2008

THE VANCOUVER ISLAND HEALTH AUTHORITY IS ASKING VICTORIA CITY HALL TO APPROVE A 50-METRE HIGH BUILDING TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW PATIENT CARE CENTRE.

PLANS WILL GO TO A PUBLIC HEARING, AND PRESUMABLY A COUNCIL VOTE ON REZONING, ON THE EVENING OF JANUARY 29TH.

[...]
- FRANK STANFORD / RYAN PRICE

[Ms. B. Havin]

THE CITY'S DEVELOPMENT MANAGER TOLD COUNCIL...

I've never heard of this body. We have a development manager? Who is it? Someone in planning?

[aastra]

VIHA CEO HOWARD WALDNER STRESSES THAT THIS IS A REPLACEMENT FOR AN OUTDATED BUILDING AND IT WILL BE NO LARGER IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS OR STAFF.

Did Mr. Waldner stress this fact because he wanted to piss people off or something? Methinks this town has gone nuts.

[Rob Randall]

^^I believe it is Alison Meyer from the Planning Department. I think it's a new position.

^aastra, I guess they were replying to concerns about parking. Dean Fortin in particular pointed out this morning if the pay parking is too expensive the residential side streets fill up. He wants more incentives for non-car use. They showed the renderings looking up Richmond and the building will be very prominent from all angles. But it looks pretty good and it is of course very necessary.

Each floor is 5 m tall.

[aastra]

SO, FROM THE LAND USE POINT OF VIEW, THAT MEANS NO APPRECIABLE NEW PARKING DEMANDS -- THAT'S ALWAYS A BIG CONCERN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

IN FACT, ONCE COMPLETED THIS ROYAL JUBILEE SIGHT PLAN WILL INCLUDE A TOTAL OF 15-FEWER PARKING STALLS ON THE ENTIRE PROPERTY, MADE UP OF 1,392 IN ALL.

And 15 more parked cars on neighbourhood streets. But who's counting?

I'm from that neighbourhood and my bigger concern would be making sure there's adequate parking on-site at a major hospital.

[Rob Randall]

The figure quoted today was $1.5 million per month it costs for any delays. They want to fast-track this.

The special Public hearing is Tuesday the 29th at 7:30 p.m.

[Nparker]

VIHA CEO HOWARD WALDNER STRESSES THAT THIS IS A REPLACEMENT FOR AN OUTDATED BUILDING AND IT WILL BE NO LARGER IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS OR STAFF.

I too hope this statement was meant as some sort of appeasement. Otherwise, it is beyond absurd to be building a new patient tower that adds no additional capacity. Can this region NEVER plan for the future? Is it financially viable, by anyone's math, to build a structure that will be at capacity when it opens, if not in fact before? When did we start applying our philosophy of highway building to medical facilities? And when it comes to highways it is ALMOST acceptable; if you don't build larger highways you MAY encourage alternate forms of transportation. Will underbuilding a hospital encourage people NOT to get sick in the future? The mind boggles at the lack of foresight often expressed by our elected officials. They should be DEMANDING a larger capacity structure. Build it in 2008 because is will cost twice as much to build what is required by 2020.

[Galvanized]

^They looked at that at one point for a 700 bed capacity and it was deemed too expensive. They'll have plenty of space to expand once this tower is complete and old buildings are demolished. VIHA doesn't even know what they are going to do with EMP or Royal Block yet, they could easily renovate those for future use.

[Coreyburger]

Ugh, EMP and Royal need to come down and be replaced. EMP is about as likely to make a mentally sick person well as putting a criminal in a concrete box will stop them from committing crime. You might put a bandaid over it, but if haven't fixed the problem, you have trouble. Built in the 70s when concrete was cool and filled with asbestos, it is not a nice building to be in. Further, the outside of the building allows no good space for people to congregate and hang out. I could go on and on, but basically the building is jammed with people, not designed to be people friendly and a health hazard with the asbpestos.

Now having said that, you need to build a new building for the patients to go to before you can pull down EMP. I know two floors of the new patient tower is for physc, so at least those patients will be out of there.

For the record, my gf used to do reception for VIHA in the EMP and I got to see a lot of when I went to see her there.

[Saanich Panhandler]

The special Public Hearing is tonight at 7:30 p.m. If you live nearby you should also know there is a parking variance attached to this re-zoning that was not mentioned by VIHA at the November 7th Neighbourhood Meeting. They want to add stalls to the green space next to Begbie Hall.

[aastra]

Sounds like the same bright idea they had when they were planning the most recent round of construction. They thought it would be brilliant to chop down a bunch of trees along Fort Street and rip out the lawn to create a temporary parking lot. People flipped, and for good reason. Why do they have it in for that green corner?

[Galvanized]

VICTORIA COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES REZONING FOR JUBILEE PATIENT TOWER

Jan 29, 2008

VICTORIA CITY COUNCIL HAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A REZONING APPLICATION TO ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW ROYAL JUBILEE PATIENT TOWER.

COUNCILOR CHRIS COLEMAN SAYS IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT COUNCIL MAKE THE APPROVAL AT A SPECIAL MEETING LAST NIGHT AND NOT WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK.

“THEY’VE GOT THREE APPLICATIONS COMING IN TOMORROW TO FULFILL THE TENTATIVE DESIGN GUIDELINES SO THEY ACTUALLY NEEDED THIS APPROVAL IN PLACE BEFORE THEY COULD RECEIVE THE APPLICATIONS.”

WHILE THE MOTION DID PASS UNANIMOUSLY, COLEMAN SAYS THERE WAS SOME LEGITIMATE CONCERN FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD OVER ISSUES SURROUNDING TRAFFIC AND PARKING IN THE AREA.

REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE HOSPITAL SAY THEY WILL WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.

- ADAM STIRLING CFAX 1070

[concorde]

I see they have awarded this project to ISL Health. Canon Design will be the architect for the project.

I'm glad to see this much needed project is making the next major hurdle.

[FunkyMunky]

I see they have awarded this project to ISL Health. Canon Design will be the architect for the project.

It's Cannon Design. Although I thought ISL Health also included Moore Paterson Architects but I don't see them mentioned in the VIHA news release (PDF). Perhaps they dropped out after merging with Stantec.

[Audrey]

It's Cannon Design. Although I thought ISL Health also included Moore Paterson Architects but I don't see them mentioned in the VIHA news release (PDF). Perhaps they dropped out after merging with Stantec.

I did some temp work for Cannon, and they impressed the hell out of me with the most functional and friendly office I've ever worked in. I'm glad they got the contract--I bet they do really good work.

I also spent nine months working in EMP at RJH, and the parking problem really is severe at this point. I walked to work, but if you added up all the hours that employees across the site spend trying to find parking spaces and playing musical parking-spaces with the metres, it would be a staggering amount.

The other side, of course, is people coming for appointments or to visit loved ones and being unable to find a legal parking space. A lot of it goes into the Safeway parking lot, but they're within their rights to ticket or tow. They'd probably start cracking down on people if the numbers climb, which is inevitable.

RJH needs to come up with some creative solutions sooner or later... or just build another parkade.

[aastra]

I like to think a new building will eventually be built on the Fort Street lot and ample underground parking will be included.

[concorde]

I drove by the site today and its all fenced off. I called someone close to the project and excavation tenders close Tuesday so this job should be moving in next 3-4 weeks.