800 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Victoria's slew of highrises was built in the 60's and 70's. We're only now starting to make a "modern" impact on the skyline.

 

There will never be anything above a couple of floors at Ship Point. Nobody wants that. Not even developers.

[Nparker]

...I didn't see the slew of high rises being built in this City 20 years ago not by a long shot.  Did you?

Perhaps someone will finally get the Reid proposal built. The 50th anniversary is only a couple of years off.

FYI: Dorothy Mindenhall's "Unbuilt Victoria" is an amazing book. If you haven't read it, it's well worth purchasing.

[Mike K.]

What a disaster that would have been!

 

But then that was also the era of freeways and overpasses throughout downtown, Vic West and James Bay with bridges across the harbour, lol.

[tjv]

Victoria's slew of highrises was built in the 60's and 70's. We're only now starting to make a "modern" impact on the skyline.

 

There will never be anything above a couple of floors at Ship Point. Nobody wants that. Not even developers.

True, but there were only a few high rises built during that time.  Off the top of my head View Towers, CIBC tower, Roberts House, Orchard House, Executive House, North Park Manor, that condo building down on Dallas Rd (forget the name) and there may be 1 or 2 more.  That span of 15-20 years would be 2 years worth of construction today of the boom of the mid 2000's.

 

I still see no reason why Ships Point and all those parking lots couldn't have 20 storey building along the water with a vibrant public component.  Victoria doesn't really attract out of town developers because of the bureaucracy.  I remember when Bruno Wall (of Wall Centre fame in Vancouver) came to town, built one project 15 years ago, was fed up, and then promptly left never to return.  No body in Victoria really has the money to do developments like that

[Mike K.]

You forgot:

 

Executive House Hotel

Chateau Victoria Hotel

Lord Simcoe

Lady Simcoe

Rohani Building (Scotiabank Tower)

Princess Patricia

Camosack Manor

Sea West Quay 1

Sea West Quay 2

The Empress Hotel

Bickerton Court

Fanin Building

Clarence House

Beckley Manor

Sandpiper

Charter House

Goodacre North

Goodacre South

Seaview Towers

Sitkum Lodge

Regent House

The Chelsea

Harbour Towers

Laurel Point

Tara Place

The Savoy

Sutton Place East

Sutton Place West

Harbourside Coast Hotel

 

And no, it wasn't Bruna Wall, that was Bosa. They built the Manhattan in the 90's, got fed up, and left. But they've since returned. Don't mess with the building data guy! 

 

But seriously, this aside about 20-storey buildings at Ship Point is silly. And we're really beating a dead horse now.

[tjv]

^ok, I won't mess with the data guy :-)

 

and yes it was Bruno Wall, I spoke with him personally

[Mike K.]

What did they build here? Maybe they were partnered with Bosa? I’d love to know as I did not think the Walls ever built anything here.

[VicHockeyFan]

It'd be great if Bruno Wall came back.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJjDvZUd3hM

[tjv]

What did they build here? Maybe they were partnered with Bosa? I’d love to know as I did not think the Walls ever built anything here.

No, he was on his own and he built the Trendwest hotel over on Kingston St

[sdwright.vic]

It that an architectural wonder of a building.

[tjv]

I didn't say it was pretty.  I do like the Wall Centre in Vancouver thou and if memory is correct its the same architects

[Nparker]

...he was on his own and he built the Trendwest hotel over on Kingston St

Bruno owes Victoria a version of the Wall Centre for foisting this on the city 

[RFS]

On YouTube: https://www.youtube....tMMrbt3j-k&t=2s

Customs-House.jpg

It does seem like they are approaching this project with the appropriate amount of gravitas

[tjv]

Bruno Wall was going to do a tower right after that on Cormorant St, but he got sick of the BS at City Hall and Chard did his first tower on that site instead.  I highly highly doubt he will be back

 

Hey Mr. Building Data Guy  have you got any data on major out of town developers building in the CRD right now?

[aastra]

 

It does seem like they are approaching this project with the appropriate amount of gravitas.

 

It's the sort of project that the usual suspects should be celebrating like crazy. Heritage revitalization, lowrise, high-quality, reasonably ornate without being faux or cornball...

 

Then again, that same approach got slammed re: the Northern Junk site so I probably shouldn't be surprised that it got slammed here as well.

Edited by aastra, 28 October 2017 - 03:35 PM.

[aastra]

 

Victoria doesn't really attract out of town developers...

 

I'm not sure I understand. What about Townline, Chard, Concert, Westbank, etc.?

[tjv]

4 isn't many and Westbank hasn't operated here in 10 years (The Falls was such a disaster that they fired their managers about 2/3 of the way thru the job).  Chard had to come here 15 years ago because no contractor would work for him in Vancouver. 

 

Oh, and I guess you can add Bosa to that list

 

Where are the Cressey's, Polygon's, Pinnacles, PCI's, Amacon's, Bentall's.......????

[Mike K.]

Ok, back to Customs House, please.

[VicHockeyFan]

That video is pretty cool. Although I’m not sure it shows off all that much.

[Mike K.]

Definitely puts things in perspective. This building is garnering international attention so it’s important to market both the building and it’s vicinity.