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PROPOSED
Victoria PARC
Uses: rental, commercial
Address: 829-899 Fort Street / 846-856 Broughton Street
Municipality: Victoria
Region: Downtown Victoria
Storeys: 10
PARC Retirement Living is proposing a seniors’ independent living rental residence (with a 5% below-market a... (view full profile)
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[Downtown] Victoria PARC | Seniors rentals; commercial | 10-storeys | Proposed


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#81 Nparker

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Posted 28 September 2017 - 11:00 AM

...This project and the other project for the same block will turn a very lowrise stretch of Fort Street into a midrise wall from Quadra almost to the corner of Blanshard...

Isn't this precisely what the CoV's absurd guidelines and height restrictions call for though?



#82 Kapten Kapsell

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Posted 28 September 2017 - 11:28 AM

So are the usual suspects on vacation or something? This project and the other project for the same block will turn a very lowrise stretch of Fort Street into a midrise wall from Quadra almost to the corner of Blanshard. Where's the canned outrage?


Both projects are in Fairfield (my neighbourhood- full disclosure); as mentioned in the other thread, the community meeting for the other rental project will be held tonight at the Fairfield Gonzales Community Centre.

#83 aastra

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Posted 28 September 2017 - 11:42 AM

If this part of downtown is considered to be part of Fairfield then there should be even more outrage than usual.

 

It can be so very selective, anti-development outrage in Victoria.



#84 Kapten Kapsell

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Posted 28 September 2017 - 01:13 PM

If this part of downtown is considered to be part of Fairfield then there should be even more outrage than usual.

 

It can be so very selective, anti-development outrage in Victoria.

My understanding is that the city has designated Fairfield as extending all the way to the southeast corner of Fort and Blanshard.  I'm not saying that this is necessarily 'right', but if I had to draw the line I would include everything east of Quadra beginning at Meares (and extending south) in Fairfield, and for the area further west between Quadra and Blanshard I would designate Fairfield as beginning at Burdett street (and extending south). 

 

Such a map is likely more odd-shaped than the city's map but it just seems that the built form of Meares Street is much more "Fairfield-like" than the 700 blocks or Fort, Broughton, or Courtney, even though the latter 2 are *south* of Meares...



#85 G-Man

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Posted 28 September 2017 - 01:44 PM

There is a map at the end of my latest post that would improve things IMO.
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#86 Mike K.

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Posted 29 September 2017 - 04:53 AM

The project also dropped from 280-units to 276, the height reduced to nine-storeys, and the architectural firm appears to have been switched from Musson Cattell Mackey to Besharat Friars. Parking has also been reduced from 256 stalls to 129.


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#87 Nparker

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Posted 29 September 2017 - 11:40 AM

You'd think they could have kept a curved wall on the more high profile Quadra/Fort corner, rather than inside the resident only courtyard space.

PARC.JPG

And the worst part of this entire project is not the developer's nor the architects' fault. Blame can be laid directly at the feet of the CoV whose ridiculous design guidelines force this project to be exactly the same height as the Escher, creating one monolithic, 30 meter block. I had a better idea of the urban built form as a child working with LEGO.  :whyme:



#88 aastra

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Posted 29 September 2017 - 12:48 PM

It's an extremely long building, for sure. They've done a lot of things to vary the appearance of the sections but methinks some staggering of the heights of the sections could also be good. For example, that section at the far left in the pic above. Why not chop it down by a level or two?



#89 Nparker

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Posted 29 September 2017 - 04:41 PM

What the south side of the 800 block of Fort Street might look like in a few years.

Fort st wall.JPG

The variation in height makes the 825 project vastly superior IMO.


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#90 Jackerbie

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Posted 29 September 2017 - 09:00 PM

And the worst part of this entire project is not the developer's nor the architects' fault. Blame can be laid directly at the feet of the CoV whose ridiculous design guidelines force this project to be exactly the same height as the Escher, creating one monolithic, 30 meter block. I had a better idea of the urban built form as a child working with LEGO.  :whyme:

 

But we're striving for a classical European tabletop skyline, with important architectural icons breaking the horizon - Christ Church Cathedral, the Conservatory, the Legislature, View Towers...  ;)


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#91 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 30 September 2017 - 06:46 AM

So along Fort we have a few stores closing. Make House is moving this weekend right out of town to 2950 Douglas.

The former quilt shop etc. have short term for lease signs. Prices Alarms is now a shared office place and Prices Locks is making some kind of extremely slow move to Blanshard.
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#92 Nparker

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Posted 30 September 2017 - 08:35 AM

So along Fort we have a few stores closing...

Is this in advance of the redevelopment of the 800 block?



#93 aastra

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Posted 30 September 2017 - 11:44 AM

 

What the south side of the 800 block of Fort Street might look like in a few years.

 

Methinks it's that "extra" third of the building in front of Escher that takes this project into ungainly "block monster" territory (hence the effort they've made to distinguish the frontage for that portion). Honestly, the entire thing would be better if that "extra" section wasn't there at all. Anyway, I really think I'd like to see that section chopped down by a couple of levels so as to break up that extremely long & continuous roofline. Also, the ground level there might be better if it were radically different than the ground level all the way along.


Edited by aastra, 30 September 2017 - 11:44 AM.


#94 aastra

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Posted 30 September 2017 - 12:11 PM

Or, what if the top couple of floors were to terrace down on the right side (as they do on the left side) somewhere in the middle of where Escher is?



#95 Nparker

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Posted 30 September 2017 - 02:29 PM

Or, what if the top couple of floors were to terrace down on the right side (as they do on the left side) somewhere in the middle of where Escher is?

That would definitely help. Ideally much of the "Escher" section would be shorter and that density would be transferred to a taller "tower" at the Fort/Quadra Corner. Something like this?

Fort st wall - Copy.JPG

I think it would look better and retain views for more residents of the Escher.



#96 aastra

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Posted 03 October 2017 - 09:17 AM

I'm thinking something more like this, and make the shorter section look totally different from the rest, along the ground and above.

 

FortStreet-Hypothetical.jpg


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#97 Nparker

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Posted 03 October 2017 - 09:50 AM

I feel like the "taller" section still needs more variation in height. There is just too much emphasis on horizontal and not enough on vertical in this design (though aastra's changes certainly help). Let's not forget that the Quadra Street and Broughton Street facades are also very horizontal in nature.

Capture.JPG

It seems like a deliberate attempt to make a not especially tall building seem even shorter. I suppose that is a winning strategy in this height-fearing city. The proposed project next door on Fort does a much better job in making good use of vertical space in a relatively small footprint, IMO



#98 jonny

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Posted 03 October 2017 - 10:12 AM

I actually like the Pioneer Square and Broughton Street views. I think this proposal looks good from those perspectives. My only major qualms are with the Fort Street side and the look from the Fort/Quadra corner (too bulky). 



#99 Kapten Kapsell

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Posted 13 January 2018 - 10:46 AM

Link to the developer’s presentation for the upcoming Feb 1 community meeting: http://fairfieldcomm..._COMPRESSED.pdf
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#100 Nparker

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Posted 13 January 2018 - 11:05 AM

Link to the developer’s presentation for the upcoming Feb 1 community meeting...

Why do I have a feeling the Fairfielders are going to eat this proposal alive? And what exactly is a "Seniors Restaurant"?

seniors.JPG

If it's open to the public can it be age restricted? Will it be one that only serves decaf coffee and easy-to-digest food? If so, has J.J. Morgan already pre-leased this space?



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