177 replies to this topic

[Kapten Kapsell]

JJ Morgan will likely close due to the University Heights redevelopment. I have never eaten there; is it popular with seniors?

[Rob Randall]

Let me put it to you this way. Anyone under 50 gets the kids menu.

[grantpalin]

I am no senior but have eaten there numerous times. It's a good restaurant but is heavily patronized by seniors.

[Mike K.]

I've eater there!

 

Twice!

 

Both times the food was quite alright.

[Kapten Kapsell]

An 8-page FAQ has been posted at http://fairfieldcomm...INAL-180117.pdf. Apparently there will be some 'all ages' market rentals offered (dependent on demand) that will not have meal or care amenities included.

[Mike K.]

That's right! There is a workforce housing component to the project.

[Mike K.]

The latest update is now posted: https://tender.victo...Number=REZ00613

[jonny]

I'm confused. Which is the new design?

 

[Kapten Kapsell]

Here's the new design:

 

 

Note that massing has changed vs. the September 2017 version.

Edited by Kapten Kapsell, 26 February 2018 - 02:40 PM.

[jonny]

Ahh I see. This looks a billion times better!

 

Edit: Which, of course, means the proposal will be rejected. 

Edited by jonny, 26 February 2018 - 02:46 PM.

[Nparker]

...This looks a billion times better!

OMG yes! It has a more traditional feel. Perhaps it will get approved.

[Kapten Kapsell]

The various setbacks and variations in massing definitely make this a more interesting design.

[Nparker]

What a difference a year makes...

 

February 2018

 

March 2017

[Rob Randall]

Yeah, the old one just looked like a bunch of facades glued together. Just a big long monolith that ignores the transition from downtown to the park/residential section of Fairfield. It's projects like this that make me wonder how many site visits the out-of-town architect actually made.

[aastra]

The massing is definitely more interesting now. The Quadra Street side's former issues seem to have been addressed. I like the mix of different colours of brick with cladding panels. The variation in the frontage along Fort is probably about as good as you're going to get on a single unified project such as this. They've made it better, for sure. I can live with it, but my concerns would be:

- the corner treatment at Fort & Quadra being so bland as compared to the original concept

- having ~ten stories along Fort without a balcony in sight
- the overall institutional look/feel/scale of it on the Fort Street side

- the way the back side of Escher is still quite blocked in, though not as much as before
 

[Nparker]

What an amazing transformation this will be.

[aastra]

You're not concerned about the sheer amount of plain brick there? Dark brick on the bottom levels, yellow brick almost right to the top? And no balconies or ornamentation or greenery or anything else to break it up or liven it up?

[Nparker]

You're not concerned about the sheer amount of plain brick there? Dark brick on the bottom levels, yellow brick almost right to the top? And no balconies or ornamentation or greenery or anything else to break it up or liven it up?

Not on the Fort Street side. I suspect balconies wouldn't be especially well-used (except for storage) on this street frontage and that is probably why none were included. Some minor tweaking to the cladding might not be a bad idea, but overall this is such an improvement to the previous "giant wall" in previous incarnations that I don't think it needs significant changes.

[jonny]

It reminds me of this building, which I quite like. 

 

[Nparker]

I found this interesting tidbit in some recent minutes of the Fairfield Gonzales Community Association:

...There were some comments about how a building of this size might impact the Cathedral, however the Asset Manager of [Christ Church] Cathedral was present and spoke about their plans to develop a multi storey building on some of the land they own around the Cathedral.

 

http://fairfieldcomm...ORT-ON-PARC.pdf