121 replies to this topic

[punk cannonballer]

I'm surprised it hasn't been designated a heritage remediation site.

[Mike K.]

Yup, it takes a long time for the land to settle after contaminated soil has been removed.

[laconic]

Happened to drive by yesterday. Heavy equipment and blasting mats were onsite.

[grantpalin]

Drove past here earlier today. Forms for pouring are now above ground level.

[Matt R.]

From todays inbox.

 

"If you had your heart set on purchasing at Sparrow, but missed out on the opportunity, now is your chance; one unique and desirable home has just become available for purchase.

In partnership with BC Housing, Suite 207 provides eligible first time home buyers with a great opportunity to purchase in this tough market. Priced at $490,000, you could secure a 1-Bedroom + Den home with as little as 5% down. "

 

 

[aastra]

This place looks pretty decent. Gotta love those rear balconies which will have great views of the oak trees.

 

Speaking of Mike K. getting off his duff and getting some fresh pictures around town, the Summit Park area might have some of the best views of HP1 and HP2. HP2 looks slim and not half bad from that angle. Also, great views of Promontory and Dockside Green. The Vic West skyline is a bit misleading from there. The lay of the land makes the buildings look taller than they actually are.

 

So does anyone know what the current status is of the Spencer Castle house? I guess it had a fire in 2020? What's the plan, Stan? Methinks it would be best if that house had some apartments in it. If it's unoccupied methinks we're just asking for trouble.

[Mike K.]

Oaklands is your territory. You know I don’t step on toes.

[aastra]

Is there any territory you haven't handed off to somebody else?

[aastra]

Pretty sure my file now includes Oaklands, Camosun, South Oak Bay, and Gorge Vale.

[Mike K.]

You’ve also been awarded North Oak Bay!

[aastra]

It's Tuesday so I did my regular loop around town from Willows through Saxe Point then over to Broadmead then down to Rockland then back up to Camosun, and finally wrapping the morning up at Sayward Hill. (I still think Mike K. could have organized these walking routes a bit better, seeing as how I'm hauling about a hundred pounds of camera gear, promotional flyers, and Mike K.'s laundry, but I'll never give him the satisfaction of hearing a complaint out of me.)

 

A little birdie told me this Sparrow development is looking pretty good. If any VV members should happen to move into this building, I sure hope you have the decency to invite us all over for gourmet scones and coffee so we can share your enjoyment of that back view.

 

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[aastra]

It reminds me of Lyra at Christmas Hill, except it looks completely different and it's just one building and it's on the other side of town.

 

Fun fact: if you go up to Summit Park you can see Lyra at Christmas Hill in the distance. So there's also that.

[Candarius]

The burnt out portapotties are quite a sight on the Cook st side of this building!

[aastra]

Somebody tried to improvise a sauna?

[Barrrister]

We need better facilities for people to cook meth in.

[Citified.ca]

Sparrow is now complete! The 49-suite project stands as a landmark on Cook at Hillside, and the area's tallest building.

 

 

Cook and Hillside's 'Sparrow' condo celebrates completion in Victoria's Oaklands neighbourhood

https://victoria.cit...-neighbourhood/

[downtownlurker]

Congrats to them. Great addition to the neighbourhood.

 

As an aside, I get a real kick and annoyance out of all this fluff language developers and especially realtors are using these days... "the highly sought after Oaklands neighbourhood" ... seems every neighbourhood and building in town is highly sought after. Sorry, but some 30 year old condo building no one has ever heard of is not highly sought after. Also your 400 sq ft studio is not a 'generous' floor plan, nor does a sliver of ocean view standing from one specific point on a balcony constitute 'stunning panoramic ocean views.' This has gotten out of hand.

 

Same with 'luxury' being slapped onto everything. A few stainless steel appliances and a stone countertop consisting of filler materials does not constitute 'second-to-none finishings'

[aastra]

We've talked about that "luxury" label before. Politicians have disingenuously resisted all kinds of housing on the grounds that it would be "luxurious" and "for the rich", but then again the developers themselves have fed this narrative so I suppose I shouldn't blame the politicians for exploiting it.

 

 

nor does a sliver of ocean view standing from one specific point on a balcony constitute 'stunning panoramic ocean views.'

 

On this board we've talked about the enigma of the "ocean view" quite a few times. Here's an example from way back in 2011. Many Victorians will accept the premise that an ocean view in Victoria = a glimpse of the water a few miles away, if & when the conditions happen to be favourable for it. But if those same Victorians were on vacation in another place, they would probably question the validity of an ocean view if their building was right across the street from the beach but partially obstructed by a shorter building or some trees or whatever.

Even though Victoria is a city on an island, there actually aren't that many homes and hotels that enjoy what I would consider to be a legitimate ocean view (as versus a glimpse or a very distant view). Methinks this is partly because there are few hills in Victoria and the hills that do exist tend to be underdeveloped, and also partly because of historic restrictions re: where you can build a highrise.

The following exchange is from September, 2011:

 

 

Something that jumped out at me in this 2004 TC article about the remediation of the Manhattan on Yates Street: an 11th-floor unit is referred to as an "ocean-view apartment".

 

 

^ Why did that jump out at you? You can see the ocean from the 6th floor of the Manhattan, I'm sure - we could from the 6th floor of Sutton East.

 

 

I'm not doubting you, as I'm quite familiar with the 10th floor view from another building in Harris Green, but I'm also not quite so willing to accept the label "ocean view apartment" in this instance. It strikes me as a misrepresentation of the true location of the apartment and its actual proximity to the ocean.

I could say the place I'm living in now is an "ocean view" apartment. I can see a bit of the ocean in the winter when the trees have no leaves, if I lean way out over the balcony railing.

 

[Mike K.]

How many condo buildings have been built in Oaklands over the last 20 years? Not that many, but demand is super high, so this project sold very well.

The article says the views from upper floors are very nice, because the building is on a rise, and once you are on the upper levels you clear everything around you and the views really are spectacular.

It’s all legit. And it’s great when a nice project comes together.

[G-Man]

I live near here but only about half way up the hill and I have great views of the downtown. I would bet at the top of the hill the views must be quite impressive. I used to have an ocean glimpse at my place but a condo tower blocked my view, at the top I am sure you can see the Juan de Fuca.