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The Dalmatian
Uses: rental, civic
Address: 1025 Johnson Street
Municipality: Victoria
Region: Downtown Victoria
Storeys: 11
The Dalmatian is an 11-storey mixed-use affordable rental tower in the 1000-block of Johnson Street in downtow... (view full profile)
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[Harris Green] The Dalmatian | Victoria No. 1 Firehall | Rentals, office space | Completed - Built in 2023


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#21 shoeflack

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 02:13 PM

I presume they'd just install some skookum lights at Quadra and Johnson, and emergency vehicle would head down that way, if the emergency is west of the hall.

Vancouver I mean.

 

From the COW report...

 

The new location is within the area for operational response times and provides close access to the main response route on Cook Street. Exiting on Johnson allows fire apparatus to continue north or south on Cook, which is an improvement from the current site where going against traffic on Yates is sometimes necessary. The capital program to upgrade fire pre-emption traffic controllers will be implemented over the next few years and will align with the construction of this new facility. 



#22 baconnbits

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 02:28 PM

Wow, I didn't realize it took up the entire Mazda lot. That's a massive parcel of land. I wonder what Peter Pollen would think of it--it's his old Ford dealership. 

 

There is an opportunity for a mid-block walkway of some kind. It'll be interesting to see if the City wants this. See my old article on the nearby Jukebox walkway controversy here:

 

https://web.archive....t-want-walkway/

Based on the COW report it seems like the fire hall would exit onto johnson.  I'm guessing that the fire hall will therefore go on the robbins lot and by the balance of the press releases, it sounds like the mazda lot will remain untouched but be rezoned to allow for future mixed use at some point

that is the interpretation i get.

I think the pollen family still owns the land?



#23 lanforod

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 03:31 PM

Where will Mazda move to?



#24 baconnbits

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 03:38 PM

Where will Mazda move to?

I thought it said Mazda was staying put somewhere?



#25 Jackerbie

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 03:57 PM

I thought it said Mazda was staying put somewhere?

 

Maybe in the near term, but the Jawl Residential site includes the Mazda dealership. I guess we have to hold tight until the formal rezoning application comes in, which is supposed to be within 6 months. Set those timers!


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#26 zoomer

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 05:32 PM

Condo owners in the Mondrian must be wondering what they did to deserve all this bad karma, lol.
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#27 tjv

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 06:27 PM

I think the pollen family still owns the land?


Yes Nadar Holdings was Peter's company now owned by his wife Maryann and their 4 kids. Peter's son and son in law run the dealership also owns ed by the family. One of Peter's daughters married into the Jawl family

#28 tjv

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 09:03 PM

Maybe in the near term, but the Jawl Residential site includes the Mazda dealership. I guess we have to hold tight until the formal rezoning application comes in, which is supposed to be within 6 months. Set those timers!

If I recall correctly the Pacific Mazda site has the built in zoning option to switch to a higher density zoning without public consultation.  Peter or one of his kids told me that 10 or so years ago when we was thinking about relocating the dealership, but he could never find the land that he wanted.  He always knew the righting was on the wall, he even admired the Bosa towers just down the street and thought that was a good fit for the site

 

Granted, not sure what zoning is required for a fire station vs high rise density



#29 Rob Randall

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 09:09 PM

^I was wondering what Pollen would have thought about this development. I thought the timing of this proposal, just over a year since his death, was a "over my dead body" thing.


Edited by Rob Randall, 19 March 2018 - 09:11 PM.


#30 Jackerbie

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 10:32 PM

If I recall correctly the Pacific Mazda site has the built in zoning option to switch to a higher density zoning without public consultation.  Peter or one of his kids told me that 10 or so years ago when we was thinking about relocating the dealership, but he could never find the land that he wanted.  He always knew the righting was on the wall, he even admired the Bosa towers just down the street and thought that was a good fit for the site

 

Granted, not sure what zoning is required for a fire station vs high rise density

 

Nope, rezoning is required. The current zone is "S-1 Limited Service District," which does not permit residential uses or building height above 15 m. The fire hall would just require the right use to be permitted in whatever zone is adopted, such as "Emergency Service" or whatever Victoria has in the Zoning Bylaw definitions.



#31 David Bratzer

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 11:09 PM

HCMA designed the new Richmond Brighouse Fire Hall #1, which is currently under construction. Personally, I hate the design. Looks fine on paper, but the massing is terrible from street level.

 

 

 

HCMA has already been awarded a $3.3 million contract for the design and engineering of the new Crystal Pool (which doesn't even have funding yet).

 

Prior to the design contract, HCMA also had a contract from the City of Victoria to study the cost/benefits of refurbishing Crystal Pool vs. building a new pool. Their study provided the following options in terms of "net present value" dollars:

 

Retrofit: $60.9 million

 

New facility: $68.4 million

 

Retrofit and expansion: $77 million

 

The Victoria Council choose to go with a new pool facility, and they also chose HCMA to design it. 



#32 David Bratzer

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Posted 19 March 2018 - 11:11 PM

Just curious... once the rezoning goes through is there anything to prevent a homeless shelter/ low barrier facility from being built on top of the new firehall?



#33 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 20 March 2018 - 07:16 AM

The fire union will not allow it. Just as CUPE balked at safe injection adjacent to the works yard.
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#34 lanforod

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Posted 20 March 2018 - 07:23 AM

Better off sticking 25 storeys of condos above it and using the profit to fund affordable housing elsewhere.


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#35 tjv

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Posted 20 March 2018 - 07:44 AM

Nope, rezoning is required. The current zone is "S-1 Limited Service District," which does not permit residential uses or building height above 15 m. The fire hall would just require the right use to be permitted in whatever zone is adopted, such as "Emergency Service" or whatever Victoria has in the Zoning Bylaw definitions.

then what zoning can they switch it do with out going thru public consultation, I know it exists on the property.  I remember them telling me, but don't recall the details



#36 jonny

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Posted 20 March 2018 - 07:46 AM

Where is the transparency, community consultation, and open construction bidding?

 

Well, if they've read many of our posts here on VV (and I'm sure some emails some of us have sent in), they are doing exactly what many of us proposed they look into (which was, in summary, some sort of an innovative partnership involving a larger development project with a private developer with the aim of reducing costs to the taxpayer and creating a more interesting and impactful redevelopment of the fire hall). 

 

Kudos to the city for thinking outside the box, as it were. 


Edited by jonny, 20 March 2018 - 07:50 AM.

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#37 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 20 March 2018 - 07:48 AM

Yup I agree. I might have spoken too soon, before I read all the details.
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#38 tjv

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Posted 20 March 2018 - 07:53 AM

It is a good idea overall, I have no issues with them partnering with a developer.  The question is did they put out a public call for proposals for interest from developers or was it just handed to Jawl/Nadar



#39 jonny

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Posted 20 March 2018 - 08:02 AM

The city probably had a narrow list of requirements. They obviously value having the main fire hall being in that general area (close to downtown, Fernwood, North Park, Fairfield, Jubilee, etc.). 

 

I'm probably in the minority, but I don't think cities need to tender everything. If they find a suitable real estate deal that makes sense within their constraints, go for it. With real estate, especially in today's climate, waiting around can be a killer. 


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#40 jonny

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Posted 20 March 2018 - 08:04 AM

Condo owners in the Mondrian must be wondering what they did to deserve all this bad karma, lol.

 

If they didn't know what they were getting themselves into, then I don't know what to say. "Open your eyes", maybe? Hire a competent realtor? 

 

OK, so nobody expected a fire station to go on the Robbins or Mazda lot across the way, but high density buildings are going up everywhere, the OCP calls for high density in that area, you are moving into a brand new condo building built where a bloody car lot used to be...c'mon. 


Edited by jonny, 20 March 2018 - 08:13 AM.

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