43 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Fire crews are on scene on Blanshard and Kings.

[Rob Randall]

Neighbours say the suite was something of a party house according to the Victoria News. One guy was taken away in handcuffs.

[tjv]

Fire crews are on scene on Blanshard and Kings.

Don't worry folks, they will rebuild with modular housing soon enough 

[Nparker]

Victoria Fire Battalion Chief Wayne Moody said crews believe the blaze was deliberately started and an investigation would be taking place to determine the cause...

https://www.vicnews....e-on-blanshard/

 

[Midnightly]

it was only a few years ago a whole building burned down (the units facing hillside) and they chose not to investigate it, though most people were pretty sure it was deliberately set.. the tenants that were living in the unit at the time were in the process of being evicted.... now we have another fire, in a unit that seems to be a party unit.. and there are already talks about it being a suspicious fire..

 

though i will say the silver lining seems to be all people in the unit and surrounding units got out safely

[Mike K.]

VICTORIA - The Province, through BC Housing, has started a planning and feasibility study to support the redevelopment of the 175-unit Evergreen Terrace affordable housing complex in Victoria.

"The aging homes at Evergreen Terrace have given 175 families affordable homes in Victoria for decades. This study will help us make sure these, and hopefully even more, families have access to high-quality housing on this site," said David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing. "Redeveloping aging rental properties into modern, affordable homes for a range of incomes while ensuring existing tenants are protected leaves everyone better off and supports the health of the whole community."

Located at 2501 Blanshard St., Evergreen Terrace (formerly called Blanshard Court) needs redevelopment as its units are aging and require substantial renovations. The two-year study will determine how to best replace these homes and whether the site can accommodate more affordable housing.

Evergreen Terrace is owned and operated by BC Housing and has provided low-income housing for Victoria seniors and families for more than 50 years. In 2020, Spaken House, a 21-unit temporary, culturally supportive housing building for Indigenous women operated by the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society, was added to the site.

The study is in its early stages. Tenants and community partners, as well as Spaken House residents and staff, have already received project information packages and will have the opportunity to provide input and ideas to shape development plans for the property. Given the multi-year nature of the redevelopment process, there is no need to temporarily relocate Evergreen Terrace tenants at this time and tenants are not at risk of losing their homes because of redevelopment.

Upon completion of the planning and feasibility study, a rezoning application will be submitted to the City of Victoria. If the redevelopment project is approved, tenants will be supported to stay in their homes, if possible, until the new homes are completed. Existing tenants will be given the opportunity to choose new units with no changes to their monthly rent unless their income or unit size has changed in the interim.

More information about the study can be found at: www.letstalkhousingbc.ca/victoriaevergreen-terrace.

Quotes:

Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake -

"Evergreen Terrace is an important part of the community that for more than 50 years provided affordable homes for families and seniors, and connection points to services, school and work in the neighbourhood. I look forward to the opportunity to work with existing tenants, the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness, community members and stakeholders to develop a renewed vision for its vital future in our community."

Lisa Helps, mayor, City of Victoria -

"It is exciting to see the planning for the redevelopment of Evergreen Terrace underway. This is a large site on a major corridor and a bike route. Redevelopment of Evergreen Terrace has the opportunity to increase the supply of much-needed affordable homes in our city. We commend BC Housing for taking steps to avoid tenant displacement during the redevelopment and for working with the entire community to make this site a model for 21st-century liveability at the same time as providing much-needed affordable homes."

Fran Hunt-Jinnouchi, director of housing development and research, Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society -

"Spaken House, meaning 'house of flowers,' has been in operation for just over one year, and to date we have seen positive strides related to the health and well-being of the family members. Spaken House provides a safe space for Indigenous women to create a sense of place, community and family. Priority is given to those fleeing violence and experiencing gender-based violence with programming focused on health and wellness. The Aboriginal Coalition is pleased with the continued progress being made and welcomes the opportunity to be part of the visioning and planning for Evergreen Terrace over the coming years, with hopes to increase our ability to provide more housing and services in a permanent, purpose-built Spaken House residential building."

[qv]

I wonder if whoever chose the new name knew that Evergreen Terrace is the Simpsons' address?

[Victoria Watcher]

I believe it was originally called Blanshard Court.

[Victoria Watcher]

Located at 2501 Blanshard St., Evergreen Terrace (formerly called Blanshard Court) needs redevelopment as its units are aging and require substantial renovations. The two-year study will determine how to best replace these homes and whether the site can accommodate more affordable housing.

 

 

^

 

 

 

 

In early 2022, BC Housing started a multi-year community planning process for the redevelopment of Evergreen Terrace. Located at 2501 Blanshard Street, this 7.8-acre site currently has 175 affordable homes as well as 21 supportive homes in Spaken House, a temporary modular building operated by the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness.

 

BC Housing plans to replace the aging buildings with better-quality, more liveable and more sustainable homes that will serve Evergreen Terrace tenants for decades to come.

 

Redeveloping Evergreen Terrace will also allow us to build many more homes on the site, providing much needed housing in Victoria.

 

The concept plan has been developed with significant tenant and community input. It has been submitted to the City of Victoria for Pre-Application Consultation with the neighbourhood Community Association Land Use Committee (CALUC).

 

The plan shows how approximately 900 affordable and market-rate rental homes may be distributed across the site in buildings with podiums up to 6 storeys in height and select locations for taller buildings, with three at 15 storeys and one at 20 storeys in height. New resident and public open spaces are proposed, along with a childcare and resident amenity areas.

You can view the Pre-Application Consultation plans and summary letter. You can also view the materials and provide your feedback on the City of Victoria’s Development Tracker(External link) site.

 

CALUC Meeting – November 7, 2023

 

The CALUC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 7:00pm at the Quadra Village Community Centre (901 Kings Road). This will be a hybrid meeting with the option to attend in-person or join online. For more information, please visit Quadra Village Community Centre’s website: qvcc.ca/nac(External link).

 

 

 

 

https://letstalkhous...ergreen-terrace

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 November 2023 - 03:05 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

At least Evergreen Terrace lasted 54+ years.

[Nparker]

At least Evergreen Terrace lasted 54+ years.

Not for lack of trying on the part of residents over the years to level it.

[Victoria Watcher]

buildings with podiums up to 6 storeys in height and select locations for taller buildings, with three at 15 storeys and one at 20 storeys in height. 

 

 

Yowza.

 

Where are the renderings?

 

Oh, here they are:

 

https://static1.squa...ompressed-1.pdf

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 November 2023 - 03:22 PM.

[Citified.ca]

 

Thank you Vic Watcher for the heads-up!

 

Quadra-Hillside's Evergreen Terrace social housing community re-envisioned with 900 units, highrise towers

https://victoria.cit...ighrise-towers/

[Victoria Watcher]

My pleasure, was just a fluke.   After seeing your post about the Harris Green thing I went to look at how old Evergreen Terrace was in comparison, and I stumbled upon the update.

 

 

 

Seems fine.  At least that crazy new crosswalk might get a bit more use.  

[aastra]

20 stories at the Hillside corner, 15 stories in multiple places, not to mention that other 15 story project behind the Times-Colonist... but the new construction behind the Scott Building is going to be only six stories? Wouldn't it have been saner to allow (require?) a highrise behind the Scott Building, especially considering the heritage reno component? Nothing ever makes any sense.

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria council will get a chance Thursday to weigh in on a plan that could see nine new buildings — including a 20-storey tower — replace the 23 buildings of affordable housing spread along two blocks of Blanshard Street near Hillside Avenue.

 

B.C. Housing owns the eight-acre parcel of land that stretches from Bay Street to Hillside Avenue and is bordered by Blanshard and Dowler Place.

 

It’s hoping to rezone the site for as many as 900 new housing units, 341 of which would be rented at below-market rates. There are currently just 196 units on the site.

 

 

https://www.timescol...omplex-10463037

 

 

 

 

 

The massive project, which would be built out over the next 10 to 20 years, is intended to replace aging facilities in the complex, according to a letter signed by architect Franc D’Ambrosio on behalf of B.C. Housing.

 

D’Ambrosio noted that existing buildings in Evergreen Terrace were completed in 1970 and have reached the end of their useful life, “even with regular maintenance and major renovation work.”

 

 

 

 

 

There are literally tens of thousands of Victoria houses older than 1970, and at least a couple hundred apartment blocks older than 1970.   Do these renters really run them down so bad?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 April 2025 - 08:02 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria city council has put off consideration of B.C. Housing’s largest-ever housing project.

 

B.C. Housing’s proposal for Evergreen Terrace includes nine new buildings replacing the existing 23 buildings of affordable housing spread along two blocks of Blanshard Street near Hillside Avenue.

 

Council, sitting as committee of the whole Thursday, spent more than six hours debating the update of the city’s official community plan and as a result felt it did not have enough time to give full consideration to the project.

 

B.C. Housing owns the eight-acre parcel of land that stretches from Bay Street to Hillside Avenue and is bordered by Blanshard and Dowler Place.

 

https://www.timescol...tponed-10475341

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 03 April 2025 - 05:46 PM.

[Vin]

In other words, no money to build anything.

[Victoria Watcher]

Nine-building residential project clears hurdle at Victoria council

 

The proposal would replace 23 buildings of affordable housing on Blanshard with nine new buildings, including multiple towers

 

https://www.timescol...ouncil-10523302

 

 

The project includes one 20-storey, three 15-storey and five six-storey buildings. It is to be built over 10 to 20 years. The planned 900 residential units would replace 196 currently on site.

 

Some council members said B.C. Housing was not ambitious enough in its plans for the eight acres.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What's the parking proposal here?   Even when the place was sketchy as heck, lots of tenants had cars.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 April 2025 - 07:25 AM.

[aastra]

 

The project includes one 20-storey, three 15-storey and five six-storey buildings. It is to be built over 10 to 20 years. The planned 900 residential units would replace 196 currently on site.

 

--
 

 

“I was hoping to see something much more ambitious..."

 

--

 

 

Mayor Marianne Alto called the project “modest,” saying she hopes B.C. Housing will come back and ask for more.

 

 

It's effectively maybe 2.5 city blocks of land area, and these towers would be the first towers in that neighbourhood. So naturally we're worried that four new buildings with floor counts in the high teens might not be sufficient. Why not double the height of everything and add a couple more towers while we're at it? Ideally this property would be transformed into the most densely populated chunk of land in the entire city, if not the entire province.

 

I give myself a point for predicting this scenario many times back in the day. We now live in the era of lawful good (government-built) highrises, whereas previously we lived in the era of chaotic evil highrises.