155 replies to this topic

[Icebergalley]

May 11, 2007

Have heard and then seen a Marimba Band playing on Ship Point the last couple of days....

Suddenly, there is action near the Inner Harbour...

And that black wrought Iron fence has been moved to the other side of Ship Point... with a notice to the effect - ports and harbour security measures ..

[G-Man]

Thank god they put in that security measure there have been soo many problems.

[Rob Randall]

Info from the City of Victoria. I highly recommend this event:

OPEN HOUSE: Harbour Pathway Design

The City of Victoria is developing a design for a pedestrian and cycling waterfront pathway to connect Ogden Point to Rock Bay. Planning staff has been working with Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects + Urbanistes to consult with community stakeholders and develop a design for this multi-use pathway. Developing a harbour pathway is a key component of the City’s Greenways Plan, which contains strategies to establish a pathway system throughout the City of Victoria over the next 50 years.

In November, the public was invited to a Public Consultation Fair, where a preliminary design for a harbour pathway was presented. Feedback from this consultation informed refinement of the harbour pathway design which is now ready for review.

You are invited to an open house to review the proposed design and provide input on this multi-use harbour pathway. Staff and project consultants will be on hand to discuss displays and answer questions, and comment forms will be provided.

What: OPEN HOUSE – Harbour Pathway Design
When: Wednesday, March 5, 2008, from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Victoria City Hall, Antechamber (corner of Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue)

Registration is not required. Coffee and tea will be provided.

For more information, visit: www.victoria.ca and click on what’s new? or contact Gary Darrah, Manager of Park Development at 361-0628 or at parks@victoria.ca

[Mike K.]

Thanks, Rob. I've now updated the main VV page with the info.

[Rob Randall]

Reminder that this event is going on right now until 8. Come on down.

[FunkyMunky]

Come on down.

So what happened to the float plane terminal at the foot of Bastion Square?

The plans called for extending the stairs of Bastion Square that currently end at Wharf Street and carrying them down to the waterfront side of the parking lot (a more substantial series of stairs with landings and planters than the current wooden staircase). At the foot of the new stairs, there was a series of steps down along the footpath that went to the water's edge and the float plane terminal that is currently there was missing. The parking lot had a dotted line around it and said 'potential building'.

Is the war against the float planes in the inner harbour back on?

[Rob Randall]

I'm not sure if floatplanes were part of the parameters the team was given to study. It's worth looking into. They were somewhat vague on land use issues as the focus was supposed to be more on the pathway itself.

Here is a rendering of an example space that was shown at the open house:

[aastra]

The balcony on the left and the walkway and steps and such look pretty good, but I sure hope the new buildings that go in there aren't designed to look like ordinary suburban SFDs.

What does it say about the prevailing mindset in Victoria if we're imagining new buildings on the downtown waterfront that aren't anywhere near as impressive and interesting as the new buildings on the waterfronts of places like Sidney, Brentwood Bay, or the Gorge?

[Caramia]

I think this walkway is going to be a real enhancement for Victoria! It plays off our strong points ... the livable, walkable, ocean accessible city, the diverse and beautiful urban fabric. I love the idea that it is going to pass through a variety of zones and change its nature as it does. I like the idea of bringing Bastion Square down to the harbour. I think the idea of letting it be built piecemeal, and tying it to any development near the ocean as an amenity is sensible, if it were treated as a mega project I don't think it would ever happen. The environmental remediation that goes with it is great, and timely!

The one challenge that is going to be critical to the success of the project is to treat the human landscape of the harbour with as much care and preservation as is given to the natural landscape - and by that I mean the working harbour - be it fish boats at fisherman's wharf, seaplanes at the inner harbour, or water-bound industries at Rock Bay. I'd like to see each of these aspects of the working harbour come forward to present a proposal for their section of the walkway that respects the working access. I'd almost like to see these parts done first, since after that is taken care of, the rest can fall into place around it with ease.

[G-Man]

The seaplane terminal was never planned for below Bastion Square. It was planned for the parking lot to the south where the current Vancouver seaplanes board.

[FunkyMunky]

As quoted in the TC article City presents grand vision for Inner Harbour pathway:

Throughout the years some people have lamented the asphalt spaces as eyesores and regrettable use of premium real estate. Ian Whitbread, a Victoria resident, isn't one of them.

"The parking lots are fine because you can see over them," he said.

Whitbread is concerned, however, that pressure to get a path developed will in turn result in rows of condominiums being built along the waterfront.

See, you guys always get it backwards. It's parking lots are good, more housing is bad. So simple.

[Holden West]

Yet, as aastra has pointed out many times before, even if they did build condos, that simply moves the view one block west. After all, no-one complains that you can't see the harbour from Langley Street.

[aastra]

Yep, there are many ways to preserve views without resorting to bare asphalt.

Whitbread is concerned, however, that pressure to get a path developed will in turn result in rows of condominiums being built along the waterfront.

Would the condominiums be bad even if you could see over them just like you can see over the parking lot?

I wish Victorians would be more concerned about what is there than what isn't there.

[Holden West]

If the roofs of the structures were 'green' or had gardens, or even parks, it would be really cool to look at. They should study what other harbour cities that terrace down to the water are doing.

[aastra]

I still think the architecture should be honest about its setting and its context. This is downtown Victoria's old waterfront warehouse district. Green roofs and such are great, I have no problem with stuff like that. But I have a big problem with lame little house-like buildings that disregard their setting and instead try to represent popular misconceptions about Victoria (and the island, and BC...what the heck, throw a Nova Scotia fishing village in there while we're at it).

That's exactly where the first phase of the Songhees went so wrong. It was a celebration of popular misconception. They took Victoria and boiled all reality out of it, ending up with a bland, purified architectural mockery.

[Mike K.]

Frank D'ambrosio's 2003 vision (residential above commercial/public market) for the parking lot below Bastion Square is in keeping with what I think most of us would agree is a good use of the land.

[UrbanRail]

they can still build that on Wharf st, i just dont understand why the city procastinates when it comes to improving the waterfront. i do like Frank D'ambrosio's vision.

[jklymak]

It could even be taller so long as a view corridor from Bastion Square is kept open. Who stops to gaze out over the Wharf St parking lot anyway?

[gumgum]

^^Nobody has enough balls to simply make the leap and make a decision about what should be done about these piece of prime real estate. 99% of people don't actually think these parking lots are OK.

[LJ]

^^ 99% of people don't actually think these parking lots are OK.

Boy - you must have been busy polling everybody in Victoria!