65 replies to this topic

[AllseeingEye]

Rock Bay IMO is the one area above all with regard to "downtown" where development should be allowed to have a great deal of latitude in terms of density/height - not necessarily on the waterfront proper but certainly "east" of the Power House toward Government Street I say 'have at it' in terms of condo's, funky bar/restaurants and retailers. In terms of office space if done right I think the area would be a magnet for tech firms particularly with their generally younger demographics in terms of the average age of their workforce. The area is already becoming a hot bed of craft brewery and other spirit outlets which appeal above all to that younger well-heeled market, and is therefore theoretically ideal for the tech crowd. 

[tiger11]

This is why I'm lukewarm about the Harris Green London Drugs block. It's a back burner "nice to have" project to me. I'd prefer that energy be directed in this neighbourhood. The HG block may be undervalued but it is functional yet this part of Rock Bay has so much exciting potential. I want to see a thousand rental units, a park, grocery, coffee shops, art studios, high-end condos, townhouses, waterfront walkways, everything.

 

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I'd love to see it too, but the reality is we need industry in this area including the cement / asphalt plants around rock bay. We are already at a critically low supply of industry stock in the region and cannot afford to further remove from this supply. Id say hands down the highest price appreciation of any asset class we have seen since the beginning of 2018 has been in industrial with no likely change in sight. 

 

Note: admin removed the paperclip images.

Edited by Mike K., 09 December 2019 - 06:52 AM.

[Rob Randall]

I don't wish for eviction of industrial. They are compatible. Like Granville Island. 

[Victoria Watcher]

I'd love to see it too, but the reality is we need industry in this area including the cement / asphalt plants around rock bay. We are already at a critically low supply of industry stock in the region and cannot afford to further remove from this supply. Id say hands down the highest price appreciation of any asset class we have seen since the beginning of 2018 has been in industrial with no likely change in sight. 

 

why do we need asphalt / cement / gravel supplies and manufacture right downtown?  once upon a time we needed that type of industry at the water's edge.  but those materials are easily transported by all manner of trucks now.  no need for them downtown on prime waterfront.    they are not going to disappear but simply move to other land elsewhere.  

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 09 December 2019 - 03:57 AM.

[IPH]

Cool concept, nice rendering but I wonder about all that gunk directly under the structure: won't that have to be remediated and removed?

the majority of the site has been remediated with the exception of small components directly beneath the remaining structures.  I would expect that the contamination beneath the Power House Building will be Risk Managed rather than physically remediated using numeric standards.

[Brantastic]

Scaffolding recently went up on the Powerhouse. They've also repaved the sidewalks along the entirety of that block of Pembroke, added grass boulevards and planted trees.

[G-Man]

I really hate those grassy medians.

[Nparker]

Don't worry, the medians will soon be mostly weeds and mud depending on the season.

[G-Man]

It's like planners have never been to a part of town when they make their plans. Rock Bay should grassy medians in the same way that Fairfield shouldn't.

[Bernard]

Has the CoV stated why the grass medians were done at this location?   

[aastra]

It's kind of funny, isn't it? We're always talking about reviving the industrial district, but if that's really our goal then why the grass? Even in commercial areas (heck, even in exclusively residential areas) those lawns can take a beating.

[Jackerbie]

I imagine the turf is a temporary thing until larger redevelopment happens. Pembroke is identified as a "shared greenway with major changes" in the Greenways Plan adopted in 2003. The Downtown Core Area Plan includes policy to support implementation of the Greenways Plan in Rock Bay through the redevelopment process.

 

Basically, CoV has a massive road right-of-way here and have to fill it with something. There's a lot you can do in a 20 m cross section, but you need to be careful as it can be difficult to take things away once they're added in (say, extra vehicle lanes). Better to jut throw turf in because people likely won't complain too much if/when it is removed in the future.

[Rob Randall]

You could even do a centre median with trees that won't interfere with power lines. Amazing potential in every way.

[Mattjvd]

I like the grass medians as an inexpensive placeholder to preserve the RoW for futute expansion. Should, in the future, that area need an extra traffic lane or buildings with low setbacks are permitted and the sidewalk needs to be widened, then the road width to allow it already exists.

[Victoria Watcher]

It's kind of funny, isn't it? We're always talking about reviving the industrial district, but if that's really our goal then why the grass? Even in commercial areas (heck, even in exclusively residential areas) those lawns can take a beating.

 

look at csv.  they are brutal because they take so much foot traffic.

[Brantastic]

I was a bit confused when I saw them. I don't mind them in neighbourhoods like Fairfield or Fernwood but it did seem a bit out of place in Rock Bay. Ultimately I like green boulevards but much prefer them to have a bit more biodiversity. Come summer time they look pretty dead too.

[G-Man]

Placeholder that will be there in ten years and must have cost 10s of thousands to install.

[Brantastic]

[G-Man]

Wonder what that is?

[Rob Randall]

I find this district fascinating. I don't have an image to show but I have seen a 1907 map that shows the Powerhouse area completely zoned for small lot housing. There used to be a street running parallel to Store behind the Powerhouse building. It's been called Woods Street or Constance Street. 

 

It started out as industrial land but I assume at some point in the early 20th century they figured this prime waterfront peninsula would make a fine residential neighbourhood but it never happened and it's been stuck in time for a century.

 

1891:

 

 

 

1903:

 

 

1911:

 

Edited by Rob Randall, 17 May 2020 - 07:05 AM.