1571 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

...What if we just dumped this idea of a square and redeveloped it into housing?

Could we start by dumping the idea of/need for City Hall?

[Ismo07]

Leaving a public hearing earlier in the month, I walked out of the square just to not walk past a group of people on that stage thing. I got such bad vibes that it wasn’t worth walking past. Likely nothing would have happened. But enough times, as we’ve heard, it has.

What if we just dumped this idea of a square and redeveloped it into housing?

 

There will be a plan for something I am sure.  Right now it'll still be programming this summer...  I walk through there everyday and yeah if you are hyper aware of every reported instance it will change your course.  Trust your gut.

[Victoria Watcher]

OK, it's been a couple weeks now, what do the proponents of Harris Green say about the parking?

[Mike K.]

It’s a no-go. Either the City walks this back, or the project will not proceed.

[spanky123]

OK, it's been a couple weeks now, what do the proponents of Harris Green say about the parking?

 

Publicly they will say nothing as it doesn't benefit them at this stage. I m sure that there are lots of discussions with staff and then council will have to decide whether they can afford politically to walk this back or if one of their backers is ready to swoop in with their own proposal. 

[Victoria Watcher]

It’s a no-go. Either the City walks this back, or the project will not proceed.

 

Officially or are you projecting?

[Mike K.]

My own musings.

And on May 1st the building code changes.

[Mike K.]

Publicly they will say nothing as it doesn't benefit them at this stage. I m sure that there are lots of discussions with staff and then council will have to decide whether they can afford politically to walk this back or if one of their backers is ready to swoop in with their own proposal.

Where are we getting this idea that someone else will swoop in? The land is privately held, it’s not going to be sold to someone else, and it remains the most central site in downtown Victoria. There are dozens of companies that want it.

[spanky123]

Where are we getting this idea that someone else will swoop in? The land is privately held, it’s not going to be sold to someone else, and it remains the most central site in downtown Victoria. There are dozens of companies that want it.

 

I think that if it becomes clear to Starlight that this proposal is not going to advance then they will sell to a local developer (backed by BC Housing) who will then submit their own proposal which will be approved.

 

Starlight would still make a bundle on the flip.

[Mike K.]

I’m afraid I don’t see it. Starlight will make more by redeveloping the land themselves. Five towers, A-class retail and retailers. It’s a long-term play. And they have so much land banked in Victoria-CRD that they will be here developing for a long time. Harris Green will eventually become a jewel in the crown.

[Victoria Watcher]

I’m afraid I don’t see it. Starlight will make more by redeveloping the land themselves. Five towers, A-class retail and retailers. It’s a long-term play. And they have so much land banked in Victoria-CRD that they will be here developing for a long time. Harris Green will eventually become a jewel in the crown.

 

32 floors in the capital, downtown.  That's why I can see this working out somehow.

[Mike K.]

Housing Twitter is already calling for 40-storeys to make up for the loss of downtown office workers, so fighting over 32, to be built in a decade, might not be the good fight.

[Barrrister]

Can you explain the impact of the building code changes on May1st? Is this step code five? Will this add a lot to costs or will i change things much? I am not as familiar with this as I should be.

[Barrrister]

I would have thought that if the province moves thousands of jobs out of downtown that this would actually reduce demand for housing here.

[Mike K.]

20% higher energy efficiency than the base code today.

That’s going to impact the finances, in a big way, of these projects.

[Nparker]

More affordable housing through higher costs.

[Barrrister]

I would have thought that most modern high-rises were pretty energy efficient to start with? Is this going to mean a lot smaller windows as well? How much does it add to costs?

[Victoria Watcher]

I would have thought that most modern high-rises were pretty energy efficient to start with? Is this going to mean a lot smaller windows as well? How much does it add to costs?

 

Smaller windows or preferably less windows can decrease build costs, but it's at the expense of appeal.  Less balconies can also decrease energy use.  Again, at the cost of appeal to purchasers or renters.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 March 2023 - 03:05 PM.

[Nparker]

Excessively small windows reminds me; has anyone moved into HP-2 aka Hudson House yet?

[Mike K.]

“Non-binding” doesn’t mean what they think it does.