151 replies to this topic

[aastra]

Hang on. Maybe you're thinking of the former city works yard located on the south side of Yates Street between Blanshard and Quadra Streets?

 

 

Daily Colonist
April 2, 1949

 

Lots Sold

 

Sales of city-owned lots approved yesterday by city council totaled $21,552.50

 

Included in the latter four was the former city works yard located on the south side of Yates Street between Blanshard and Quadra Streets.

 

FYI: the resistance to selling those Northern Junk traffic islands is indefensible. Back in the day property changed hands like crazy, back and forth between private ownership and government ownership. It was never anything unusual or exceptional. Countless transactions. And it continues today in the form of the motel acquisitions, etc. 

 

But we're supposed to believe it was some sort of heroic stand to resist selling off that otherwise useless bit of property for Northern Junk. 

[Citified.ca]

A rendering of UVic Properties' and Chard Development's 135-room hotel envisioned for the 1300-block of Broad Street in downtown Victoria's Old Town. The $50-plus million investment is viewed by downtown Victoria's business community as a catalyst for post-pandemic economic resilience. The project is headed for public hearing this fall.
 
$50 million, 135-room Broad Street hotel proposal seen as economic catalyst for downtown Victoria
https://victoria.cit...ntown-victoria/

[Jacques Cadé]

That corner building is as boring and generic as its signage signage signage signage. In Old Town? Really? Where was the hell was the design panel on this one?

[Greg]

I kind of like how its windows and recessed top level match the pattern of the brown building, creating bookends for the red brick building.

[Mike K.]

That corner building is as boring and generic as its signage signage signage signage. In Old Town? Really? Where was the hell was the design panel on this one?

 

I think that when we see a more sophisticated/life-like rendering that takes into consideration the qualities of materials used, it'll come together in a more realistic/true-to-life form. These interim renderings are more for massing purposes and for easier assessment of the intricacy of the design.

 

And I'd caution us to not get too ahead of ourselves on design. Council and the various advisory panels have been enforcing muted architecture in Old Town. Veering from the status quo gets a hard, hard no from the municipal government so we have to be realistic in our expectations.

[Mike K.]

I kind of like how its windows and recessed top level match the pattern of the brown building, creating bookends for the red brick building.

 

That was definitely one of the big design focuses here:

 

Architects have also taken steps to emphasize the Duck’s Building’s prominence through a recess in the frontages of its north and south building sections, creating visual prominence for one of Old Town Victoria’s oldest buildings.

 

[aastra]

 

Where was the hell was the design panel on this one?

 

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they were off doing some deep reflection about the bland panels at the top of Yates on Yates.

[aastra]

Either that or they were out to lunch. As in, completely. As in, like always.

[aastra]

I still don't understand why the ground levels need to be so austere and dry on these "sensitive" projects. Ideally the pillars and dividers would be distinctive and give the building some unique personality as you're walking by. The doors and window frames, too.

 

edit: that's a modern ground floor in the linked picture, in case anyone was wondering.

Edited by aastra, 02 September 2021 - 07:30 PM.

[Mike K.]

Update: the City has pushed the public hearing from September 9th to later in the fall due to mix-up.

[Vin]

Not bad. Can't ask for more in this current age. Obviously will never beat the fine details of Victorian/Edwardian period structures, but the two new structures should fit, considering one is currently a vacant lot and the other a plain corner-chamfered building.

[Mike K.]

The public hearing for this project has been rescheduled to September 23rd.

 

Council will need to hear from supporters (mayorandcouncil@victoria.ca), as there is the potential for hang-ups related to the heritage aspect of the development, despite this being a sound proposal that includes a rehabilitation of the Duck's Building. We don't need another Northern Junk scenario bogging this project down, downtown needs this hotel in a big way.

[Mike K.]

Council approved the project at last night's public hearing!

[Victoria Watcher]

I really like how this building turned out ... yet another project Ben voted against, but got built anyways and will now supply much needed housing.

[Nparker]

 ... yet another project Ben voted against, but got built anyways and will now supply much needed housing.

Housing for tourists.*

*until somewhere down the road the Province buys it at twice market value to turn into a homeless shelter.

[Victoria Watcher]

But Coun. Jeremy Loveday said he heard clearly from those in the business community that this type of hotel development is “sorely needed” and will contribute to the city’s economic development.

 

He said he disagreed with the characterization of the project as a demolition of the heritage buildings, saying there are “demolition elements” to the project.

 

“I do have a general concern about facadism, but I think there are times and approaches when that seems like it’s the only approach that will work, in terms of making sure that these types of buildings will withstand an earthquake,” he said.

 

Isitt called the proposal “a good project” that would be better suited to a vacant piece of land, or somewhere “that’s not encumbered with two very rare heritage buildings, that are among the oldest in the community.”

 

He said approving the project would send “a dangerous signal” to land owners to treat their heritage properties as a blank slate.

 

“And the logic of it, ultimately, is we wouldn’t have an Old Town, which would attract tourists and investment, and the whole type of, I guess, vibe that this applicant’s business model appears to be predicated on,” he said.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...ncil-1.24360262

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 September 2021 - 08:57 AM.

[Mike K.]

The other week councillor Isitt also said something to the effect of there being a big earthquake due and that old town will collapse during such a quote, so maybe we ought to wait for that and just leave the buildings as they stand.

[zoomer]

Surprised this got through the hoops without being refined further. Looks like a dog’s breakfast. Having said that, it could come together and pretty good if the material and construction quality is high. Those renderings are just nasty, or maybe they show the reality. Normally with Chard I’d be confident we’d end up with a good looking project, but after Yellow on Yates (good, but quality of exterior materials wasn’t great, although it was a rental), and Yates on Yates and Vivid, I’m not as optimistic. The Johnson street ground level is horrible.

[Nparker]

The other week councillor Isitt also said something to the effect of there being a big earthquake due and that old town will collapse during such a quote...

I know Comrade Isitt's words carry a lot weight in this city (for reasons I cannot fathom), but I am not sure his quotes are enough to topple buildings...yet.

[aastra]

He's not the first person who comes to mind when I think of earthshaking quotes.