16 replies to this topic

[Citified.ca]

Citified profile: https://victoria.cit...douglas-street/

 

Aryze website: https://aryze.ca/projects/3319douglas

 

A rendering of 3319 Douglas Street, looking east towards the property from Douglas Street. Aryze Developments has proposed a six-storey rental and retail complex on land formerly occupied by outdoor supply retailer Island Outfitters. 

 

Redevelopment of Douglas Street's Island Outfitters property envisioned as six-storey rental complex with retail

https://victoria.cit...ex-with-retail/

 

 

 

[Nparker]

Another edgy design by Aryze. It looks pretty decent in the renderings, but I have to wonder how this will translate into the real world. Cladding materials will make or break the finished product. The massive parking entrance "cut out" definitely spoils the front façade. You have to love how bicycles are shown to outnumber vehicles in almost every image. Not sure this will be the reality for this section of Douglas Street. 

[LJ]

Pretty eye-jarring to me.

[Mixed365]

Those renderings look awesome!

Is there a site plan at all that you can post?

[PPPdev]

here you go

Attached Images

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[aastra]

 

The massive parking entrance "cut out" definitely spoils the front façade.

 

Yes, but then again, would it be a big deal along this part of Douglas Street? It would be a huge improvement over what's there now, and it would surely be one of the best ground floors in the vicinity. I think I'm starting to warm up to the esthetic these guys are going for, but I still feel like the plain elements are a bit too plain, and the glass coverage is a bit less than it should be.

[aastra]

 

...I think I'm starting to warm up to the esthetic these guys are going for...

 

Awaits the wrath of zoomer in 3, 2, 1...

[Nparker]

Yes, but then again, would it be a big deal along this part of Douglas Street?...

So let's set a bad precedent that all future development can copy in the future.

[aastra]

When we're just getting the ball rolling re: the total transformation of a district, I don't think it's very realistic to expect the first few redevelopments to look like they were built when the transformation was already well established and mature. For example, I wouldn't expect a new residential development out there to have townhouses along the Douglas Street sidewalk. The early redevelopments should be granted some leeway since they'll be straddling the old era and the new era for quite a while to come. This is why I don't mind the Jaguar/Land Rover dealership building. It's not perfect, but it marks a big step in a better direction. As the transition moves further along I would have progressively higher standards for each new redevelopment.

Edited by aastra, 30 September 2021 - 03:07 PM.

[Mike K.]

Excellent post, aastra.

Finally we got something good out of you.

[zoomer]

3, 2, 1 hours..

I don’t want to say too much, because then PPPDev and Co. will update the proposal to EXACTLY reflect my constructive input while never acknowledging it, and only after crapping all over it. But moving on from Telus Ocean.. what’s the topic here? ;D

Actually I totally agree with Aastra has said above, this is pretty good and a significant upgrade for that section of Douglas. Hopefully it’s sets the low bar moving forward, and a fairly high low bar it is. Yes, the cavernous entryways are less than ideal, and the building could look and age terribly if those matte black metallic panels are not high quality. No one wants to see fading, wrinkles, warping, peeling and uneven colour, but the reasons I’m addicted to plastic surgery have nothing to do with this thread, apologies for the digression.

If the panels and construction are high quality then it’ll be an attractive building. Just hope it doesn’t end up like the Capital Park on Menzies (ugly hardie board and that massive gaping parking entrance).

[Victoria Watcher]

TC article today:

https://www.timescol...site-1.24362084

quite frankly I don’t think it’s ambitious enough. it should be allowed to go bigger.

the resident amenities are overkill. they will be sparsely used.






To make up for a lack of nearby parks and outdoor space, the developer proposes to include a 9,000-square-foot rooftop space that will accommodate a dog run, barbecue pits, fire pits, seating, gardening beds and a greenhouse.





all that for 170 rentals? people want Netflix and chill not lug all the bbq ingredients to the roof.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 October 2021 - 05:31 AM.

[PPPdev]

So…just give people free TV’s and a Netflix account and call it a day?

[Mike K.]

I don’t know if council would even permit a building to proceed without sizeable amenities any more. Every project seems t have something up its sleeve.

[Victoria Watcher]

So…just give people free TV’s and a Netflix account and call it a day?

 

no.  most people already have that.

 

instead go study places that have these types of amenities and see how much they are used.  and what the maintenance issues are.  fire pits and BBQs at a rental?  good luck.    

 

just make it simpler.  cheaper even.  i know that doesn't fly with politicians when you have to go cap-in-hand to ask for variances.  so you have to make it look like you are building a little social paradise.  but you know it's a crock as well as we do.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 October 2021 - 07:04 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

I don’t know if council would even permit a building to proceed without sizeable amenities any more. Every project seems t have something up its sleeve.

 

that's the political reality unfortunately.  

[PPPdev]

We did, before Covid we toured rental projects in Montreal, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and Calgary. We researched the specific amenities, the density to support them, and the utilization rates from building owners. We studied the proximity of private in building amenities to local public and 3rd party competing amenities to see how that affected uptake. We ran a survey of more then 1,000 renters in Victoria asking them about what sort of amenities they'd like to see. 

 

the results paint a very different picture then what you are saying...so we're happy with our design