519 replies to this topic

[concorde]

That was the plan about 6 months ago when they boarded up the building. Based on my conversations with Westbank, I would highly doubt they would be interested in doing that now. Westbank won't get anything in return only to make the City look good.

[Sue Woods]

Turn on the electricity and water, have a security office to keep out the drug element and rent rooms for one dollar a night.

When the owners decide to redevelop it could be torn down but by then we might have some additional shelter beds and more affordable housing.

I know there are some drawbacks but campers in the park is what we are already dealing with right now. Just trying to think outside the box here folks.

Any mayor or council candidates care to comment?

I agree. There is a lot of merit in taking a look at underutilized spaces and converting them into small, useable, supervised housing for the interim. Empty schools, school portables, church basements, vacant buildings etc.

We could appeal to the community to donate time towards all the services required - rennovations, furnishing etc. etc

We recently purchased a new bed and could not find one street service agency in Victoria who would accept our donation of a barely used 2 year old box spring and mattress set. We had to hire a junk cleanup person to take it to the Hartland dump. Something wrong with that picture.

We have all the resources we need in spades. Time to start talking about coordination and listening to "thinking outside the box" thinkers.

[2F2R]

So sad … perfect spot for a beautiful tall modern building … better spot for a boarded up motel! I will never be able to understand this cities attitude to a beautiful tall building … proposed, 17 floors … no, shave two floors off! I would have negotiated more floors on to insure a bigger space for the gallery … I’m just back from a couple of really vibrant cities … Mexico City and Lima … wow, they have architecture … and art galleries downtown … Mexico City, downtown is spotlessly clean … I saw a guy with a push cart cross eight lanes of traffic to pick up a starbucks cup from the gutter … in Lima, Independence day parade, 1,000,000 people in the streets … Ya, I know, Victoria is not Lima or Mexico City … ya, no kidding!!!

[Mike K.]

This project even had support of the Queen Victoria Hotel owners.

But to be fair, Westbank has yet to sell out its Falls project. I have a feeling that Crystalview may have been rezoned but ultimately wouldn't have moved forward due to market conditions.

[aastra]

This slim tower has the sort of profile that would work well on this site:
http://www.flickr.co...boy/2639339255/

http://www.flickr.co...N06/4088633579/

[Ms. B. Havin]

This slim tower has the sort of profile that would work well on this site:
http://www.flickr.co...boy/2639339255/

http://www.flickr.co...N06/4088633579/

I agree.

And now that we have such an allegedly progressive, modern city council working on behalf of a vibrant city, maybe Westbank can come back and get approval for developing this site, with a building along these lines on the eastern flank of the property and a cultural amenity on the west. After all, the Children's Museum is still looking for a site /partner/ build concept - surely the city would be happy to accommodate them? (The Art Gallery, sadly, has stepped aside in its search for new downtown digs, opting to stay put for the foreseeable future...)

[Hotel Mike]

After all, the Children's Museum is still looking for a site /partner/ build concept - surely the city would be happy to accommodate them? (The Art Gallery, sadly, has stepped aside in its search for new downtown digs, opting to stay put for the foreseeable future...)

It would be great to have another amenity in that area that is appealing to visiting families. It would be a big step up from the wax museum. Too bad about the Art Gallery. After so many years, and still no downtown art gallery! What is wrong with this city?

[2F2R]

I just drove by Crystal View … it’s starting to look pretty shabby … I wonder if maybe tourism Victoria could maybe pay for a quick coat of paint before the tourist season begins … I was thinking, geesh, wouldn’t it look fantastic if one of the proposals had actually been build … oh well, the tourists don’t come to look at buildings so I’m sure they don’t care about boarded up ones either … hey, just thinking out load ... maybe crystal view could be renizated to hold the art gallery untill a proper space is found downtown ...

[2F2R]

Just had lunch at fisherman’s wharf … fantastic … lots of choice, lots of people, great ambiance, and great views … to bad I couldn’t get a cold beer with my Mexican food however! Driving back into downtown it seemed so full and active … Vibrant! But before I headed up Douglas I passed the Crystalview and thought how great it would be if there was a beautiful new tall building there instead of a boarded up motel … Sad!

[jonny]

This is definitely one of those sites that is on the "in desperate need of rehabilitation" list. It's right up there (or down there depending on your perspective) with the Hudson Walk site.

[Mike K.]

Coincidentally I was just in touch with Dave Leung of Westbank Corporation and he confirmed that the company has no immediate plans for Crystalview nor is it involved in any other projects in the city.

Crystalview would have been a jewel of that district together with a downtown art gallery but the status quo did all it could to force the current situation. That's infuriating. Luckily these forces are losing their stranglehold over the City and progress is being made.

Here are some images of the initial design. There are other images littered throughout this thread.

[Baro]

Uhg you just had to remind us of that. So infuriating.

[aastra]

We saw the concept change several times but in the end it was the very first version that was the best.

I still think a single slim tower is the only way that a highrise will work on that site, with the rest of the coverage no more than four or five stories:
http://www.geograph....k/photo/1406146

[amor de cosmos]

makes sense to me, except at 20 stories it would probably be visible from in front of the empress. the way I remember this place is that the old hotel next door blocks a lot of light, but I could be wrong. in any case the good thing is there's a definite sense of seclusion & quietude despite being right downtown, especially on the blanshard end, and it's surrounded parks on three sides. a taller-narrower highrise on the blanshard side would probably be better, so as to maximize the amount of natural light each unit would get, and to minimize the impact on the neighbours (short-wide could block the view, etc), I just have some doubts about 20 stories. i don't want to pick a specific alternative number without seeing renderings though.

[Mike K.]

Tall and thin was supported by the old owners of the Queen Victoria Hotel for that very reason.

[aastra]

Any building of any size would be visible to the right of the Empress, at least until the bus station site gets redeveloped.

Check out this pic. The roofline of the QV hotel can just be seen, so from that POV methinks a 20-story residential building on the east end of the motel site would appear to be about twice as tall as the QV, or just a bit shorter than the lamp post.

[amor de cosmos]

^ well nothing too obnoxious

with the park & bowling green, and crystal garden across the street, there will never be anything to block this view. well actually hopefully not this building:


http://www.flickr.co...hotolist-2mXZYM

& from orchard house


http://www.flickr.co...nj-2AEgy6-Nm7C7

& crystalview from vista 18, just to the right of the church


http://www.flickr.co...m-8ZosCp-9JxaQ6

[amor de cosmos]

i think i'm really warming up to that portsmouth building:



http://www.flickr.co...s-eUhjjU-eU5LJR
http://www.flickr.co...E-awdvxg-awgd7N

[LJ]

^That looks fragile to me, a little too skinny.

[Rob Randall]

I hear the property was sold to a developer so we should be hearing something soon.