1682 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Former CEO accuses Vancity of firing him over affordable housing
Company denies accusation, but $600-million project coming under attack for pricey condos

Malcolm Curtis, Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, August 05, 2006
The executive once in charge of developing Victoria's Dockside Green says he was fired after his affordable housing ideas were rejected by Vancity Savings Credit Union.

Jacques Khouri, former CEO of Vancity Enterprises, said he proposed four-storey wood-frame condo buildings, rather than the taller concrete towers being built, as a way to create lower cost homes at Dockside.

The Victoria West project is the biggest redevelopment of municipal land in the city's history, now valued at around $600 million.

[...]

[Mike K.]

The crane for the first phase of Dockside Green, Synergy, went up today.

[Scaper]

YIIIPPEEEEE!!!!

[gumgum]

Found this article online:

Toronto's waterfront could emulate Dockside Green
Economic, social and environmental factors used in Victoria project
Sherry Noik-Bent, National Post
Published: Thursday, August 03, 2006
Shocking but true: Every day, the city of Victoria dumps its raw sewage into the Pacific Ocean, relying on the currents to break it up and carry it away. Just ask Mr. Floatie, the citizen-activist who for years has shown up at civic events in a turd costume, in an effort to change this policy.

Now an ambitious new mixed-use development may be helping Mr. Floatie's cause, showing the city that this out-of-sight-out-of-mind approach to waste treatment is unsustainable, unecological and unhealthy (not to mention just plain gross).

"I think Dockside will show there's other ways [to] deal with this issue," says Joe Van Belleghem of Windmill Developments.

[...]

mailto:livegreen@nationalpost.com

© National Post 2006

[VicHockeyFan]

Waste not
Large housing project to treat its own sewage
View Larger Image
Corola Bloedorn, development manager for the Dockside Green project, oversees the beginnings of the first residential phase of Dockside Green off Tyee Road in Victoria West. The entire project of 26 commercial and residential buildings could take 12 years to complete.
Photograph by : John McKay, Times Colonist
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Font: * * * * Malcolm Curtis, Special to Times Colonist
Published: Sunday, August 13, 2006
A Victoria West development's ground-breaking plan to treat its own sewage could set an example for the rest of the region to follow.

Dockside Green is recycling former municipal and privately owned industrial land over 10 to 12 years to create a mixed commercial and residential community with 26 buildings and a population of 2,500.

[...]

[VicHockeyFan]

While Dockside has not chosen a company to build the sewage plant, Bloedorn said it will use technology provided by Zenon, an Ontario-based firm with a proven international track record with small sewage systems. The company has developed a "membrane bioreactor" system, used around the world, to filter out solid waste and contaminants.

In addition to reclamation of water, heat recovered from the treatment plant will be used to help keep buildings warm.

The project would mark the first time an urban development in the region has treated its sewage on site.

[...]

[VicHockeyFan]

On Balance, more affordable
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Font: * * * * Times Colonist
Published: Sunday, August 13, 2006
Dockside Green rolled out more details last week for its second residential phase, a mix of housing in nine- and 10-storey towers and townhouses.

Prices for the 171 units in the Balance buildings off Tyee Road will start in the mid-$200,000s, with no upper limit yet announced. Floor plans of the suites, ranging from about 600 to 1,430 square feet, are available at the developer's presentation centre at 1107 Wharf St.

[...]

[Lover Fighter]

Did anyone see the letter Khouri wrote to the T.C. awhile ago? It isn't posted in this thread and I can't remember if I saw it elsewhere.

[Mike K.]

Yeah, he basically said some of his quotes were taken out of context and if Dockside had stuck to his woodframe concept for "affordable" housing it wouldn't be facing the opposition that it is.

If his idea was to build Dockside with woodframes then I'm glad van Belleghem et al didn't listen. Although it's not clear if he meant to build the subsidized/affordable housing in woodframes and market housing in concrete midrises. But then again if thats the case then his idea would have segregated income groups whereas the original concept was not to segregate the individuals through obvious differences in structures and structure placement.

Btw, I stopped by the showsuite and checked out the model of the first of the two buildings (10-storey). The 9-storey building was just a clear outline with no definitive representation of building materials and style :smt102

[Scaper]

The frustrating thing about Dockside...2:1 density!!!

Absolutely a joke. In ten years City staff will be shaking their heads, we will be missing out on some of the biggest tax dollars from this underacheivement.

[Mike K.]

New rendering of Balance



Also, check out the neat panos at http://docksidegreen...view_engine.php

[Scaper]

Where's the skyline???? soooo sad!

[HOMBRE]

i just noticed this morning that they have actully started work on that project hahahaha

boy am i behind the times

[captain highliner]

I'm very much in favour of the "Dockside" model of decentralized public utilities, the prime example being their sewage treatment and power co-generation plants.

Now that the CRD is mandated to treat its sewage I hope that we don't go ahead with a single plant approach. Instead, why not build localized neighbourhood treatment centres? That way no single neighbourhood bears the impact of a huge plant moving in next door.

Besides the obvious political benefits of outflanking the NIMBYs, the decentralized approach could allow for a variety of treament options to coexist on the South Island, with the selection of the most appropriate technology for a given site, i.e., biodynamic artificial wetlands in less dense areas and more compact hydroxil type systems in the urban core.

While the CRD would miss out on the economies of scale that a single plant may provide, the costs of installing and upgrading a new feeder pipeline system to a central location could be significantly reduced with the decentralized option.

The economic benefits of such an approach go far beyond saving money. If in ten years time we implement a revolutionary model of decentralized green public utilities with the involvement and technical assistance of our post secondary institutions we will have built the expertise to be able to export our solutions to other North American cities. What better way exists to invest in a knowledge based industry for our city than through building top quality public infrastructure?

[gumgum]

Dockside Green fuels housing starts
Carla Wilson, Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Buyers who snapped up all 43 Dockside Green condominiums offered for sale this past weekend show Greater Victoria's real estate market is still packing plenty of muscle.

Even though housing starts decreased last month in B.C.'s urban centres and across Canada, strong demand is keeping construction active on Vancouver Island where housing starts bucked the trend and increased.

[...]

[aastra]

I'm quite amazed at the intense interest suggested by those weekend sales. Is it just me or are Aria or the Juliet (or the Wave) not getting nearly so much attention?

The tallest buildings at Dockside Green should have been a wee bit taller, in my opinion. The design twinning they're doing also concerns me. But other than that I think it'll be pretty good.

[Scaper]

A wee taller? hahahhaa....ARRJJJHHH BILLY.....Them buildin's over yonder shuda bin a weee bit tallla!

Let's say much much taller.


Also on the first two days of presales the Fall's sold 40% of the units.

[aastra]

The Falls is not going to have any trouble, that's for sure.

[Scaper]

I pitty the first guy that falls from one of those condo's belconies!!!

I mean how ironic.

[G-Man]

The Dockside gets more publicity because it is a good development rather than all those others which are bad developments. Geez you guys don't seem to know anything.