1697 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

Wilson Rd between Tyee and Bay is a nightmare on the weekends and for about an hour each day. Traffic getting out of Westside Village compounds the problem even more.

Describe "nightmare". Two or three light wait?

[aastra]

I found this pre-development shot of the property over at Flickr:



The same photographer also has a picture of Astoria from when it was under construction.

[gumgum]

^Who needs a bunch of condos, when you have all the comforts of home right there!

[gumgum]

Today.














The working dock lands have really been cleaned up as well. They've installed an attractive wrought iron fence and some planting beds along the Harbour Road.

[gumgum]

[url=http://www.docksidegreen.com/bottom/in-the-news/dockside-green-featured-on-tv.html:30f51]Dockside Green will be featured on the Nature Of Things this Sunday at 7pm on CBC TV.[/url:30f51]

[gumgum]

A 50,000 sq foot building will begin construction behind phase one this year.
It will house office, and retail on the ground floor. The guy from Fireside bakery is opening an organic bakery there, and there will be a pub/ restaurant as well.

[aastra]

Excellent.

[Ms. B. Havin]

The guy from Fireside bakery is opening an organic bakery there, and there will be a pub/ restaurant as well.

Fireside or Wild Fire? If Fireside, where do they have a store now? I can't place them...?

[gumgum]

Yeah sorry. Wildfire.
It used to be a married couple running they have recently divorced. The ex-husband is starting up the Dockside bakery.

[Mike K.]

Here's an image of an updated plan for Dockside. The northern-most section of the development if cut off for some reason.

[gumgum]

The building on the bottom right, where Harbour Rd curves west, is the office/ retail scheduled to start construction this year.

[Mike K.]

You're referring to the little curved one right below the first phase?

I can't wait for people to start occupying those digs.

[gumgum]

Yeah. That's the building.

[Nparker]

If only a bit more density could be achieved on this site it might be outstanding. For the life of me I can't figure out why the developers are going with squat 6- 8 story "highrises", when a much greater density could be achieved more economically at 12 - 15 stories.

[gumgum]

The density was imposed by the city.
There's a misunderstanding about that. The numbers 2:1 have been flung about. Which is for the overall density, including roads, public spaces, parks, sidewalks, etc, which waters down the density for each building itself.
In actual fact, each "highrise" is about 4:1.
As fact as height goes, the developer is going as high as he's able to. They would go higher if they could, but commitments to the community and the city are the limitations.
Both buildings for "Balance" are ten stories.

[gumgum]

Here's a glimpse of what the new commercial building will look like:

[Mike K.]

I think that since the Vic West Community Assoc imposed restrictions times has dramatically changed. When Dockside was approved we were still battling it out downtown with building being proposed "under" the height limit. We all know the story since then so I feel that should Dockside go back to the community and ask for a variance that it could very well be supported.

[aastra]

What's with all the pavement in that last pic? And what's that big hole in the ground? Is the perspective a bit wonky or something?

[gumgum]

I think that since the Vic West Community Assoc imposed restrictions times has dramatically changed. When Dockside was approved we were still battling it out downtown with building being proposed "under" the height limit. We all know the story since then so I feel that should Dockside go back to the community and ask for a variance that it could very well be supported.

Dockside is continually in consultation with the Vic West community. I don't really know too much about what's happening down the line, but I know there's increased acceptance amongst community members that shorter, fatter buildings aren't better. So I wouldn't be surprise if we'd see skinnier and taller for future phases. I'm just guessing though.
Balance was originally shorter and fatter, but Van Bellingham convinced the community that if it were taller, then it could be skinnier, therefore opening up the views more.

[renthefinn]

It is inevitable that dockside will increase it's density, it's unfortunate that city hall picked the lower option. Dockside will reap many rewards from the density that they must now demand, if they don't demand it they are not very smart financially. That is the concern many of us have had from the start, we could have had a defined denser, and higher, less view blocking community, but now we don't know where we sit, and some views are already blocked.