872 replies to this topic

[aastra]

 

AirBNB rooms.

 

But would they count those? And if so, doesn't that mean we need to revise the narrative re: the transformative impacts of AirBNB? I just did a rough calculation on a napkin and I estimate 380 new rooms over 10 years would work out to only 38 new rooms per year.

[Mike K.]

They must be speaking about a loss in inventory in the CoV, and a gain in inventory in other municipalities.

[IPH]

New hotel could rise from ashes of Plaza Hotel in downtown Victoria

Ocean Gate Developments, the Vancouver owners of the site, has unveiled a plan for a new 150-room hotel and large outdoor public plaza

https://www.timescol...ictoria-5886060


Victoria has lost about 1,000 hotel rooms over the past decade due to hotel conversions to rental accommodation, ­seniors housing and other purposes, and Mairet said only 380 of those rooms have been replaced.









Boooiooooooooooring.

This plus the recently approved hotel at 1106 Blanshard would add up to about 278 new hotel rooms in "Victoria".  Even if there have already been 380 rooms replaced the total is way less than the 1000 lost.

[Mike K.]

Don’t forget Chard/UVic and the 135-room Hyatt, the near doubling of room capacity at an expanded Sandman Hotel on Douglas at Hillside, and the proposal to bring a hotel to the BC Power Commission Building opposite the Marriott.

I’ve put some details together here, coincidentally: https://victoria.cit...hnson-property/

[Fairbanks]

Will be good to get some new blood on Vic City council.  Send Elvira Gultch and her flying monkeys packing.

[IPH]

Don’t forget Chard/UVic and the 135-room Hyatt, the near doubling of room capacity at an expanded Sandman Hotel on Douglas at Hillside, and the proposal to bring a hotel to the BC Power Commission Building opposite the Marriott.

I’ve put some details together here, coincidentally: https://victoria.cit...hnson-property/

 

 

Good point, I forgot about Chard/UVic and Reliance!  If all of these go through we might actually regain the 1000 hotel rooms lost.  Lets hope the new council does something to reverse some of the bad decisions made over the last 8 years with regard to 24/7 camping, non enforcement of criminal laws, abandoning our downtown business's etc., so we actually get some tourists to occupy these new rooms. 

[Mike K.]

It'll help, for sure, but it'll be a slow trickle over many years.

 

Imagine, that 30 years ago this city had way, way more hotel inventory than it does today. Gorge Road was littered with them, as was Douglas all the way to Saanich Road. James Bay lost three hotels over a short period of time (Queen Vic, Harbour Towers and Admirals Inn).

 

Upper downtown Douglas Street lost four (Paul's, City Centre, and the two at Princess).

[Victoria Watcher]

City council willfully wrecked the town. Bad.

[Victoria Watcher]

Francis Mairet, a partner at Ocean Gates who owns the former Plaza lot, says the brand that they have chosen is a very family-oriented brand and not a luxury four star kind of a hotel.

“Hotel rooms in downtown Victoria are in short list; there is a demand from the travelling public and the city has a hard time to actually satisfy this demand, so Victoria needs more hotel rooms. There is no question about that,” said Mairet.

On Jan 29, 2024, Ocean Gate Developments submitted a proposal to Victoria’s Community Association Land Use Committee for consideration.

The proposed plan will open up the plaza toward the McPherson Playhouse and Centennial Square and reposition the building away from the corner of Government and Pandora.

Construction of the new hotel is pending approval from the City of Victoria.


https://www.cheknews...-empty-1203040/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 May 2024 - 10:56 AM.

[Fairbanks]

The City of Victoria - (The populus)  needs to vote in a WHOLE NEW COUNCIL.  One with vision and one that isn't afraid of it's own shadow.

[Victoria Watcher]

Why the two articles same day?



Former Plaza Hotel property in Victoria slated for redevelopment 5 years after fire

https://www.vicnews....er-fire-7355475

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 May 2024 - 01:52 PM.

[aastra]

I'm making a note of the curiously coincidental timing re: this project's return to the spotlight right after the CoV dumped a load of poop on the (rather excellent) Capital Iron proposal. If there's any logic to anything that the CoV does then we should expect this project's height and design to get an absolute ****-ton of grief from the city, right?

 

Right?

[Nparker]

 

...If there's any logic to anything that the CoV does then we should expect this project's height and design to get an absolute ****-ton of grief from the city, right

It's squat and ugly. The CoV will love it.

[Victoria Watcher]

Developer Ocean Gate, backed by the Downtown Victoria Business Association, Chamber of Commerce, and Destination Greater Victoria, is pitching a 12-storey hotel, well above the five-storey maximum the City of Victoria allows in Old Town.

 

That’s the height and density they require to make the project financially viable, Ocean Gate reps told CHEK News Monday.

Coun. Matt Dell thinks council has their work cut out for them.

 

“This is a really tough thing to balance, honestly, the economic development of our downtown versus heritage preservation,” said Dell.

Another city councillor, Jeremy Caradonna, finds the application problematic.

 

“My preference would be for it to come down in density and for the applicants to work with staff,” said Caradonna.

 

Recently, city council green-lit an extra two levels for the Ducks Building on Broad Street in Old Town, to a height of eight storeys after the developer faced rising construction costs.

 

If the Plaza Hotel lot becomes another exception, Madoff worries about the precedent the decision would set.

 

“Old Town, which is internationally renowned and brings visitors from around the world, why would we want to tamper with it in a way that could really damage it?” said Madoff. “How do you turn down the next developer?”

 

With the future of Old Town potentially hanging in the balance, council will debate Thursday.

 

 

https://cheknews.ca/...vocate-1253618/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 06 May 2025 - 11:53 PM.

[corvus]

Construction costs these days are so high that I don't see what they could reasonably build at 5 storeys...like imagine the eventual rents they'd have to charge to cover the mortgage. If they're not allowed to build something profitable, we'll continue to be stuck with an empty lot. Would Madoff et. al. find that preferable?

[aastra]

 

“This is a really tough thing to balance, honestly, the economic development of our downtown versus heritage preservation,”

 

Shocked gasps arose from the audience after this stunning revelation...

[aastra]

 

Daily Colonist
November 4, 1979

Bill Tindall for Mayor in Victoria

Victoria First in the 1980's! It is essential that we recognize that Heritage Preservation and Economic Growth can and must be compatible goals in the 1980's for Victoria to progress...

[aastra]

 

With the future of Old Town potentially hanging in the balance...

 

I've barely had a chance to catch my breath since the last time the future of Old Town was hanging in the balance because of the Customs House project. Not to mention the time the future of Old Town was hanging in the balance because of the Northern Junk project, or because of the Union on Fisgard project, or because of the Janion project, or because of the Sovereign on Broughton project, or....

[aastra]

Anyway, methinks there's a rather simple but wildly controversial solution here which has always been available and which has even been implemented in some rare circumstances in Victoria's past: keep the height limit low on old town sites (example: ~8 residential stories max) but reward developers who do good work in the old town by allowing (fast-tracking) them to build taller/denser on other sites.

 

But otherwise, that hotel design looks like arse. It would look like arse at 4 stories, 14 stories or 44 stories. I would personally prefer to keep the hole in the ground if the new building is going to look worse than the hole in the ground.

[Victoria Watcher]

Old Town seems to hang in the balance relatively well.

It must have some crazy grip.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 May 2025 - 11:59 AM.