28 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Wessex Project Management is working on a residential project on the land currently occupied by the 7-11 at Quadra and Yates. This project may feature lower prices than other projects in and around downtown or it could even offer rental units.

[Baro]

woah neet. Is this all we know so far? How tall will it be? Probably somewhere in there region of 7 to 11 stories?

[Rob Randall]

I heard this had been posted on the Provincial Government's project site. This is still very early but I am optimistic. Low cost rentals are badly needed in Victoria.

[m0nkyman]

Not sure that putting another low cost high rise a block from View St. Towers is the best idea.... Does all this stuff need to go in Harris Green?

I know, it sounds NIMBY, but the fact is that there's already a lot in my backyard.

[Mike K.]

I don't think low-cost necessarily implies mentally ill or drugged out tenants. I would also think that the rents would be higher than the rents charged at the regular four-storey woodframe stock.

[G-Man]

Yeah it is not subsidized housing they are market condos that will be at the lower end of the the scale.

Victoria
Residential Tower
Wessex Project Management Ph: (250) 412-3180
Proposed residential tower at 924 Yates Street. Rezoning underway.
Status: Proposed Start: Apr 2007
Est. Cost ($ million): 24 Finish: Summer 2008
First Entry: Sep 2006 Last Update: Mar 2007
Project ID: 1866

http://www.gov.bc.ca/ecdev/down/mpi0701_report.pdf

[Nparker]

Wow another potentially exciting proposal for (near) my neighbourhood. I am curious what exactly equals low-cost any more these days. Is the WAVE low-cost as condos there went for under 300K pre-sale?

[gumgum]

I think low cost means something perhaps for the middle class, not the higher class, like most of the new developments.

[gumgum]

I hope and assume this proposal includes the vacant building on lot 914 as well?

[m0nkyman]

I hope and assume this proposal includes the vacant building on lot 914 as well?

The one that the guys from Nickelback bought as an investment property?

OK. If it's low end market price that's another thing. I misunderstood from Rob mentioning it was on a provincial site....

[Kapten Kapsell]

Is this proposal still active/under consideration?

[Rob Randall]

Colliers has announced the existing two-storey office building at 914 Yates will be fixed up.

pdf

The death of the commercial/residential proposal was probably due to stubbornness on the part of 7-Eleven at 924 Yates and a covenant on the 914 Yates property that allowed construction of the overheight Manhattan condo tower next door.

[Nparker]

Colliers has announced the existing two-storey office building at 914 Yates will be fixed up.

I am not sure the time is right to introduce higher density at this location yet, since the condo market is probably softening by the day. I think the best we can salvage is the hope that the renovations to 914 Yates are done well and that any new tenants in this loacation increase the vibrancy of this side of the street, which is a little lacking at the moment.

[G-Man]

^ Yeah but that doesn't look like storefronts. Just wait, the BC Forest Service will take it and put in opaque glass and book shelves.

[jklymak]

Hmmm, I wonder how many more storefronts we can reasonably support? I'm all in favour of them, but it can't be reasonable to expect every building downtown to have storefronts, can it?

[G-Man]

^ Of course not but there should be shopping streets and residential streets. Yates Street is an obvious shopping street.

[aastra]

I think that's a great design...for downtown Langley.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there a perfectly decent old building beneath all of those renovations? Restoring it back to its original appearance (or thereabouts) would be a huge improvement over anything that's been done to it since.

[D.L.]

it's fine by me

[Rob Randall]

This is back on. The ground floor is poor for retail so a rezoning will be required to allow office space on the ground floor instead of commerical shops. Not even a penthouse can be added to the roof due to the covenant on the property that allowed the tall building next door to be built--a straight density swap.

[jklymak]

^ I have to say that that seems good to me. Sticking another big building cheek and jowl with the Manhattan wouldn't make sense to me. Maybe a slim tower right on the corner of Quadra and Yates?