Crystal Gardens Building
#41
Posted 12 January 2007 - 10:05 PM
Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.
#42
Posted 12 January 2007 - 10:23 PM
Now why didn't we get this choice first time around instead of having the boring BCX foisted upon us?
A thought--could this spell the end of the Undersea Garden?
-City of Victoria website, 2009
#43
Posted 12 January 2007 - 10:38 PM
The gift shop could sell miniature submarines "Made in Victoria" (see "Victoria Shipyards" topic in the S.Island Economy thread... )
Seriously, though, this would be a great addition. Expanding the existing conference centre isn't a good idea. Start over on that one, maybe...
#44
Posted 12 January 2007 - 10:38 PM
A thought--could this spell the end of the Undersea Garden?
Yesss!!!
#45
Posted 12 January 2007 - 11:54 PM
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891
#46
Posted 13 January 2007 - 09:49 AM
#47
Posted 13 January 2007 - 10:32 AM
The library is too small
Convention centre -TOO SMALL
Art Gallery - only shows about 5 % of its collection - TOO SMALL
Crystal Pool - too small AND falling part
Brand Freakin' new Arena is TOO SMALL
An aquarium at Crystal Gardens would be TOO SMALL
In my opinion the Crystal Garden needs to be either made into a market on its own or joined with a building built to the North and have something done with it.
No more small ideas!
#48
Posted 13 January 2007 - 10:36 AM
Yeah, I know: dream on...
(PS: by which I also mean that I agree with G-Man re. both ideas being less than what's needed.)
#49
Posted 13 January 2007 - 12:08 PM
#50
Posted 13 January 2007 - 12:28 PM
Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.
#51
Posted 13 January 2007 - 12:47 PM
http://virtualguideb... ... et_FS.html
Prepare to be Awes0med!
-City of Victoria website, 2009
#52
Posted 13 January 2007 - 03:01 PM
#53
Posted 13 January 2007 - 09:00 PM
I'm glad they've floated the aquarium proposal. That's a whale of an idea, in my opinion. Just killer. They otter be careful that they do it right, but if they do do it right they could really make a big splash with this.
Counterpoint: I don't understand how otters and penguins and fish and things like that would be a bigger draw than lemurs and golden tamarins. If they want to give it a go then I applaud them because I think attractions of this sort are a good thing in Victoria, but I don't understand why they think it could be viable if the previous mini-zoo wasn't.
I think I like the aquarium idea better than the conference centre expansion.
Edited by aastra, 12 February 2020 - 06:26 PM.
#54
Posted 13 January 2007 - 09:05 PM
"IT'S A BIT OF A BAND-AID ON THE CONFERENCE CENTRE SITUATION, TO BE QUITE HONEST," CARTER SAID ON CFAX 1070'S NEWSLINE P.M. PROGRAM FRIDAY. "IT'S A SHORT TERM SOLUTION, AND IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE 40 YEAR SOLUTION, THAT ONE MAY NOT BE IT."
So what are we thinking would be "the 40 year solution"? If expansion to an adjacent site isn't it, then what other option is there other than building a new conference centre?
So then you have to ask, where could you build a new conference centre? Ogden Point seems like an ideal site to me, but the powers that be are doing everything they can to botch Ogden Point's development potential.
G-Man's inner harbour site is also interesting, but again the city seems dead against doing something worthwhile there.
Something tells me you wouldn't get far with proposals to replace the existing conference centre. I suspect the naysayers would defend it as a modern heritage building.
#55
Posted 13 January 2007 - 10:00 PM
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891
#56
Posted 13 January 2007 - 11:13 PM
It seems that they are not using the space that they have have created by not re-leasing the retail shops on Douglas...
And they only use the "tents" from time to time..
So what's the plan?
#57
Posted 14 January 2007 - 09:48 PM
- A Crystal Garden Aquarium will be a pint-sized version of Vancouver's and all the tour books and reviews will eventually say "skip it, hit Vancouver's while you're over there." Think of it as the BC Aquarium Experience. It will suffer like the mini-zoo did.
- The Vancouver aquarium has a whole handful of issues with its own viability including some deferred maintenance, and investing massive funds in a Victoria pod is simply not tenable. Decision-making representation at the Van Aqua is heavily Van-centric.
- The most successful aqauriums are associated with the water, like Oak Bay Marina's. The Crystal Garden as an aquarium is like having the undersea garden up by the Royal Theatre. Or the Princess Mary, lagooned in a sea of asphalt.
So now you're thinking, ok, this gets back to the basics of location, right?
If we were going to expand conference centre space and facilities, would be spread it all over the downtown in pods? A section of the Hudson and another spot over in Dockside? No, it is critical that it is highly concentrated.
And what better area to put guaranteed, high-paying visitors booked two years in advance, obligated to attend (not discretionary private travel) in one of the few areas that is not dominated by homelessness, begging, drug ODs, petty crime, defecation, etc.
Conference attendees will be the fastest-growing sector of the City's tourism, replacing the throngs that aren't coming anymore.
#58
Posted 15 January 2007 - 07:59 AM
one of the few areas that is not dominated by homelessness, begging, drug ODs, petty crime, defecation, etc..
I'm thinking even the people at the Empress have to poop some time.
#59
Posted 15 January 2007 - 08:23 AM
one of the few areas that is not dominated by homelessness, begging, drug ODs, petty crime, defecation, etc..
I'm thinking even the people at the Empress have to poop some time.
True, but they tend not to do it in public...
#60
Posted 15 January 2007 - 08:56 AM
Jan 14, 2007
VICTORIA'S MAYOR SAYS HE LIKES THE IDEA OF HAVING THE VANCOUVER AQUARIUM EXPAND TO VICTORIA, BUT DOESN'T SEE THE CRYSTAL GARDEN AS A GOOD HOME FOR THE ATTRACTION.
THE CITY WANTS TO EXPAND THE CONFERENCE CENTRE TO THE CRYSTAL GARDENS, BUT HAS COMPETITION FROM AT LEAST SIX OTHER PROPOSALS.
MAYOR ALAN LOWE SAYS WHEN IT COMES WHAT COULD FILL THE SPACE, THE AQUARIUM COULDN'T BRING IN THE ESTIMATED 40-MILLION DOLLARS THE CONFERENCE CENTRE IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE IN THE CITY, BUT ADDS HE DOES LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING A SATELLITE AQUARIUM IN VICTORIA.
LOWE SAYS HE UNDERSTANDS THE VANCOUVER AQUARIUM HAS ONLY SUBMITTED A LETTER OF INTEREST AND NOT AN OFFICIAL BID.
- NIKKI EWANYSHYN
-City of Victoria website, 2009
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