Courthouse Lands Reconstruction

I don't think we have many families living downtown. We've lost families and kids over tent city. The only thing exploding on the streets of downtown Victoria is open drug use and the street community.

You can have families live downtown with decent amenities.  A playground and more green space is a basic requirement.  Without both it's not going to happen.

Neither of those would be "downtown" and even if you considered them so the area around the courthouse is still lacking a playground.

 

And for the question of families living downtown, perhaps more would if there were more appropriate facilities like playgrounds.

 

The park on Mason Street is closer to the Mayors office than the land at Burdett and Quadra, but I think we need to determine where all the downtown accommodation is that is suitable for families with children, before we get too excited about more downtown parks.

Any park downtown would need to be fenced to keep kids from wandering out into the busy streets.

Where else you you suggest we build a downtown playground for all the "families" living downtown?

 

   Do I have to explain the use of the future tense?

 

But since you asked... I would love to see a master plan for "Rock Bay" (Blanshard/Bay/Upper Harbour/Chatham) that includes green space and playgrounds for highrise developments that include family units.

Playgrounds are not just for families who live downtown but to also to help draw families into the city where they can spend their monies.

In order to draw families into the downtown area you would need schools. The only primary school close to downtown is South Park and it is a small alternative learning school. After that you are looking at George Jay which is over by Cook and Bay St.  Creating a playground, solely to keep campers out, seems to me to be a silly idea.

Oh rats!

Remediation of the Victoria Courthouse property formerly used for tent city has been delayed so pest control can be called in to deal with the presence of rats. The province says rats were noticed during a cleanup that started last week, so pest control officers have been called in for next week.

The Ministry of Technology, Innovation, and Citizen Services says it will consider future uses of the site over the coming weeks, and, once a site plan is formulated, remediation work that will include soil removal and testing will get underway.

http://www.cfax1070....ayed-due-to-pre

And to think some members of our city council still think SIC was a success that can be emulated elsewhere. 

In order to draw families into the downtown area you would need schools. The only primary school close to downtown is South Park and it is a small alternative learning school. After that you are looking at George Jay which is over by Cook and Bay St.  Creating a playground, solely to keep campers out, seems to me to be a silly idea.

I was suggesting that playgrounds can be for families visiting town, not just for those who live here. 

I'd like to see a creative multi use park with an adult playground section too. I'm seeing lots of individuals exercising outdoors in parks lately, and not even referring to annoying boot camps. Also a natural eating area, something more creative than picnic tables. I've always lived close to downtown, always brought my kids downtown, but there are few areas to sit and relax safely with kids with a bit of shade. Beacon Hill is too far, Bastion Square not a lot of shaded seating, same with Centennial Square. Nearby restaurants could deliver food by bike to the park, good for office workers too. Worth a shot..

And huh, 1000 posts in ten years.. Took a while.

Make that 1001

I mean 1002... Ahh, 1003.

I don't think we have many families living downtown. We've lost families and kids over tent city. The only thing exploding on he streets of downtown Victoria is open drug use and he street community.

Hang around the Market on Yates, this area is full of babies and kids under 5 years old, who could really use a playground. As for schools for 5 years and up, hop on a bus. Kids are free if accompanied by a parent or guardian with a compass  card.

 

I really don't think a city and Province should be so powerless over this property that they need to place it under a bylaw about playgrounds. Make a new bylaw protecting the property. As it is now remediation has to wait until the rats are gone. Isn't that enough to stop any further tents going up?  A bylaw against anything that causes rat infestation. All I see is indecision, hedging, procrastinating and weakness on the part of the city and the Province. Don't they have city planners on staff whom they can consult?

Edited by Marilyn, 19 August 2016 - 12:34 PM.

...Don't they have city planners on staff whom they can consult?

Of course they do, but when that advice clashes with Council's prevailing SJW philosophy, it is ignored.

Does anyone know an actual family that lives downtown? I don't

I live downtown, it's full of babies, in fact we have stroller traffic jams . Remember also 819 Yates  is a rental building, and I expect a lot of families will apply. By the time it's finished the rents might be so high as to require 2 parents to have jobs.

Hang around the Market on Yates, this area is full of babies and kids under 5 years old, who could really use a playground. As for schools for 5 years and up, hop on a bus. Kids are free if accompanied by a parent or guardian with a compass  card.

 

I really don't think a city and Province should be so powerless over this property that they need to place it under a bylaw about playgrounds. Make a new bylaw protecting the property. As it is now remediation has to wait until the rats are gone. Isn't that enough to stop any further tents going up?  A bylaw against anything that causes rat infestation. All I see is indecision, hedging, procrastinating and weakness on the part of the city and the Province. Don't they have city planners on staff whom they can consult?

 

I do, every day, and those are not residents of downtown Victoria, they are residents of Fairfield, Fernwood, North Park, Quadra-Hillside, Rockland, etc. Very, very few children live in downtown Victoria-proper and Harris Green. In fact very few people live in downtown Victoria-proper and Harris Green.

 

I do want to point out that as part of the Hudson District Townline will be developing a children's play park on Caledonia between Douglas and Blanshard. Read more about it here: http://victoria.citi...ct/?term=hudson

 

Very, very few children live in downtown Victoria-proper and Harris Green. In fact very few people live in downtown Victoria-proper and Harris Green.

 

 

 

Probably around 3,000 people live Downtown according to the census. Is this "very few"? Depends on your perspective. The number continues to grow.

 

Here's some family information:

 

http://www.victoria....nsus_family.pdf

I'll play my broken record re: the View Towers block. Build new rental buildings on the null properties, replace View Towers with condo towers, run a great park right down the middle, and scatter cafe and commercial spaces around the edges (facing into the park and into the lanes/squares between the buildings).

 

Probably around 3,000 people live Downtown according to the census. Is this "very few"? Depends on your perspective. The number continues to grow.

 

Here's some family information:

 

http://www.victoria....nsus_family.pdf

 

So less than 1% of "Victoria's" population lives downtown?

 

Sad.

And huh, 1000 posts in ten years.. Took a while.

 

Congratulations!  At that rate you will be eligible for the gold watch in 90 years...if Mike is still running the show. 

I am just shy of 10,000 posts. Does that mean my gold watch will be coming soon?