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APPROVED
Montrose Wintergarden/Spire Hotel
Uses: hotel, commercial
Address: 780-798 Fort Street
Municipality: Victoria
Region: Downtown Victoria
Storeys: 20
The Montrose Wintergarden/Spire Hotel is a proposal along the 700-block of Fort Street at Blanshard Street to ... (view full profile)
Learn more about Montrose Wintergarden/Spire Hotel on Citified.ca
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[Downtown] Montrose Wintergarden Hotel | 66.9 meters


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#21 Jackerbie

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Posted 20 January 2020 - 02:43 PM

Interesting look back to December 2018 when Merchant House acquired the block and had no immediate plans for development, citing an uncertain commercial market. Story in the TC: https://www.timescol...lock-1.23523925

 

It also includes the below graphic, showing the properties acquired. The same graphic now appears on the "current projects" page of Merchant House's website.

 

a1-1209-merchant-clr-jpg.jpg



#22 G-Man

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Posted 20 January 2020 - 03:01 PM

Yeah time to relook at the height maps.
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Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com 

 

It has a whole new look!

 


#23 Brantastic

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Posted 20 January 2020 - 06:27 PM

I'm kind of with Aastra on this one, though I'd need a rendering before judgement. Build tall on most of View, Yates, Johnson, Pandora, Fisgard, etc. but I'd hate to see the granular nature of Fort Street lost to lot consolidation and larger structures. There's something unique about the small shops and hole-in-the-wall type restaurants along Fort Street. It's a weird place for potentially one of the city's tallest buildings. Although a very different vibe, Granville or Robson Streets in downtown Vancouver are comparable - streets that have largely retained their fine-grain while allowing surrounding streets to significantly densify. 

I do really like the Montrose Apartments though and would like to see what a restoration project would look like.


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#24 Nparker

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Posted 20 January 2020 - 06:58 PM

...I do really like the Montrose Apartments though and would like to see what a restoration project would look like.

I would imagine the apartments will look much the same as they do today if the developer is unable to make restoration financially viable from a project that is significantly reduced in scale.



#25 Mike K.

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Posted 20 January 2020 - 07:00 PM

All of those small buildings are being replaced. 50% of the 800-block will be replaced/modernized by ~2024 with the completion of The Sawyer, 819 Fort and Parc.
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#26 zoomer

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Posted 20 January 2020 - 07:21 PM

I can’t even begin to take this proposal seriously.

Maybe complete a few projects in Victoria before putting forward another pie in the sky. The TC proposal looks cool, although likely far fetched. I guess they did renovate the old Dominion, painting it black against heritage guidelines and got away scott free. Also the promised street bike parking and the food court idea in the parking lot (something like that) also failed to materialize as did the amenities for residents, which has now turned into a bubble tea shop... which is apparently “under construction”, although no sign of construction for months now.
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#27 Mike K.

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Posted 20 January 2020 - 07:39 PM

Anthem bought the building from them a couple of years ago.

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#28 Brantastic

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Posted 20 January 2020 - 08:08 PM

I would imagine the apartments will look much the same as they do today if the developer is unable to make restoration financially viable from a project that is significantly reduced in scale.

Considering the number of 5-10 storey buildings being proposed, built, or under construction in the downtown area right now I have a hard time buying that this project is only financially viable if 20+ storeys.


Edited by Brantastic, 20 January 2020 - 08:10 PM.

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#29 Nparker

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Posted 20 January 2020 - 08:56 PM

Considering the number of 5-10 storey buildings being proposed, built, or under construction in the downtown area right now I have a hard time buying that this project is only financially viable if 20+ storeys.

That's not what I said. The restoration of the existing Montrose apartments is likely a place to save money if the overall project is downsized..


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#30 Kapten Kapsell

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Posted 28 January 2020 - 01:24 PM

Did anyone make it to last night's CALUC for this project?  If so, can you provide additional details and/or images ..?



#31 Jackerbie

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Posted 28 January 2020 - 01:34 PM

Did anyone make it to last night's CALUC for this project?  If so, can you provide additional details and/or images ..?

 

It's tomorrow, 6:30 PM at Christ Church Cathedral


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#32 Nparker

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Posted 28 January 2020 - 01:34 PM

Did anyone make it to last night's CALUC for this project? ..

I am sure anyone who attended last night is recovering from the wounds they received.

 

Edit: Delay this response until Thursday.


Edited by Nparker, 28 January 2020 - 01:34 PM.

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#33 jasmineshinga

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Posted 28 January 2020 - 01:46 PM

Shall we form a posse and show our support for a higher density, high-rise?

 

I'd love to see this project go forward, as the appeal to younger travellers in combination with that stretch of Blanshard's international food options would do wonders for the vitality of the area. Fort needs to rebuild its foot traffic reputation after all that bike lane construction hoopla.


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~ Jasmine ~


#34 Kapten Kapsell

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Posted 30 January 2020 - 07:13 AM

T-C article about this development: https://www.timescol...mark-1.24064535

#35 spanky123

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Posted 30 January 2020 - 07:45 AM

Shall we form a posse and show our support for a higher density, high-rise?

 

I'd love to see this project go forward, as the appeal to younger travellers in combination with that stretch of Blanshard's international food options would do wonders for the vitality of the area. Fort needs to rebuild its foot traffic reputation after all that bike lane construction hoopla.

 

Honestly I don't see a hotel at that corner being a tourist draw. Reading the TC article it sounds like the owner is working backwards from a conclusion that hotel occupancy is 75% so there must be demand. I am not sure that is the best way to create a business plan.

 

If you read the Victoria 3.0 vision you will note that tourism is only mentioned in where we are currently, and is eliminated from the 2040 vision. I think that is the message developers and owners should be listening to. Makes sense as tourism is carbon intensive and unequal, two things that progressives want to stamp out.



#36 Mike K.

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Posted 30 January 2020 - 07:48 AM

There’s significant hotel inventory in the works already.

Chard with some 133 suites, Sandman expanding their hotel, another hotel potentially in the new Reliance project on lower Blanshard, another hotel concept in the core (that I can’t speak to yet) and a hotel group is actively pursuing several land acquisitions for a few chain hotels. So lots on the go.

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#37 spanky123

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Posted 30 January 2020 - 08:12 AM

I noted in the Victoria 3.0 document that the City we want to model ourselves after in 2040 is Singapore. I guess they gave up on Scandinavian cities. Here are some tidbits on Singapore from wikipedia:

 

One commonly cited reason for a lack of opposition in Singapore is the use of defamation lawsuits by the PAP to bankrupt political opponents and disqualify them from running for office

Another reason given is the pursuit of legal action against journalists and bloggers critical of the PAP and its policies

The PAP (party that has ruled Singapore since its inception) has in the past threatened voters by saying that constituencies voting for opposition MPs would be put at the bottom of the list for public housing programs

The boundaries of electoral constituencies in Singapore are decided by the Elections Department, which is under the control of the Prime Minister's Office. Electoral boundaries are redrawn just a few days before the general election

 

Sounds like exactly what the progressives would want!


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#38 Nparker

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Posted 30 January 2020 - 08:21 AM

Some renderings from today's TC article.

montrose-apartments-and-wintergarden-hotel.jpg

 

Cue the "we're becoming too much like Vancouver" in 5...4...3...2...1


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#39 Hotel Mike

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Posted 30 January 2020 - 09:14 AM

This concept of Airbnb-like hotel units is already popular in some other cities. I wonder if anyone on VV has used Sonder. It's a somewhat similar concept, in quite a few cities. They pick older buildings in urban settings, and own a few floors of an apartment complex. You receive a door code, the place is clean and ready, and in some cases there are Sonder lounges where you can hang out and get local advice. We loved our Sonder stays in NYC and Montreal.


Don't be so sure.:cool:

#40 Jackerbie

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Posted 30 January 2020 - 09:52 AM

I see that D'Ambrosio is involved in this one. The colour palette, vertical stripes from tip to tail, and  interior rendering with the large beams give me mass timber vibes. I imagine it will be concrete, with exterior sunshades and louvres to achieve the look presented in the rendering.


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