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Pacific Maritime Centre
Uses: office, civic
Address: 790 McCallum Road
Municipality: Langford
Region: West Shore
Storeys: 9
The Pacific Maritime Centre is a mixed-use development incorporating an office component, a performing arts sp... (view full profile)
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[Langford] Pacific Maritime Centre | Maritime Museum of BC; office; commercial | Proposed


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#41 aastra

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 05:24 PM

 

This thing is hideous

 

As per the Vancouver Sun article, it looks perfectly fine (maybe even a bit too conventional) as a modern suburban civic centre development if you crop out the lookout tower.



#42 Rob Randall

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 05:29 PM

That tower looks like an unholy union between Pluto's Restaurant and a Hitachi Magic Wand.


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#43 aastra

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 05:38 PM

If this thing is serious then I'd say scrap the tower, add a floor to the office building, and incorporate a top floor cafe or something up there.



#44 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 06:12 PM

Always with the theatres. We've talked about it many times, how the very word "theatre" seems to make any large development a bit more palatable. Victorians envisioned a theatre at the RBCM, a theatre on church hill, a theatre on the downtown waterfront (more than once)... The original concept for Hillside Mall involved a theatre. Every city everywhere that has theatres is struggling to utilize them. Every city everywhere that doesn't have theatres wants to find some excuse to build one.

 

Slight correction: the theatres at Hillside were planned for Phase Three:

 

the theatre at the casino is awesome.  so this is probably to pick up all the overflow.  the McPherson theatre must be so mad.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 February 2020 - 06:12 PM.


#45 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 06:17 PM

nobody went to the maritime museum when it was in bastion square.  nobody now in nootka court.  nobody will go in langford.  it's a bad museum idea in general. 

 

it's boooooooring.


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#46 AllseeingEye

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 06:32 PM

It was okay but not our best. Where were the clever puns? And I feel like the Simpsons angle could have been played out a bit more.

 

Seriously though, if Langford really wants a museum then some sort of arrangement like this might end up working. But obviously something closer to the harbour would seem to be a much more natural fit. It's a bit confusing to me that this arrangement could have half-a-chance of being viable out there while not being a slam dunk by comparison at Dockside Green or the roundhouse or Ogden Point or some other sites in town.

 

 

Well on the topic of museums, the maritime variety in particular, as well as ideas and concepts studied ad nauseum literally to death in the region, I've mentioned more than once IMO the ideal location for a maritime museum would be on the rehabilitated waterfront lands at Rock Bay, which since the Songhees FN have now taken possession of said property, could and should be done in combination with a FN museum or cultural center. You know....when Victoria finally actually gets around to doing something with Rock Bay, in a couple hundred years or so after it "studies" whatever proposals come its way for the property.

 

Either/or of these concepts as far as I'm concerned are infinitely more representative of Victoria and its FN peoples especially - and far more likely to be of interest to tourists visiting our city - than silly wax museum remakes, bug zoos or bloody Anna Hathaway cottage rip-off clones...

 

And although I like the fact Stew & Co generally "get things done", the idea of a maritime museum plunked across the street from Costco of all places - because that area isn't completely choked with traffic as it stands currently - nowhere near any body of water unless you think Langford Lake qualifies, and along-side a Disney-esque air traffic control tower to boot, is laughable. But then I remember this is Greater Victoria and its at this point I realize this idea is entirely within the realm of possibility, if not probability. After all anything is possible in Bizarro World....


Edited by AllseeingEye, 25 February 2020 - 06:32 PM.

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#47 aastra

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 06:35 PM

 

You know....when Victoria finally actually gets around to doing something with Rock Bay, in a couple hundred years...

 

You're expecting Rock Bay to be redeveloped before Dockside Green gets finished?


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#48 On the Level

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 06:40 PM

nobody went to the maritime museum when it was in bastion square.  nobody now in nootka court.  nobody will go in langford.  it's a bad museum idea in general. 

 

it's boooooooring.

 

The Maritime Museum in Halifax is about the same caliber as the Royal Museum in Victoria.  If done right, it could be terrific and well used. 

 

I don't see the connection to have it in Langford near Costco.  They (Langford) are about to open up the strip of ocean further up from Goldstream which would seem to be a better location if linked with the provincial park. 

 

We'll see what happens.


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#49 AllseeingEye

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 06:53 PM

You're expecting Rock Bay to be redeveloped before Dockside Green gets finished?

Naw, at the rate DG is going I'm betting it will be a tie.....



#50 LJ

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 07:28 PM

i like the Rock Bay idea, maritime museum, Chinese and Indian history and culture centre.


Life's a journey......so roll down the window and enjoy the breeze.

#51 On the Level

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 07:44 PM

^ I just don't know which way Rock Bay is going.  It could end up like East Hastings.....



#52 Spy Black

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 08:04 PM

I'm tempted to concentrate on what a terrible concept and idea this actually is, but instead I'll just say:

You_can't_build_ a_ 1200_ seat_legitimate_ theatre_in_2020_for_$30 million_dollars.

 

The theatre alone will cost three to four times as much as that, and it won't be anything particularly special even at $120 million.

If they try to bring this to fruition as announced, they will fail.

It will be a room with 1200 uncomfortable plastic seats, and a tribute act once every six months. The rest of the time it will serve as some sort of arena/special-event space for dog shows and the like.

 

But I will say that if Langford dropped the office tower and museum, and put $100 million towards building a proper theatre - Langford is the one municipality that might be able to pull it off. God knows we'll never see a new theatre in the CRD otherwise.

But they won't do that, and this will either never make it past the (terrible in this case) watercolour stage, or wind up getting built and becoming the home of the Annual South Island Livestock Auction.

 

Theatre shenanigans aside, I agree with those above positing whether there is a worse possible fit than the Maritime Museum and Langford?


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#53 On the Level

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Posted 25 February 2020 - 09:01 PM

But I will say that if Langford dropped the office tower and museum, and put $100 million towards building a proper theatre - Langford is the one municipality that might be able to pull it off. God knows we'll never see a new theatre in the CRD otherwise.

But they won't do that

 

Well they have managed to pull off building a facility to house the Y, a library, a Conservatory of Music and whatever else is there.  Then there is the stadium upgrades.  They have the Danbrook 1 issue, but beside that, you don't hear a lot of craziness like you do when other municipalities try doing something. 

 

They seem to negotiate a lot from the developers instead of pi**ing it away rejecting plans. 


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#54 AllseeingEye

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Posted 26 February 2020 - 01:59 AM

I'm tempted to concentrate on what a terrible concept and idea this actually is, but instead I'll just say:

You_can't_build_ a_ 1200_ seat_legitimate_ theatre_in_2020_for_$30 million_dollars.

 

The theatre alone will cost three to four times as much as that, and it won't be anything particularly special even at $120 million.

If they try to bring this to fruition as announced, they will fail.

It will be a room with 1200 uncomfortable plastic seats, and a tribute act once every six months. The rest of the time it will serve as some sort of arena/special-event space for dog shows and the like.

 

But I will say that if Langford dropped the office tower and museum, and put $100 million towards building a proper theatre - Langford is the one municipality that might be able to pull it off. God knows we'll never see a new theatre in the CRD otherwise.

But they won't do that, and this will either never make it past the (terrible in this case) watercolour stage, or wind up getting built and becoming the home of the Annual South Island Livestock Auction.

 

Theatre shenanigans aside, I agree with those above positing whether there is a worse possible fit than the Maritime Museum and Langford?

 

Well good news: Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings are coming out of the old folks home and touring yet again, they'd be perfect for such a venue, Failing that I'm sure it could draw such scintillating events as the South Vancouver Island Concrete Producer's Association bi-annual "New Product Review" convention.


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#55 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 26 February 2020 - 05:24 AM

You're expecting Rock Bay to be redeveloped before Dockside Green gets finished?

 

before the wade completes anyway.



#56 Jackerbie

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Posted 26 February 2020 - 09:39 AM

Well they have managed to pull off building a facility to house the Y, a library, a Conservatory of Music and whatever else is there.  Then there is the stadium upgrades.  They have the Danbrook 1 issue, but beside that, you don't hear a lot of craziness like you do when other municipalities try doing something. 

 

They seem to negotiate a lot from the developers instead of pi**ing it away rejecting plans. 

 

FWIW, the Westhills Y also cost $30M



#57 On the Level

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Posted 26 February 2020 - 02:48 PM

FWIW, the Westhills Y also cost $30M


For the $30m, does that cover the Y and pool portion or does it cover the rest of the facilities in that building as well?

#58 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 26 February 2020 - 03:57 PM

this is a reminder we built a 7000-seat arena for $30m in 2005.  $39m in today's dollars.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 February 2020 - 03:57 PM.


#59 2F2R

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Posted 26 February 2020 - 05:40 PM

Well in Victoria this would get proposed then studied for ten years then dropped ... in Langford, it will probably go ahead on time and on budget.


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#60 Nparker

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Posted 26 February 2020 - 06:21 PM

... in Langford, it will probably go ahead...

Sometimes a sober second thought, isn't such a bad idea.



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