Victoria Construction - #7

[SpongeG]

Contrary to rumours, no deal for Walmart at Hillside, says mall management

Louise Dickson / Times Colonist
FEBRUARY 26, 2019

If there is a deal coming for Walmart to open one of its stores at Hillside shopping centre, it has not been signed.

On Monday, Wayne Popowich, executive vice-president with Bentall Kennedy, the commercial real estate firm that manages Hillside Centre, said he didn’t know where the rumour was coming from.

...

https://www.timescolonist.com/busine...ent-1.23645549

[aastra]

Mass-timber residential project over by Mayfair mall:

[vicdevelopments]

That looks really cool. Has it been approved yet?

[Vin]

Beautiful buildings! Would like to see it built with concrete more than timber though. Interesting that the hi-rise condos at Uptown got cancelled but now there is market for residential buildings nearby at Mayfair. Build them!

[vicdevelopments]

Nanaimobeacon.com is reporting that the NDP has approved a bridge from Gabriola Island to the mainland. I would post the link but I do not know how to do that on my cell phone.

[Metro-One]

I don't believe that! Need to see renders / official report.

Has Gabriola Island even been asking for one?

Not that I would be against it.

[aastra]

That site is full of funny fake stories. For example:
http://www.nanaimobeacon.com/autoparks/

The funniest bit in the bridge story is the part about still requiring a ferry connection between Gabriola Island and Vancouver Island even after the mainland and Gabriola are connected by a 43-km bridge:
http://www.nanaimobeacon.com/bridge/

A BC Ferry spokesperson said the company has no plans to increase service on the small Gabriola-to-Nanaimo route. They say to expect wait times of three to four days to make the crossing to Nanaimo.

[Phil McAvity]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Contrary to rumours, no deal for Walmart at Hillside, says mall management

Louise Dickson / Times Colonist
FEBRUARY 26, 2019

If there is a deal coming for Walmart to open one of its stores at Hillside shopping centre, it has not been signed.

On Monday, Wayne Popowich, executive vice-president with Bentall Kennedy, the commercial real estate firm that manages Hillside Centre, said he didn’t know where the rumour was coming from.

...

https://www.timescolonist.com/busine...ent-1.23645549

I'm sorry to hear that's not true, I was hoping for another WallyMart

[aastra]

Hudson Place One:


pic by MarkoJ at vibrantvictoria.ca

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Mason Street side of the ultra-controversial Mason Street project:


pic by MarkoJ at vibrantvictoria.ca

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Ironworks:


pic by MarkoJ at vibrantvictoria.ca

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989 Johnson:


pic by MarkoJ at vibrantvictoria.ca

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986 Heywood facing Beacon Hill Park:


pic by MarkoJ at vibrantvictoria.ca

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Jukebox:


pic by MarkoJ at vibrantvictoria.ca

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Vivid/Yates on Yates:


pic by MarkoJ at vibrantvictoria.ca

[vicdevelopments]

Thank you for the pictures. It’s exciting to see so many new projects being built. I am really excited to see The Hudson building go up as well as Chard’s two buildings. There is going to be so many more people living downtown. So looking forward to it.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by vicdevelopments

Thank you for the pictures. It’s exciting to see so many new projects being built. I am really excited to see The Hudson building go up as well as Chard’s two buildings. There is going to be so many more people living downtown. So looking forward to it.

Love to also see how the downtown footprint of Victoria is finally expanding northwards and eastwards, replacing many former North American style post-war industrial and open parking lots. Would be lovely if it can eventually link up to the Mayfair shopping centre and Uptown neighbourhoods.

[aastra]

I could be a stinker and argue that these new developments aren't really expanding the downtown so much as finally halting the post-1950s dilution/disruption of the greater downtown area. In 2019 the Leland Building, the Scott Building, the armoury etc. are still standing apart from the northern edge of downtown proper, and the north end of downtown is still waiting for new construction of any significance at all (110+ years and counting... but see caveat below). Meanwhile, on the east side of downtown, View Towers is still the largest & tallest apartment block even as it nears its 50th birthday.

Put it another way: if the old brewery building were still around it would easily be the king of the north part of downtown even today. In 2019 we get excited about the prospect of new construction in the form of a small mixed-use building on Douglas.

Speaking of the Scott Building and the Leland Building, check out these other little buildings that used to be in their company:

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Douglas & Kings:

pic from https://archives.victoria.ca/2601-douglas-street

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Bay & Government:

pic from https://archives.victoria.ca/2418-24...ernment-street

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And don't forget the corner of Bay and Bridge, which was torn down fairly recently (1980-something, I think it was?):

pic from https://archives.victoria.ca/rock-ba...ter-apartments

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North Ward School wasn't a commercial building, but just imagine how interesting the district could have been if they had built around it rather than over top of it (and just imagine how interesting the district could have been if they hadn't erased the entire Rose Street neighbourhood while they were at it, but I digress):

pic from https://archives.victoria.ca/north-ward-school-3

[aastra]

...and the north end of downtown is still waiting for new construction of any significance at all (110+ years and counting)

Somebody else could be a stinker and argue that Azzurro recently ended the development drought in north downtown. I forgot all about it.

I suppose it raises the question re: exactly what would constitute a "significant" project. For north downtown I think anything taller than 4 stories should probably qualify.

[Vin]

A real waste when so many beautiful buildings of the past were destroyed. All the more the remaining ones, especially those pre-60s, must be protected.

The church district at Quadra can be densified further. That neighbourhood can be the next major attraction in Victoriia, espeicially for those who appreciate and love heritage structures. Perhaps the City should start with a fund to upgrade the streets and alleys to make the area more inviting and pedestrian friendly.
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.4293...7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.4276...7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.4279...7i13312!8i6656

Scott building will be protected, at least the facade of the building will be. The vacant lot will have a 6-storey flat built. Careful planning can enable the Bay street armoury area to be a new commercial/residential district in north downtown. However, those strip malls, mechanic shops and ugly warehouses need to be rid of or shifted elsewhere.
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.4355...7i13312!8i6656

[Vin]

It is also wise to build heritage style buildings in the CBD proper, especially for newer buildings to replace parking lots and one or two storey structures.

There is a proposal in Vancouver that would suit Victoria's CBD.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/2086...boutique-hotel

[Phil McAvity]

Originally Posted by aastra

Somebody else could be a stinker and argue that Azzurro recently ended the development drought in north downtown. I forgot all about it.

"stinkers"? Holy fuck you guys tone down the language a bit you're getting out of control

Development drought in the north end? Have we forgotten about the entire Hudson district?

Originally Posted by aastra

In 2019 we get excited about the prospect of new construction in the form of a small mixed-use building on Douglas.

Who's "we"? That project doesn't excite me

I wouldn't be surprised if those old Rock Bay apts weren't torn down in the early 90's because I remember them

In your nostalgia for these old buildings (I feel like i'm at a Heritage Foundation meeting here) is that regardless of how many incentives the city comes up with for keeping old buildings if they're not financially viable and become money pits, they get replaced. I can barely even imagine what the upkeep on the North Ward school would have been given how big and ornate it was.

I was around Yates/Cook/Johnson St's today and saw that there are 7 buildings proposed between 6-17 stories there which include 4 high rises on the Pacific Mazda lot (where they plan to build the new firehall/emergency services building) and across Cook St there are 3 other buildings proposed. Ironically, the only things spared in the neighborhood were the three little old houses/buildings I expected first to be replaced at the corner of Cook and Johnson: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jo...4d-123.3534466

[aastra]

Re: those orphaned little houses, I've vented about that sort of thing on VV many times. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to what gets preserved and what gets torn down in Victoria. Actually, there seems to be an inversion thing going on. If the house or building is obviously worth preserving then it gets torn down or relocated to some other community (there's a fine house further down Cook that's under the gun right now); if the house or building is questionable then it gets preserved.

Development drought in the north end? Have we forgotten about the entire Hudson district?

Dude, we were talking about the expansion of downtown's footprint to the north. Development on the HBC block wouldn't really qualify as an expansion, seeing as how a large downtown department store occupied the spot a hundred years ago.

Put it another way, if our great grandmothers regarded a site as being downtown back in the day, then development on the same site in the late 2010s can't really be regarded as an expansion of downtown's footprint.


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pic by laconic at vibrantvictoria.ca of a visitor coming under the new JSB in the early morning for some work at the shipyard:

[Phil McAvity]

Originally Posted by aastra

Dude, we were talking about the expansion of downtown's footprint to the north. Development on the HBC block wouldn't really qualify as an expansion, seeing as how a large downtown department store occupied the spot a hundred years ago.

Put it another way, if our great grandmothers regarded a site as being downtown back in the day, then development on the same site in the late 2010s can't really be regarded as an expansion of downtown's footprint.

Gotcha

My bad

[vicdevelopments]

I was looking at the crane at the Hudson the other day and it looked to me that it might have to be raised. I might be wrong though.

[Phil McAvity]

The city has got itself into a predicament by having the charity that was using the building at 602 Gorge Rd E evacuate due to the building falling apart after the building was on the market for a year and half with no takers. Remember what I was saying about buildings needing to be profitable? This building's life is clearly over yet it's heritage designation prevents it from being torn down

https://www.google.com/maps/place/60...4d-123.3701301

https://www.sookenewsmirror.com/news...sing-building/