Victoria Construction - #7 - Page 217

zoomer · #**4321** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 2:44 AM**

617 Broughton approved by 7-2 vote today - full story at MappingVictoria

617 Broughton St - May 2026 Revision - © MCM Partnership Architects by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

zoomer · #**4322** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 3:42 AM**

Boutique hotel at 1114 Rockland endorsed today by council - MappingVictoria story

1114 Rockland Avenue - May 2026 Revision - © Studio PA by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Phil McAvity · #**4323** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 6:30 PM**

Why do we have zoning laws when every project gets voted on by city council?

aastra · #**4324** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 7:11 PM**

I hope someone takes the time to fully document the Broughton parkade in pics and video before it gets taken out.

aastra · #**4325** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 7:15 PM**

Quote:

Councillor Matt Dell commented "The height is really interesting and I want to point out the Belmont Building is just down on the corner of Wharf and Government I believe. It was built in 1912 and is three metres shorter. Over a hundred years ago we built a building that was only three meters shorter and here we a hundred years later, you know, concerned about the height of this building. The Belmont Building is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, it's always talked about how iconic it is in the inner harbour, so I think we need to remember that three metres over a hundred years is not that much of a difference."

Isn't it funny how the controversial ravings of cranks and lunatics back in 1990s letters-to-the-editor or in early 2000s online discussions have morphed into the well-reasoned positions of esteemed political representatives?

aastra · #**4326** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 7:22 PM**

Quote:

Mayor Marianne Alto speaking in favour of the development: "I actually think this is remarkably elegant, it's a very confined space...what is being proposed here I think brings a degree of elegance that is entirely suitable for that location, particularly as it is compared to some of the immediately surrounded buildings - The Magnolia Hotel - The Sovereign, the Belmont, a variety of others including the Union Club just down the hill. So I actually think this is a remarkable adaptation of a new 21st century version of all of that elegance and that design."

Good point, but if we're taking stock of 21st-century versions of all that elegance and design, there's a conspicuously unmentioned building in that list, you think?

aastra · #**4327** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 7:24 PM**

Anyway, I just hope they don't make any surprise adjustments halfway through construction that cheapen the overall result.

aastra · #**4328** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 7:44 PM**

A wiser man than myself once made the observation: "the more Victoria changes, the more it stays the same". Case in point: where are all of the other angles (some might say the much more pertinent angles) of the Broughton project? What will it look like for people walking around on the street or looking out their hotel windows, etc.?

No doubt the seagulls will be reassured by that rendered view from 350 feet in the air over the Fort/Douglas intersection, but methinks no human being will ever see it from that perspective without the aid of a drone camera.

(edit: I suppose if the Cactus Club corner is ever redeveloped then a crane operator might enjoy that view for a while. I stand corrected.)

zoomer · #**4329** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 11:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aastra

Anyway, I just hope they don't make any surprise adjustments halfway through construction that cheapen the overall result.

Exactly. Assuming the plans and materials remain the same, I think this could be the best high end large scale purpose built rental building in Victoria?

Quote:

Good point, but if we're taking stock of 21st-century versions of all that elegance and design, there's a conspicuously unmentioned building in that list, you think?

You know it took me a couple minutes with my mind wandering around downtown Victoria before I realized I had taken a picture of the damn thing standing on the parkade occupying the proposal site, lol.

Customs House condo - March 23, 2026 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Funny how easy we (only me?) forget about this one, maybe because it fits so well and feels as if its always been there.

And Phil good point - I was going to go on a rant, but I stopped myself.

zoomer · #**4330** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 11:41 PM**

And news on the sale of 780 Fort (site of the former Wintergarden Hotel proposal) is on MappingVictoria.

Phil McAvity · #**4331** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 11:42 PM**

you need to learn how to use the "edit" button Aastra

Maybe her highness the mayor didn't mention the Empress because it was so obvious, mind you Matt Dell never mentioned the Empress either in his wordy diatribe about the height of the proposed building. You consider him "esteemed"? Please tell me you're being facetious

Over at MappingVictoria, the guy that runs that site (who's a bit of a nutter) has much more comprehensive renderings than what is posted here of that Broughton proposal

Please tell me you were joking about the Customs House Zoomer

zoomer · #**4332** Posted **Sep 11, 2026, 11:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil McAvity

you need to learn how to use the "edit" button Aastra

Maybe her highness the mayor didn't mention the Empress because it was so obvious, mind you Matt Dell never mentioned the Empress either in his wordy diatribe about the height of the proposed building. You consider him "esteemed"? Please tell me you're being facetious

Over at MappingVictoria, the guy that runs that site (who's a bit of a nutter) has much more comprehensive renderings than what is posted here of that Broughton proposal

So now we're betting on the Empress vs. the new Custom House? I assume aastra was referring to recent new builds, but what do I know.

Well I do know that indeed Phil is correct, that MappingVictoria guy is a nutter - some would even say a bike lane loving, anti-car commie vegan with a cane and top hat. Yet I once saw him at Jones Bar-B-Que stuffing his face with pulled pork and dancing on the tables like Fred Astaire - so perhaps only some of that is true.

aastra · #**4333** Posted **Sep 12, 2026, 3:17 AM**

Quote:

you need to learn how to use the "edit" button Aastra

Phil is pushing my buttons. It's like the glory days of SSP all over again, back when we were in grade school. Or were we in our early forties? I'm too old to remember now.

Hey, aren't you the same guy who used to edit my posts for me, when you were a mod? Because (ironically) you would unintentionally hit the "edit" button when you meant to hit "reply"?

I remember making the effort to recover my insightful observations from Google's cache and then (wait for it) editing my posts to restore the original text.

As maddening as it can be to deal with zoomer, at least I can't accuse him of ever pulling a stunt like that.

aastra · #**4334** Posted **Sep 12, 2026, 3:20 AM**

I'm not sure I'd file the Empress Hotel as an example of the 21st-century elegance and design that the mayor was referring to.

aastra · #**4335** Posted **Sep 12, 2026, 3:20 AM**

For the record.

aastra · #**4336** Posted **Sep 12, 2026, 3:22 AM**

Just so we're clear.

zoomer · #**4337** Posted **Sep 16, 2026, 5:20 AM**

Oh we're clear!

Speaking of clear - a clearer view of the 23-storey M'akola indigenous housing development across from Mayfair Mall from their September 2026 revised plans. Not much difference other than better visuals and a pattern design for what was previously a blank backside wall.

All the details on the MappingVictoria project page.

3075 Douglas St - September 2026 Revised Plans - © MCM Partnership by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

zoomer · #**4338** Posted **Sep 18, 2026, 6:19 AM**

480 Esquimalt Rd - Ellis on September 27, 2026 - the far store front has been leased. MappingVictoria project page for more info.

480 Esquimalt Rd - September 17, 2026 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

zoomer · #**4339** Posted **Yesterday, 4:20 PM**

The developer for 816 Cloverdale in Saanich is now proposing adding a hotel component to one of the towers.

More on MappingVictoria Breaking News

816 Cloverdale Ave Proposal by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Phil McAvity · #**4340** Posted **Yesterday, 4:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aastra

Phil is pushing my buttons. It's like the glory days of SSP all over again, back when we were in grade school. Or were we in our early forties? I'm too old to remember now.

Hey, aren't you the same guy who used to edit my posts for me, when you were a mod? Because (ironically) you would unintentionally hit the "edit" button when you meant to hit "reply"?

I remember making the effort to recover my insightful observations from Google's cache and then (wait for it) editing my posts to restore the original text.

As maddening as it can be to deal with zoomer, at least I can't accuse him of ever pulling a stunt like that.

That's true, being an admin/mod at the site changes the location of the buttons so after using them thousands of times over the users as a regular member suddenly they were rearranged which made it difficult to adjust to, hence my mistakes although I have no idea what that has to do with your refusal to edit your posts. Is there a reason you make multiple small posts instead of just one big post?

It's weird to me that there's a proposal for the old Paul's restaurant which has been a Credit Union and Surliest Coffee for years since it was Paul's yet right on the other side of Mayfair Mall is a huge lot has sat vacant for 20 years now. 🞵🞵🞵?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil McAvity

Why do we have zoning laws when every project gets voted on by city council?

I'm still waiting for an answer to this because all I see is unecessary red tape, so nobody here has any thoughts on the subject?