Victoria Construction - #7

[Mike K.]

Design District condo proposal revived and re-envisioned
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/des...re-envisioned/

A re-envisioned proposal to build a mixed-use residential and ground floor commercial building on a long empty lot in downtown Victoria’s Design District will be back before Victoria council several years after previously approved plans failed to materialize.

First proposed in 2008 by Magellan Properties and Homewood Constructors, The Kunju, at 613 Herald Street, was designed by Frank D’Ambrosio Architects as a four storey condo with ground floor commercial space. Approvals were secured in early 2009, although it was not until 2011 that a short-lived marketing campaign was launched prior to the site being put up for sale. [Read more]

[Mike K.]

Victoria poised for record breaking volume of office space construction
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/vic...-construction/
 
A record setting building boom will add over 700,000 square feet of modern office space to downtown Victoria and periphery neighbourhoods by 2020.

Concurrent construction of multiple office buildings, together with projects recently occupied and projects planned to complete by 2020, will mark the most productive period for office development in the City of Victoria's history.
 
Leading the fray in terms of sheer size is 1515 Douglas by Jawl Properties. Comprised of a six storey lowrise fronting onto Douglas Street across from City Hall and a 13-storey tower immediately to the east, 1515 Douglas will bring 273,000 square feet of high-end office space and over 21,000 square feet of ground floor retail space to the heart of Victoria’s financial and business district. Site preparations have begun at Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue with both buildings anticipated to secure occupancy permits by early 2018.
 
In James Bay a partnership between Jawl Properties and Vancouver-based Concert Properties includes 235,000 square feet of office space as part of Capital Park, a redevelopment of a long-vacant property adjacent to aging provincial government offices bordered by Michigan, Menzies, Superior and Government streets. The first phase, expected to move into the site preparation stage in the first week of August with completion planned for late 2016 or early 2017, includes 117,000 square feet of office space in a five storey concrete lowrise, 53 residential units in a four storey woodframe building and some 17,000 square feet of ground floor retail space between them. At full build-out Capital Park will encompass 175 residences and a total of 20,000 square feet of retail space in addition to the 235,000 square feet of offices. [Full article]

[Mike K.]

 
Construction of mixed-use Capital Park development begins in August
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/con...ins-in-august/
 
Preliminary construction work on the first phase of Capital Park in James Bay's legislative precinct will be starting this August, according to developer Jawl Properties.
 
The mixed-use, multi-phased office, residential and commercial project bordered by Menzies, Michigan, Superior and Government streets is a joint venture between Jawl Properties and Vancouver-based Concert Properties.
 
The first phase of Capital Park, comprised of a five storey, 117,000 square foot government office building with ground floor retail space and a four storey, 53 unit residential building also with ground floor retail. The developers have not yet decided on the type of residential units, however, and may release homes as rentals or as market condos. [Full article]

[Mike K.]

Bond's Landing III in Vic West at The Railyards - http://victoria.citified.ca/condos/bonds-landing-iii-3/

[Mike K.]

Cook Street Village mixed-use condo, rental and commercial proposal revealed
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/coo...osal-revealed/

Urban Core Ventures held a community meeting on July 29th to present a redevelopment proposal encompassing several properties at the corner of Cook and Sutlej streets in the Fairfield neighbourhood's Cook Street Village.

Known currently as 220 Cook Street, the five storey development is comprised of 61 residential units, nine of which are rentals, and approximately 9,500 square feet of ground floor commercial space. [Full article]

[Mike K.]

Medical office building coming to Tillicum at Trans Canada Highway
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/med...anada-highway/
 
Excavation has begun for a long anticipated three storey medical office building at the corner of Tillicum Road and the Trans Canada Highway.
 
Developer King Lasik initially received development approvals for the high profile Saanich lot at 3645 Tillicum Road in 2002 but did not proceed on to construction. A decade later Alan Lowe Architect was secured to build on the earlier concept to better reflect the neighbourhood’s official community plan and the site’s prominent location at the gateway to both the Tillicum and “Saanich Core” neighbourhoods. Lowe's updated plans were approved in 2013. [Full article]

[Mike K.]

Not a big project but Uptown Place has created some impressive homes. The first phase is sold out and the second phase is doing quite well. I toured the development yesterday and snapped some photos. More on this project at http://victoria.citified.ca/condos/u...place-phase-2/

[Mike K.]

Crane is going up for Escher on Broughton - http://victoria.citified.ca/condos/escher-on-broughton/

[Beedok]

Victoria always seems to have high quality.

[Daveography]

^ No kidding, Uptown Place looks great.

[Mike K.]

The developer behind Uptown Place is working on a six storey woodframe condo out in Royal Oak, which for those of you who may not be familiar with Victoria it's almost exactly 5km to the north (left) along the highway you see in the photo.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Mike K.

The developer behind Uptown Place is working on a six storey woodframe condo out in Royal Oak, which for those of you who may not be familiar with Victoria it's almost exactly 5km to the north (left) along the highway you see in the photo.

Would be nicer if they put in nicer condos around the Uptown Shopping Centre.

As for Uptown Place, wouldn't that kind of wood panelling fade overtime? Lots of varnish needs to be applied on them to withstand the test of time. I can see future strata management simply paint them over with regular paint to avoid extra maintenance costs. I still like concrete condo, and if people like the wooden motif so much, they can have fake wood-looking tile panels clad to certain parts of the building.

[Mike K.]

It's no different than any building material, everything needs some form of maintenance over time.

Wood siding has been used quite effectively throughout Victoria and depending on the varnish some need to be touched up several years after installation, others tend to maintain their original colours for much longer periods. We don't get a lot of rain here compared to Vancouver, about 1/3 annually, so things tend to get a little less wear and tear (much less mildew, etc).

[Mike K.]

Second phase of the Hudson Walk development by Townline has been proposed. They want to be underway by early 2016. The first phase, also a 16-storey tower, is shown in the rendering behind the second phase.



16-storey rental tower proposed at Caledonia and Blanshard streets
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/16-...shard-streets/

Richmond-based developer Townline has applied to the City of Victoria to build a 16-storey mixed-use rental and commercial tower on the southwest corner of Caledonia and Blanshard streets.
 
The building is the second phase of Townline's Hudson Walk development, a continuation to the north of the multi-phased Hudson Place project that includes the restored former Hudson's Bay Department Store on Douglas Street. [Full article]

[Mike K.]

Retailers flock to View Royal's Eagle Creek Village
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/ret...creek-village/
 
A mixed-use residential, office and commercial development at the nexus of Victoria's Westshore and urban core has marked a major milestone this month.
 
Eagle Creek Village, currently under construction and comprised of approximately 100,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space, 76,000 square feet of office space in a five storey building and as many as 160 residences, has successfully leased 85% of its ground floor retail spaces with "more offers in the review stage," according to developer Omicron's development coordinator Matt Dixon. [Full article]



Photo from August 17

[Mike K.]

Townline outlines plan to situate brew pubs, breweries or distilleries at Hudson District
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/tow...dson-district/
 
Richmond-based Townline has outlined the details behind a rezoning application to obtain the rights to situate brew pubs, breweries or distilleries at it's Hudson District development in downtown Victoria.
 
A statement forwarded by Townline to Citified states the following:
 
[Townline has] had exploratory discussions with potential operators about the addition of a brew pub which would complement the Hudson District in becoming a hub for great food, drink and culture. Townline sees this use either occupying an existing space within the historic Hudson building or in one of the new projects currently under construction (Hudson Walk) or in the planning stage (Hudson Place). The first step is to ensure this is an appropriate use for the community and Townline is holding a Community and Land Use Committee (CALUC) meeting on September 8th at 7pm at the Victoria Public Market.
 
[Full article]

[Mike K.]

Construction has started on the 9-storey Wilson's Walk dev in Vic West. This is a project developed by TL Housing Solutions (a social housing branch of Townline). More info: http://victoria.citified.ca/rentals/wilsons-walk/

[Mike K.]

Cox Developments starts excavation for rental tower, receives support for nearby condo towers
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/cox...-condo-towers/
 
Cox Developments is celebrating two major milestones with the start of excavation for its 13-storey rental tower and a successful reception at the City of Victoria’s Planning and Land Use Committee for its two-tower 989 Johnson condo proposal.
 
At the corner of Pandora Avenue and Cook Street crews have begun excavating the site of 1075 Pandora, a mixed-use 13-storey rental tower with ground floor commercial space. Rock blasting will continue for several months with construction expected to begin by early next year. [Full article]

[Mike K.]

Public hearing adjourned for 195 unit rental development in North Park
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/pub...in-north-park/
 
The City of Victoria has adjourned a public hearing for a six storey, 195 unit rental development with 50,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space in North Park. The hearing will resume on September 17th to give more residents the opportunity to address council regarding the project.
 
If approved, developer BlueSky Properties will replace the former St. Andrew’s Elementary School at 1008 Pandora Avenue which has sat mostly vacant since its closure by the Catholic Diocese of Victoria in 2013. [Full article]

[Mike K.]

 
Plans afoot to convert vacant office building into rental apartments
http://victoria.citified.ca/news/pla...al-apartments/
 
Alston Properties has applied to the City of Victoria with plans to transform a vacant office and commercial building at 727 Johnson Street into rental apartments with ground floor commercial space.
 
The proposal calls for an addition of two floors of residential units atop the three storey building together with a full restoration of the heritage facade.
 
Approximately 30 rental homes are envisioned above ground floor commercial spaces.
A community meeting presenting details of the development has been scheduled for September 8th at 5:30PM in the Victoria Executive Centre at 915 Fort Street, third floor.
 
Alston Properties is the owner of the former Steamers Pub building in the 500-block of Yates Street. The company restored the pub into commercial space fronting Yates Street and rehabilitated a former hotel above into the Renaissance Lofts rental apartments. C [Article on Citified]