Victoria Construction - #7

[vicdevelopments]

approved twin 17 story condos on the corner of Johnson St and Vancouver Street
Johnson and Vancouver St by steven roberts, on Flickr
No excavation yet.

[vicdevelopments]

Originally Posted by vicdevelopments

Finally they are erecting the crane for Legato a 17 story condo building on Yates Street
Yates street 2 by steven roberts, on Flickr

Legato by steven roberts, on Flickr

This is the thirteenth tower crane to go up currently in the greater Victoria region.

I am liking the modern glass facades. Victoria has way too many concrete walled highrises.

[Phil McAvity]

In light of all the construction around town it was decided at the last City Council meeting that Victoria's name will soon be changed to, "Craneville".

[aastra]

Victoria has way too many concrete walled highrises.

I don't think it has more than any other place but the prominence of the older highrises has inadvertently been emphasized & preserved by the misguided prohibitions against new highrises. For example, highrise buildings were originally proposed in James Bay on the Duet site and the 200 Douglas site. The one for 200 Douglas in particular would have been slick. But the neighbourhood said no because it hates the old concrete highrises don't you know, and now we have new lowrise buildings on both of those sites and the old concrete James Bay highrises are thus guaranteed to dominate for that much longer.

[vicdevelopments]

I agree. The duet should have been taller. There is some newer buildings like the Falls and The Wave that has modern glass facades. In harris green you have the View towers, Regent |Parks and The Manhatton dominating the skyline so these new glass buildings that have been approved is a welcome site. Im amazed still that our city council approved these high rises.

Still some of the new high rises lack this new look.

The newest condo high rise The Era 728 Yates Street lacks luster in my opinion.
yates street by steven roberts, on Flickr

As does the New Hudson walk building. I wish they had more glass.

townline by steven roberts, on Flickr

[vicdevelopments]

[QUOTE=Phil McAvity;

In light of all the construction around town it was decided at the last City Council meeting that Victoria's name will soon be changed to, "Craneville".[/QUOTE]

As I posted earlier there is 13 tower cranes in Greater Victoria. I'm not sure but that has to be a record number ever.

[Phil McAvity]

Since cranespotter operates a crane I thought he'd know how many there are in Victoria but when I suggested we had run out he laughed without telling me how many there are so I don't think he knows but I can't believe we have this many in Victoria.

I've lived in Victoria for a long time and normally we've got two or three going and during building booms we'll have five or six going but in and around downtown there are nine right now.

Originally Posted by vicdevelopments

Victoria has way too many concrete walled highrises.

Victoria just has an extraordinary number of mid rises and high rises period, especially in comparison to similarly sized American cities.

[vicdevelopments]

Originally Posted by Phil McAvity

Since cranespotter operates a crane I thought he'd know how many there are in Victoria but when I suggested we had run out he laughed without telling me how many there are so I don't think he knows but I can't believe we have this many in Victoria.

I've lived in Victoria for a long time and normally we've got two or three going and during building booms we'll have five or six going but in and around downtown there are nine right now.



Victoria just has an extraordinary number of mid rises and high rises period, especially in comparison to similarly sized American cities.

I count 9 as well in downtown, one in Saanich on the corner of Gorge and Admerals and one in Langford on Jackline across from the old highschool property. Sorry for the mistake.

[vicdevelopments]

The Legato crane is now up.

960 Yates St by steven roberts, on Flickr

[vicdevelopments]

Originally Posted by Phil McAvity

Since cranespotter operates a crane I thought he'd know how many there are in Victoria but when I suggested we had run out he laughed without telling me how many there are so I don't think he knows but I can't believe we have this many in Victoria.

I've lived in Victoria for a long time and normally we've got two or three going and during building booms we'll have five or six going but in and around downtown there are nine right now.

I just hope all these projects get built. There is a bit of a labor shortage right now.

"Victoria just has an extraordinary number of mid rises and high rises period, especially in comparison to similarly sized American cities."

I just hope they break the 20 story limit. Maybe with Bayview's 21 story condo and with the 24 story Townline's going to build in the next year it will lead to some taller towers. All said I'm really excited to see so many mid and high rises being built now. This new council has lightened up on such developments.

[aastra]

The newest condo high rise The Era 728 Yates Street lacks luster in my opinion.

They do, for sure. But that's Concert's style and also it's not really a high-end building. I'd really like to see a couple of new high-end condo towers downtown with a lot of glass coverage. For years I was assuming one would go up eventually on the motel site across from the bus station. But no, another Concert building will be going there (and a retirement residence at that). I like Concert, don't get me wrong. They've done good things for downtown. But I'd say it's time to shake things up a bit in the style department.

[osirisboy]

Whats with some of these cranes,. They get them from a museum? Lol they look ancient

[Phil McAvity]

They've added a crane at the railyards so we're up to 10 now.

[vicdevelopments]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Whats with some of these cranes,. They get them from a museum? Lol they look ancient

They seem ok to me. Pretty much the same cranes we always have here.

[aastra]

Whats with some of these cranes,. They get them from a museum? Lol they look ancient.

Heritage is important in Victoria so builders are required to use heritage cranes.

[vicdevelopments]

Originally Posted by aastra

They do, for sure. But that's Concert's style and also it's not really a high-end building. I'd really like to see a couple of new high-end condo towers downtown with a lot of glass coverage. For years I was assuming one would go up eventually on the motel site across from the bus station. But no, another Concert building will be going there (and a retirement residence a that). I like Concert, don't get me wrong. They've done good things for downtown. But I'd say it's time to shake things up a bit in the style department.

I agree. even if it was just one tower a signature piece of architecture for downtown. We are losing all most of our parking lots now so maybe sometime some one will demolish some one story buildings and build something grand.

[vicdevelopments]

Originally Posted by Phil McAvity

They've added a crane at the railyards so we're up to 10 now.

Taken today number 10 in the city and number 12 for the capital region.
songhees by steven roberts, on Flickr

[Phil McAvity]

Damn! You beat me to that shot!

[vicdevelopments]

sorry I beat you to it. I was driving on warf street and saw the crane so I had to snap a shot of it. I have been meaning to post some pics from around town. I just hate using flickr for photos. I see you use photobucket I will see if its any better.

[skylinegazer]

Medical-office complex to replace crumbling Turner Building - http://www.timescolonist.com/busines...ding-1.2318721

To me this design looks ridiculous. Tear down the old section and move on. It's awkwardly placed and ill-proportioned. So a few hippies have memories of a coffee shop that used to be there back in the 60s. For most people nowadays their memory of this building is as an abandoned pile of turd. Tear it down and move on.