Nanaimo's incredible skyscrapers

[Phil McAvity]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Thanks for the pics, nice to see some shots of Nanaimo.

Guessing no movement on the Chinese hotel tower so far?

Another dead proposal that jumped through all the hoops just to go no where I am guessing.

Thanks.

It's nice to see somebody looks at my pics.

You have good reason to be cynical, in Nanaimo the Malaspina Hotel sat vacant and dilapidated for decades before it was finally developed.

I didn't even go by the Chinese hotel lot this time because the last time I checked it out there was nothing happening and it's been almost a year. I'll be going up again soon so i'll have another look but I doubt anything has changed.

[Phil McAvity]

I went back up to Nanaimo a couple of days ago and just like I suspected there is zilch happening at the SSS Manhao site. The only thing that is happening is the six story residential building downtown is slowly coming along.

[Metro-One]

Dang, but I suspected as much. Again, Kelowna and Nanaimo amaze me with all of their "almost" projects.

The strange part is these communities are not exactly depressed either, so what is the problem...

Also why do these companies jump through all these hoops to create a proposal and get their approvals from city governments, and then do nothing. It is not like as if it is a free process.

At least that 6 story building looks decent and is perched on a nice location.

[Phil McAvity]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Dang, but I suspected as much. Again, Kelowna and Nanaimo amaze me with all of their "almost" projects.

The strange part is these communities are not exactly depressed either, so what is the problem....

We're still digging ourselves out of the recession of 2008 that sunk or hurt many projects but for some reason smaller cities seemed to be hit much harder than bigger cities like Calgary, Vancouver and especially Toronto which have been in the midst of building booms since the recession hit, that's the weird thing.

[Phil McAvity]

Here's a shot of Nanaimo's skyline:

[Phil McAvity]

This isn't exactly a surprise :

http://www.cheknews.ca/plug-pulled-o...opment-108980/

[Metro-One]

Well, that is too bad. It was a nice looking project that would have added a nice urban flare to Nanaimo.

Seriously, they should sue these joker companies that just waste everyone time.

[Phil McAvity]

They probably waste their own time and money more than anyone else's.

[Phil McAvity]

Since the tallest buildings in Nanaimo are all residential I thought I would do something different this time and focus on Nanaimo's office buildings which means this will be a very short yet thorough tour as the two tallest are both only 6 stories:








And here's a shot of the Nanaimo skyline I took from an angle i'd never seen before. Notice the top of the little glass office building above peeking out on the right:

[Phil McAvity]

Nanaimo starts new search for elusive hotel builder

CARLA WILSON / TIMES COLONIST
FEBRUARY 16, 2016 06:00 AM


Nanaimo has a dream that won’t die. Despite repeated setbacks dating back more than a decade, the city is hoping that someone will build a hotel to complement its conference centre.

In its latest push, the city has hired CBRE Ltd. Canada to gather information in the hopes of publishing a request for proposals later this year for the 100 Gordon St. hotel site.

CBRE is to complete a market analysis of the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, which opened in 2008, and the adjacent hotel site. The $60,000 study will include a feasibility and market study of a hotel and how it might affect the conference centre. The report is due March 31.

Back in 2003, two plans for a conference centre and hotel were put on hold when public-private deals flopped. Subsequent attempts never got off the ground, either.

Most recently, a Chinese company that had planned to build a $50-million, 21-storey hotel with 240 rooms pulled out. Key to that plan was the company’s promise to bring in 70,000 tourists every year. That proposal failed after council refused to give the company a one-year extension. Now council is taking a fresh look at options.

When the 38,000-square-foot conference centre opened, its then operations manager said the goal was to be “thought of as the best conference centre in the country.”

But anticipated conferences have not materialized. And the hotel, which was expected to support the conference centre, has still to be built.

Victoria tourism consultant Frank Bourree said Nanaimo’s hotel occupancy rate was slightly over 60 per cent last year. To make a hotel financially viable, the market generally needs an occupancy rate of 70 per cent.

Hotels are costly to build and this project would likely require rates of $150 and $170 per room. A developer would have to take a long-term view on the project, Bourree said, adding he would not be surprised to see Chinese interest again.


© Copyright Times Colonist

[Metro-One]

Would be great to see another tower or two be built in Nanaimo.

[Phil McAvity]

They just finished a 6 story residential right downtown which doesn't sound like much but due to it's hilltop location it actually adds to the skyline.

[Metro-One]

its nice that there is some activity in Nanaimo, but it is deserving of more