[Downtown Victoria] 937 View/930 Fort condos | 14-floors | Canceled in 2012

[Mike K.]

A development proposal has surfaced for 937 View which is the lot that runs between View and Fort directly east of View Towers and Lunds Auction.

The proposal is for a 17-storey condo tower, virtually equal in height to View Towers, with groundfloor retail on the View Street side and a 4-storey townhome building with groundfloor retail on the Fort Street side. The architects are Number 10.

Approximately ~130 units are envisioned.

Perhaps the DRA will have more info in the coming days.

[Baro]

Finally something on this lot. Although I hope it doesn't match the MASSING of view towers. Two buildings that size right next to each other would be fairly ugly and a huge bit of ammo for the anti-development crowd.

[G-Man]

I thinkthat the tower needs to be taller than View Towers to hide it. If the building is nice then this will be a welcom addition to the area. Do we have any idea on what it will actually look like?

[aastra]

Interesting proposal. I like the fact that the Fort Street side would be lowrise. It would be really nice if the tower was glassy and colourful and as "light" as possible, as a challenge to View Towers. I also think matching the height of View Towers might be a mistake. A few stories taller or a few stories shorter, but not the same.

Just think, the day might come when View Towers ISN'T Harris Green's defining building.

[Mike K.]

I'm hoping Rob Randall of the DRA will have some images to show us in the near future.

This could very well be the building that finally covers VT from the east. That is, if it's built taller than TV and not shorter.

[amor de cosmos]

what about view street between vancouver & cook? there's a big empty space there next to that big apartment building, or there used to be.

[Mike K.]

It's a stale proposal. More info at viewtopic.php?f=62&t=61

[Nparker]

Anything that distracts one's attention from View Towers cannot be a bad thing. I agree however it probably needs to be a couple of floors taller, or maybe a wee bit shorter, but certainly NOT the same height. This would simply double the obscene massing that is already there. If this one goes through it will be interesting to see what sort of design emerges than can obscure the monstrosity that is VT.

[Baro]

I'd love to see any initial renderings of this project if they exist.

[Rob Randall]

Sorry about the delay. This is a rough massing sketch. I'll have more later.

[Mike K.]

That's much appreciated.

Thank you, Rob.

[aastra]

For a rough massing sketch, that image is showing us a lot of good things. The tower is a bit fat but the design is good so I can forgive the slight excess in the girth:

- there is variation in the design as the building gets taller (it's not "cookie-cutter")
- the top floor is unique
- the design of the west face is markedly different from the design of the south face

Potential Negatives:
The small windows on the Fort Street side of the lowrise sort of give the impression that the lowrise is turning its back on Fort Street.

View Towers and the proposed tower would be very close together. I realize the east face of View Towers is essentially a blank face, with extremely small windows (I think they're the kitchen windows, aren't they?). But I'm wondering if the proposed tower would need to be slimmed a bit.

[Baro]

I'd take a little mass off the side of the tower to give it more seperation, and make the fort street structure a little larger and more interesting.

But even as is, I'd love to see this proposal go through! That mid-block walkway doesn't even look too bad if it's lined with actual shops and uses.

[Mike K.]

The way View Towers is drawn/angled makes it appear taller than the proposal but I was under the assumption that they would be the same height.

Being so close together there shouldn't be as great a difference in height in that rendering, should there be?

[aastra]

I forgot to mention, I think this just might be a rare example of a mid-block walkway that could actually work. The route is reasonably practical; pedestrians might indeed want to get from London Drugs to Fort Street or vice versa. And there are windows and other signs of life on the sides of the proposed buildings. Plenty of balconies looking down on it, also. You wouldn't be taking your life in your hands when you cut through there.

[aastra]

I think the Fort Street facade needs work but otherwise I'm a big fan of this one.

[aastra]

Photoshop suggests even a minimal reduction in the width would solve the proximity problem.

[Baro]

before I saw this pic i thought the lot in question was grass with the cool abandoned truck next to view towers. Any ideas on what could go there? Why's that lot been empty for so long?

[Mike K.]

The owner isn't interested in redeveloping the remaining parcel of land because of a grudge he has against the city stemming from several decades back when City Hall reneged on a rezoning for a second "View Tower."

[Galvanized]

I agree with aastra, that is a good spot for a walkway unlike the proposal on Yates St.

Overall I like where this one is headed!

[Rob Randall]

Fort St. elevation:



Fort St. looking west:



Fort St. looking east:



View St.:



Mid-block walkway, looking toward Fort:



Lund's Auction has an easement on a lane-width strip alongside View Towers that is used to unload furniture at the back entrance. This means any future development (including this one) has to accommodate truck parking in the walkway.

[Dylan Leblanc]

The Fort Street frontage really needs to be improved. The four storey portion looks like it was designed to have it's side facing to Fort Street, while it should be much more animated in it's design and have a better presence to Fort Street. The View Streen face of the tower that I have seen in other renderings is much better.

[Baro]

woah, I'm liking this more and more. Thanks so much for posting these. The fort street bit looks a little tacked on though. It needs something more to be the real 'face' of the project as this is the main facing.

So what are the chances of something this size actually getting built here?

[G-Man]

I am liking this proposal.

I agree with the comments suggestign there is something about the Fort Street facade that makes it seem as though it is turning its head. Also I think that all that trim needs to go from the walkway. I like the walking width but adding a fountain and stuff is crazy. Stretch the commecial along fort street a metre or so to the west and skip the fountain until you get further north on the alley.

Still overall 8.5

[m0nkyman]

The Fort St. side looks crappy from this angle. What's with the blank wall? They need to wrap the window around the side here...