[Downtown Victoria] Northern Junk Complex | Condos | 5-storeys | Proposed

[Bernard]

Yeah!

[Baro]

Uhg so there's still a public hearing on this...

[sdwright.vic]

Personally I can not wait to have a drink on one of those decks off the back of the new Northern Junk buildings. It will be one of the few decks in the city that actually will face the right way for the summer sun!

[Sparky]

^ That would be a great spot for a VV cocktail hour.

[sdwright.vic]

Originally Posted by Sparky

^ That would be a great spot for a VV cocktail hour.

If this was Facebook I would hit "Like" now!

[Fairbanks]

Originally Posted by Sparky

^ That would be a great spot for a VV cocktail hour.

What a great idea.

[Hotel Mike]

Canoe also has a great south/west facing deck. That would make that side of the harbour the place to go for an after work drink or dinner outside. When that pathway is advanced, we can have places to gather on both sides of the new JSB. Could be awfully cool!

[Jon S]

This is interesting as it relates to the City Lands between the proposed Northern Junk project and the new bridge. It also involves the land just south of the Janion......

Open House on Pathways, Landscaping and Public Spaces:

http://www.johnsonstreetbridge.com/2...public-spaces/

[Jon S]

From the Times Colonist

http://www.timescolonist.com/Develop...756/story.html

[Jon S]

Ken Johnson is going to Council about the Northern Junk lands:

https://victoria.civicweb.net/Docume....aspx?ID=38390

Our response:

- Two years ago Council invited us to rezone and buy this land.
- They wanted Heritage Restoration / New Harbour Pathway / Connectivity.
- No requirement for an increase in public space.
- The Increase in public space is an extra benefit and was not a condition of council.
- A parking lot is not a park regardless of how it is zoned. This is not a city park or park or open space in the ODP.

[Mike K.]

Interesting. In the document linked to from within Jon's link Ken Johnson alleges that public space will not be "doubled" and proposes an alternate use of the current parking lot as a park at the entrance of Old Town.

I'm not sure why the Hallmark Society is so vehemently opposed to a project that has met or surpassed the City of Victoria's own requirements and vision for the property. And for the most part the community at-large is anticipating the proposal and the reclamation of the land from a largely undesirable crowd.

[Jeep]

I attended the information session on the bridge and city proposed public plazas near the bridgehead, and quite a large and more usable area of public plaza will created north of the "park"ing lot as part of the landscaping for the bridge. God, how many more parking lot shrines exist on our waterfront now? Mr. Johnson seems like one of these folks who thinks that we should just wait for philanthropists to come along and preserve buildings in an open field. I'll bet someone else is pulling his strings, his tone on this whole project seems so out of character. Now I'm just ranting...

[Sparky]

I couldn't believe it when I got to the community garden aspect of their presentation. I like the idea of community gardens.....but in that neighborhood?

These people must have too much time on their hands.

https://victoria.civicweb.net/FileSt...%20Johnson.pdf

[aastra]

Is this even worthy of response? The proposed development's public areas appear to be an appropriate format for the location and they also appear to be high-quality spaces (on the other hand, something like a community garden would seem to be a very risky fit for that area).

Was anybody asking for a community garden there? Does anybody want a community garden there?

That presentation makes for a great example of how some Victorians worry way too much about numbers while completely overlooking the issue of quality.

[Jeep]

Good point! In fact a reduction of what he points out or calls public space is in every way an improvement if it's replaced with what we've seen in this project so far. It's no wonder developers are so hesitant to even consider these types of sites, and why the city lets them go to parking. It's too bad that the negative few always take up the spotlight...

Isn't Ken Johnson the president of the Hallmark group? When was the context for these buildings ever a park on all sides? It was all warehouses and activity.

[Jon S]

Originally Posted by Jeep

Good point! In fact a reduction of what he points out or calls public space is in every way an improvement if it's replaced with what we've seen in this project so far. It's no wonder developers are so hesitant to even consider these types of sites, and why the city lets them go to parking. It's too bad that the negative few always take up the spotlight...

Isn't Ken Johnson the president of the Hallmark group? When was the context for these buildings ever a park on all sides? It was all warehouses and activity.

Good observation Jeep.

In fact we recently presented to the Heritage Advisory Committee, of which Ken is the Chair. In that presentation we showed Ken and the committee how there used to be buildings across old wharf street where the traffic island is now. By putting a new building across a narrow pedestrian internal street through our project, we are actually restoring not only the buildings but their historical context as sited to a commercial street with buildings on both sides.

I think also he is manipulating the facts when he calls two city lots used as parks for decades, a "Park" when it is not a City park at all and instead is rented to people as parking.

I remain surprised that Ken is not in support of the Northern Junk Project.

[Jon S]

used as parking.....not parks.

[zinkerled]

My theory is that the people opposing this are more anti waterfront development than anything related to the heritage issue. It seems like the NJ buildings are being used as an excuse. It's a shame because this is one part of downtown that seriously needs development - and something more than just a restaurant. Market square seems to want to be empty so this could be a great pedestrian hub for the area instead.

[Jon S]

Originally Posted by zinkerled

My theory is that the people opposing this are more anti waterfront development than anything related to the heritage issue. It seems like the NJ buildings are being used as an excuse. It's a shame because this is one part of downtown that seriously needs development - and something more than just a restaurant. Market square seems to want to be empty so this could be a great pedestrian hub for the area instead.

And the irony of that is that the NJ Project will open up and provide permanent public access to the actual waterfront over what are currently private lands with no access...with the waterfront walkway built for good measure.

[zinkerled]

The neighborhood garden idea is fishy too. It makes no sense. I can just imagine the thinking though: "Let's see, what do Victorians like most of all? Neighborhood gardens! Yes! We'll turn this into Reliance Properties vs a neighborhood garden!

[dasmo]

They are losing credibility by being unreasonable. It's too bad because the organization is needed IMO. Of any heritage development this one should be most celebrated. It's an important spot so a free pass shouldn't be given but community gardens there...? The HAC needs more urban vision...

[Kikadee]

Who would want to grow vegetables downtown in one of the busiest traffic areas around? Yuck! You could wash each lettuce leaf down to its ribs before you'd get the vehicular smut off it.

I love this Northern Junk proposal, by the way. Bring it!

[Jeep]

Wait a minute, he Chair's the Heritage Advisory Committee? How is this not a huge conflict of interests? Can he do this?

[Mike K.]

Originally Posted by Jeep

Wait a minute, he Chair's the Heritage Advisory Committee? How is this not a huge conflict of interests? Can he do this?

We raised just this issue a little while back. You'll want to read posts 592 to 652 which also include input from Mr. Johnson on the issue.

Despite the perceived conflict of interest, Mr. Johnson did sit as Chair of the Heritage Advisory Committee while acting as President of the Hallmark Society.

They are losing credibility by being unreasonable. It's too bad because the organization is needed IMO. Of any heritage development this one should be most celebrated. It's an important spot so a free pass shouldn't be given but community gardens there...? The HAC needs more urban vision...

A lot of people feel the Hallmark Society lost credibility over their silence on the Johnson Street Bridge replacement issue. The Society has jumped head first into the Northern Junk project as a means of reviving its status in the community by assuming that the community at-large would be against this proposal. It is very obvious now that the community wants this project and Hallmark has positioned itself on the wrong side of the fence.

[Jeep]

Hmmm...
Thank Mike, very interesting indeed. I just think that the city shouldn't have chairs of its advisory committees actively rallying against projects with their privy knowledge. How is this fair to the public process and hearing that will eventually follow? Wow. This is like an episode of "The Wire"....