[Downtown Victoria] Victoria Plaza Hotel (aka Monty's) Redevelopment | Proposed

[VicHockeyFan]

This comes from the GM of a prominent hotel in town. The folks that own Red Lion have bought Victoria Plaza, plan to close the showroom pub and turn the hotel into a "boutique" hotel. That's gonna take some work.

[gumgum]

^Good.
I was walking by there with a friend telling him about all the improvements that have been made in the area of recent. I believe I said something like: "Now if they could just do something about this ****-hole."
They're going to need some serious industrial cleaner for that place.

[G-Man]

There was a proposal to rebuild that hotel about 5 or 6 years ago. The renderings were pretty cool with lots of glass involved. City hall turned it down for some reason...

[Mike K.]

So no more peep shows of hotel "occupants" seen from the sidewalk?

[Caramia]

Darn, I like Monty's a venerable institution in our city. Also the only strip club I have ever been kicked out of.

[VicHockeyFan]

1985:

Kings Hotel
Sherwood
Monty's
Oly's
Red Fox
Westwind

2007:

Red Fox

[Holden West]

[img]http://victoria.travel.bc.ca/images/listings/19544_1.jpg[/img]

Good riddance to that dump. It used to be a class hotel.

This is the hotel where the strippers working downstairs recommended visitors bring their own clean sheets.

Liquor Control Board:

Monty’s Pub is generally known as a ‘stripper’ pub. Undercover police officers
attended Monty’s Pub on November 24 and 26 and December 1 and 3, 2004.
The officers alleged that on November 24 they observed intoxicated patrons in
the pub and observed a server ‘free pouring’ liquor directly into the mouths of
patrons. Additionally, a police officer alleged that she purchased cocaine from a
staff member on December 3, 2004.

...

On November 24, 2004, four undercover police officers attended Monty’s in
pairs. Two officers were seated in the lower area of the pub, to the left of the
stage. The other two were seated in the upper area to the right of the stage, with
a view of the stage, the patrons in front of the stage, and the other officers on the
far side. There was an amateur wet t-shirt contest that night.
Each officer estimated there were approximately 300 – 350 patrons, and stated
the pub was very crowded. They testified that they observed six to ten navy men
seated in front of the stage who were extremely loud and boisterous, who
__________________________________________________ ____________________
appeared very intoxicated. One officer testified that some of the men staggered
when they left their table. He joined three of them in the smoking room. They
told him they were from a submarine. The officer testified that he had 14 years
experience dealing with impaired drivers, intoxicated people on the street and in
bars, and domestic violence involving intoxication. He testified that he had a
vivid recall that these navy patrons were unable to stand and walk without
staggering, they were loud and swore a lot, and he considered them to be
intoxicated. He continued to watch them during the evening. The pub staff
continued to serve them liquor and the men were still there when he and his
partner left at midnight.
Another officer testified that he watched six of the navy men become increasingly
boisterous over a period of not less than two hours. He testified that he had eight
and a half years experience working street patrol in Vancouver, including the
downtown eastside, which involved dealing with intoxicated people on the street
and in pubs. When he worked at the city jail for a year he had contact with
numerous intoxicated individuals. He testified that he observed the patrons at
this table consuming constantly throughout the evening and he was of the view
that these six men were intoxicated and became increasingly intoxicated during
the night. He described their unsteadiness, flushed faces, and beer sloshing
from their glasses. Later in the evening two of the men started fighting. The fight
was stopped by an unidentified man who escorted them out of the pub.

:tup:

[m0nkyman]

But, you gotta admit the place is vibrant....

[VicHockeyFan]

Wonder how much she paid for the cocaine. It didn't mention if they guy was arrested later, or if they got the taxpayers money back.

[Nparker]

Great location for a revamped, classy hotel. I hope some good $$$$ go into any renovations as I think this place could really shine with some creativity and proper funding.

The question begs to be asked however, where will Matt LeBlanc go the next time he visits town?

[Holden West]

Matt can go to Saanich and the Red Fox for his lap dance.

It didn't mention prosecuting the DJ. I guess it's up to the discretion of the cops as they have to justify the paperwork, test the coke etc.

Two officers testified that while they were in Monty’s on November 24, 2005, they
engaged in conversation with a man who told them he could provide them with
cocaine, and he gave them his phone number.
One officer (“officer A”) testified that she and her partner returned to the pub on
November 26, 2004. She spoke with a patron (“patron X”) sitting close to her
who said he was a regular at the pub. She saw him receive money from another
patron and go to the DJ booth where she saw a hand to hand exchange. Patron
X returned to his table and handed what she described as a ‘flap’ to the patron
who had given him the money.

On December 1, 2004, officer A and her partner returned to the pub and she
approached the DJ saying that she had purchased cocaine from patron X before
and asked if the DJ ‘could help her out.’ She testified that the DJ said he did not
have any flaps on him but he would have a look around. She told him she
wanted ½ gram. She saw the DJ walk around the bar and talk with a few people.
Later, officer A returned to the DJ booth and the DJ told her he hadn’t been
successful but said he would have some on Friday or Saturday. She testified
that he told her the charge was $35.00 and he made $5.00 from the sale.
The officers returned to Monty’s on December 3, 2004. Officer A testified that
the DJ told her he had sold a couple of flaps and didn’t have any but expected
the dealer to come back. She told him she wanted a gram and asked about a
special price of $60. He said no, it was two ½ grams and cost $70.00.
Approximately five minutes later, as the DJ walked to the DJ booth he beckoned
her over and invited her into the booth. She testified that he held out his palm
with two flaps. She gave him $70 cash which he pocketed. The transaction took
no more than five seconds. She testified that the DJ told her that if she wanted
more she could phone the hotel and ask to be put through to the DJ booth.


The officer testified that she gave the flaps to the police exhibit officer and was not
aware of the results of analysis.
Officer A testified that she has received drug investigation and undercover
training, drug recognition training, and specific training on giving expert testimony
for cocaine, heroin and other drug prosecutions. Her police work has involved
drug users and traffickers. She had made over 150 drug buys, including more
than 100 for cocaine. This was her first project in a licensed premises. Based on
her experience, she testified that she considered this DJ to be an experienced
drug trafficker. She found that he was comfortable with drug transactions and
the jargon associated with cocaine trafficking. He did not attempt to hide the
transaction. He was well connected with the dealer who attended the bar. He
appeared to know the clientele and was comfortable in his environment. She
noted that the DJ booth has glass on two sides so it would not be difficult to
observe the exchanges, particularly for people in the upper mezzanine.

[Jada]

Originally Posted by Holden West

:tup:

This please me to no end reading this.

I am dumbfounded however that the undercover police officers did nothing to prevent the navy men from getting drunker. Nor did any of the undercover officers step up to stop the fight. Instead the officer (probably drunk himself, considering how he rambles on to the navy guys), tells stories about dealing with drunks back in the day, and lets the navy men continue drinking to the point of aggression.

[rayne_k]

I think that Monty's days have been numbered from the instant the Vogue restor/struction began in earnest.

[Holden West]

What would be best, hotel or condos?

Presumably they'll keep the valuable cabaret/liquor license.

Build new, or do a Vogue and see if there's a rehab-able heritage building underneath?

Any way it will be a huge improvement.

[G-Man]

I think that keeping a hotel there would be ideal.

[VicHockeyFan]

Went to the Red Lion for lunch today to check out this rumour. None of the dancers (they start at 1:30 on Sundays) knew anything about it. Even the one that has worked at Monty's as a waitress for the last 4 years. You see, she works Monty's as a server, but won an amateur contest at the Fox recently, and got herself a one-day-a-week gig onstage there.

This'll* require more research.

*Is "this'll" a legal word?

[Holden West]

The rumour may be false but maybe if we all pray hard, God will make it so.

[img]http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/AGF/5262~Boy-Praying-Posters.jpg[/img]

"Dear God, it's me Johnny. Please strike down
Monty's with a bolt of lightning. But let the strippers
escape first. Especially Jasmine and Destiny"

[FunkyMunky]

Originally Posted by Holden West

The rumour may be false but maybe if we all pray hard, God will make it so.

And just to save Richard Dawkins the trouble of registering and posting a reply, allow me to do it for him; What God?

[Holden West]

[url=http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/eros.html:dc19f]This god[/url:dc19f].

Or maybe we should pray to [url=http://www.bridgebuilding.com/narr/jc459.html:dc19f]St. Thomas[/url:dc19f], the patron saint of architects and people in doubt.

[gumgum]

Monty's Pub owners still looking for right offer
Darron Kloster, Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, May 19, 2007

The Victoria Plaza Hotel, home to the Jungle Room Nightclub and Monty's Showroom Pub, downtown's only strip club, isn't officially up for sale but the owners are open to offers from anyone with deep enough pockets, says the manager.

Jairo Rincon says he's had "a few offers" recently, but all fell well short of what he wants. He did not reveal his asking price for the 65-room hotel at the corner of Government Street and Pandora Avenue, but said developers or competitors will have to do better if they want one of the last high-profile corners in the core for redevelopment.

Wow, talk about trying to make the location of his business seem so important. I could come up with at least a dozen high profile corners in the dt core that could/should be bulldozed and re-developed.

Darron if you are looking for material send me a private message and we could discuss these potential locations for bulldozing!

[VicHockeyFan]

Wow.

[Mike K.]

Yeah, Darren, you should have mentioned the name of the site

[m0nkyman]

Originally Posted by gumgum

The Jungle Room, which has had previous lives as Bar Victoria, Julie's Pub and The Joint, often draws noise complaints after closing from the growing condo ownership nearby.

OK. This bit annoys me. If you move downtown, there will be noise from nightclubs. Get over it, or move back to the suburbs. :evil:

[Icebergalley]

MM..

I missed a "Currents" on CBC review of condo's and clubs in other places across Canada late last week ..

Did anyone catch it?

PS.. Hugo's used to have a note at the door asking departing late night patrons to respect the other part of the bar's clientelle, the guests at the Mangolia..

Would you suggest that the guests of the Mangolia should stay in the quiet of the suburbs.. ?

[m0nkyman]

I've fought this war once already, and the Byward Market ended up having looser noise regulations than the rest of downtown Ottawa....