[Fairfield] Essencia Verde condo (formerly Castana) | 4- & 3-storeys | Completed in 2010

[Number Six]

So I was told last night, by a friend of a friend of the Fairfield Pharmacist , that he has been "bought out" by the Pharmasave (or Shopper's Drug Mart ... I've heard both names mentioned) going into the old FC building. Apparently he will become the pharmacist at the new store.

So I wonder who will move into the old Fairfield Pharmacy location?

I noticed today that they are removing all the equipment from the Dry Cleaners ... and that the Village Card Shoppe is now a drop-off location for another Dry Cleaners.

[gumgum]

So the F. Pharmacy was bought out or he as an individual was simply hired onto the new pharmacy?
That card shop will be in peril as well, as the new pharmacy will no doubt carry probably an even larger selection of cards. The post office won't be enough to sustain a business either as it is a completely separate entity. Also, "Harveys, Read 'n Write" in James Bay went under, even with a very busy post office.
That's possibly 2 businesses side by side going under.

[Number Six]

I was told they've bought all his stock and hired him as Pharmacist. I understand he was planning to retire in a few years and that he's apparently quite happy with the situation.

The card shoppe may have trouble although the size of the new pharmacy might mean they don't have a lot of room to dedicate to cards. Frankly I think they have more to fear from electronic greeting cards. I ran a mail-order business for many years and spent a lot of time (and money!) in there. I was under the impression they were doing reasonably well and that their lottery sales are quite strong.

[Number Six]

The awnings went up today ... definitely not as attractive as those on the artist's rendering. They look too narrow and out of scale (IMHO).

[gumgum]

^Yeah. The colours are all wrong as well.

[Number Six]

The parking lot behind the renovated FC building is being paved today. I also notice some concrete work on the Oliphant St. side, probably being used to designate landscaping and paving bricks areas.

[rayne_k]

Originally Posted by Number Six

I was told they've bought all his stock and hired him as Pharmacist. I understand he was planning to retire in a few years and that he's apparently quite happy with the situation.

The card shoppe may have trouble although the size of the new pharmacy might mean they don't have a lot of room to dedicate to cards. Frankly I think they have more to fear from electronic greeting cards. I ran a mail-order business for many years and spent a lot of time (and money!) in there. I was under the impression they were doing reasonably well and that their lottery sales are quite strong.

I think it's awesome - that Pharmacy has got to be the most understocked place in the universe.


Edit: Oh dear I misread that. I was thinking that the small existing pharamacy had been bought-out and would be renovated. It would have been great if they could have merged it with the card-shop and made a proper pharmacy - Shoppers Drug Mart type thing, with lots of useful items.

Hmmmmm......

[gumgum]

I'm not loving those awnings. Taken today:











Experience has taught to hold off a bit on the judgment of a project, and this one's no different.
However, I'm pretty disgusted at the state of the job site, mostly the lot next to the current project. It's simply a disgrace. Instead of waste being trucked away on a regular basis, lately the lot next door has been used as a garbage dump. There's no excuse for this.

Notice that smudge on the sign. That was once graffiti that someone has taken the vain attempt to clean off, but then simply gave up. Oh, and the sign fell over months ago and broke into pieces. Someone tried to put it back up again and just gave up, leaving this.


From the get-go it seems to me that no one really has really been in charge.
I think twice about buying into phase two if I was a prospective buyer.

[Number Six]

This developer is hopeless. I've heard that the completion date for phase 2 (that's the FC building ... phase 1 is the rubbish dump) is now April and that the Wine Shop guy has finally given up and is trying to get out of the deal. According to at least one village shop owner business has dropped off so much that they are in serious financial trouble.

If anyone is looking for an example of how to deaden a previously vibrant corner of Victoria they need to look no further. Amadon is a disgrace.

It looks as though it will take as long to finish off the FC building as it did to remove the buildings at Cook & Sutlej. It's truly mind-boggling.

[Nparker]

As awful as this site currently is, does anyone know if there is still any hope of the condo phase being built?

[Holden West]

Max Tomaszewski and Amadon can take their fair share of criticism but as has been pointed out here before, the stubborn community association, embattled City Planners and politically cautious City Councillors must take a lot of the blame for this project's bitter path to completion.

It's worth noting that both Phase I and II websites are inactive.

[gumgum]

^So they should they have a right to make such a mess out of spite? Come on, West. You go into the development game knowing the rules.
Yes the FCA is a pain in the ass and put him through the ringer, but that's all in the past now. He now has the green light and still he's messing everybody around.
But whatever. If Tomaszewki thinks this negligence is hurting his enemies more than himself, then he's delusional.

[G-Man]

The city could probably force a clean-up of the site ala Bambu.

Has thoughts on Community Direct Action here? You know take back the lot and use it for a public market or something?

I have often thought that a roving book market would be a great draw in our supposedly educated city. I have seen these in Paris, Barcelona, Buenos Aires and Havana. They are all a great draw.

The market could sit at one location for a month or two or even until the lot gets the go ahead for redevelopment and then it could move along. The owner could make some income (though not much) and it would give people who love books but perhaps aren't working, a job. So sellers would buy a table for the day for 20 dollars perhaps the property owner would get 10 dollars and 10 dollars could go into a non profit that would be used to advertise the market.

In some places these are quite the tourist attraction. Also it should run daily not just on weekends in the summer.

[Mike K.]

Isn't the Castana lot for sale or in the process of being sold to an interested party?

[gumgum]

It's for sale, but no confirmation as to whether it been sold. Colliers still has this pdf brochure, showing it's still on the market.

Just for the record, those pics of that mess has been around for months and months now. That's not just a temporary pile of construction waste in limbo or something. And you really have to see it to realize how big the mess is.
If I were a business negatively affected by this mess, I would consider a lawsuit.

[G-Man]

So no one is taking me up on my book market? Wussies.

Paris



Havana



Barcelona

[Holden West]

I agree, there is no excuse for the mess and it should be cleaned up. I recall Councillor Madoff a year or two ago expressing concern that the construction hoarding around the project be attractive; that would be the least of our worries today.

I like the book fair idea but the Times Colonist charity book drive seems to have captured a monopoly on the giant used book trade.

[G-Man]

But that is one weekend a year. Hardly a "market".

[gumgum]

I'd like to see something like that market you suggest, G-man, but I want to see built what was promised more.
Besides, I doubt even dense Cook St. Village would be able to sustain a market taking up such a large area. Build the effer building that is planned, close the effing cook st on sundays, and open an effing marking! Alright?!!

Sorry. I'm calm now.

[G-Man]

Perhaps I will start a new thread... since I don't get no love in here.

[gumgum]

So if it wasn't official yet, it is now. Serious Coffee has a sign now on the north-most Cook St. unit. I guess it means this phase is going to actually be finished someday.

[Holden West]

That's what that neighbourhood needs. A coffee shop.

[gumgum]

Walking down that street at 11 at night and seeing how busy the other two coffee shops are, I have no doubt in my mind it will do well.
I would rather see another restaurant though.

[winegal]

Hi everyone, the wine shop has not given up on the FC site. We are currently hoping for a public hearing date sometime this month. We have had to jump through the hoops of the zoning process (again) to be able to have our business open in the FC building. We already have approved zoning at 240 Cook but as everyone can see the building hasn't even been started yet and we just can't wait any longer. The process has been long and agonizing for our company and our family just to move the zoning about 30ft. Although we have a lot of support there have been a few bumps in the road (WH at the FCA has raised some concerns), and even a suggestion that if we were made to wait, perhaps we could somehow force the Castana site to be completed.

Financially this has been very frightening for us and we can't wait. Yes, the new store would be a full service liquor outlet operating the same hours as the VQA store did (10am-9pm). Anyone who knows our history as a retailer is familiar with our involvement with the community and our responsible manner of doing business. We are not going to be a liquor-mart or a booze super store, we just want to give the customers what they have been asking for over the last 10 years.

I will update information about the public hearing on this thread and if you are interested in showing your support to council there is a letter on our homepage at bcwineguys.com

I will try to answer any questions I can but I have a two yr old that loves the computer so I rarely get any time to use it by myself!

Cheers!
Winegal

[G-Man]

^ Good Luck Winegal. I am surprised that a great retailer like you guys, are catching flak from the CA.

What difference could 25 metres make in a liquor license anyways.

Hope it works out soon!