This link has been bookmarked by 1 people . It was first bookmarked on 01 Mar 2008, by Yule Heibel.
This is an example of what should have happened in Victoria in regard to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria's plans to move into a purpose-built gallery (designed by James Cheng), which would have been part of a single-tower residential redevelopment called Crystal Court, planned by Westbank Corp. The project was supposed to get built on Belleville Street in the heart of the Tourist District, in downtown Victoria. But it was essentially nixed from the start by the James Bay Neighbourhood Association (JBNA), which claims that block as part of its precinct. Consequently, city planners declined to support the developer's application for rezoning, and the project was still-born.
In Ottawa, meanwhile, forward-thinking city politicians are supporting a two 26-story residential tower development that will include a free-standing 2-story national portrait gallery.
Too bad the Federal government can't put any pressure to bear on the JBNA -- their idea to auction off the national portrait gallery certainly put the fires under Ottawa's seats, but hey-ho, here in Victoria we can resist all change. Boy oh boy, the city of Victoria really dropped the ball on the Crystal Court Development.
"We have to be ready by that deadline, so things are moving quickly," said Somerset Councillor Diane Holmes, whose ward the project is in. "I think it's a great location for the portrait gallery, and it would be in its own building, not in the bottom floors of some office building or something like that.
"I think the towers are a little tall, but I think it's a good plan for the gallery, and it would be a great asset for that area and the city."
Yule Heibel on 2008-03-01
That's the key: it's in its own building (stand-alone, not attached). The height is slightly more than was proposed for Crystal Court (which came in at 19 or 20), but it's interesting that the comparison holds with already existing neighbouring buildings: in Ottawa the 27-story Pace Bell Canada, and in Victoria the 20-story buildings just a block away on Humboldt.
Neil Malhotra, of Claridge, said company officials are excited about the opportunity to host the gallery and contribute to the city and country.
He said when the government announced a competition between private developers in nine cities to bid for the right to host the gallery, company officials realized they had an opportunity to do something of importance to the city and its citizens.
"We realized having the gallery in Ottawa is something people in this community care about, that it should happen, and that we had a piece of land that is in a perfect location for it," he said. "It's a rare opportunity to do something like this, and I think we will have a very good chance of winning the competition if we can get everything done on time."
Yule Heibel on 2008-03-01
- even the DCCs were waived...!
The gallery was originally supposed to go into the former United States embassy building on Wellington Street across from the hill, but the Harper government cancelled that project last year, citing escalating costs, then announced the competition.
Ottawa is competing with Vancouver, Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary for the right to have the gallery, which is part of Library and Archives Canada.
The move to have a bidding war amongst cities and developers to host the gallery sparked outrage from people who feel it should be in Ottawa along with the rest of the Canada's national institutions. Others feel having a national collection housed in a privately owned building is distasteful and makes the country look bad on the international scene.
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