Nah, I'd say a new park somewhere in the north downtown area could* be justified and even at a fairly high price tag, if* the intention were to surround the park with residential development. Obviously any park space fronting onto that stretch of Blanshard Street is going to seem less than ideal, but if* the vibe of the area is going to be transformed to feel more cozy and residential-focused and if* the traffic flow is going to be strangled calmed then I think it could* be made to work.

*conditionals

Does anyone know of a forum or message board where people like to discuss development projects such as this one?

The tower facade is broken up and articulated through the introduction of strong horizontal bands, running around the perimeter of the building at each floor level.

Always with that emphasis on the horizontal...

Any bets as to whether the elements that give this design a bit of distinction (the implied verticality of the taller top level and also of those exposed pillars in the open corners here and there) will get watered down somewhat as per the CoV's suggested "improvements"? Does anyone remember the early design of Hudson Place 2 and how it ended up going in the wrong direction?

Here's the thread for the new development proposal: https://vibrantvictoria.ca/forum/index.php?/topic/7531-downtown-1620-blanshard-street-condos-commercial-22-storeys/