Alexandra

Alexandra, a West End on again, off again project that sits on the corner of Davie and Bidwell is now complete. It’s a 19 storey tower designed by Henriquez Partners Architects which incorporates the facade of Maxine’s; most recently a restaurant but before that a beauty school. As with Chinatown, there are unsubstantiated claims for underground tunnels and (it is said) gentleman’s club and brothel – almost certainly part of the city’s apparent desperation to appear to be more exciting than it really is!

The project includes rental units in the podium, as well as 85 condos in the tower. The project was first proposed by Millennium Properties, fell foul of their Olympic Village financial collapse, and was resurrected with the help of Concord Pacific.

Many of the elements that were in the render are apparent in the finished project. The podium is less industrial looking, and the ‘halo’ is a less substantial element, and the Maxine’s facade retained the previous gold paintwork. The main difference is that there isn’t really a lawn between the tower and the ocean – there are trees in the way.

(Remember what was there before?)