On Thursday, August 23rd, 2001, Victoria councilmembers awarded downtown development rights to a development team that consists of three firms:  Apex Asset Management, Trend Architects, and Krause Anderson Construction.  Together the team created and presented a vision for some Victoria properties.  Council liked the vision. The development team has got 90 days to get really serious.

A 46-unit condominium complex is proposed to have a Bavarian or Middle European style, overlooking Stieger Lake.  It would be located on the three-acre parcel on Stieger Lake Lane between City Hall and the Victoria Dairy Queen.  It's been called "The Crown Jewel."

Three homes purchased by the City of Victoria lie on the site chosen for "The Crown Jewel," which will/would be the first major building project in the downtown area of Victoria.  The development team will have to acquire the land from the city through negotiation.

Four townhomes, four families, four beautiful views, are proposed to be built nearby, on the Sidco property, as "architectural cousins" of the condominium complex.  Parking would be on the bottom level with access from the lake side.

The Sidco property in downtown Victoria usually has a lot of engine activity on Stieger Lake Lane and needs to be relocated away from downtown Victoria.

Along with the first project of 46 condominiums comes the redesign and rebuilding of the little bridge on Rose Street, a bridge located between the proposed condos and townhomes.Gracefulness and good lighting on the four corners are part of rough sketches.

The existing bridge has been in need of repair and replacement for some time.  Grant money may be available to assist with costs.  Any final design will entail working with professional engineers.

In response to an enlarged vision for the entire downtown Victoria, the development team presented a "two-elevator" project that was defined as "populist" because it would be "for people."  It would include an intensive walk-through retail area with over 1,400 lineal feet of storefront at ground level and 17 living units above the retail space.

The large building on the right, shown in the sketch above and known by oldtimers as the "Notermann Building" -- it was once the Notermann Dry Goods Store -- has turned into a large and successful business today known as "Victoria Antiques."

The development team has suggested the possibility of a new 10,000 square foot City Hall with corporate offices on the top level that could be a source of rental income.  It would occupy, more or less, the same site as the existing City Hall on Rose Street.

The existing Victoria City Hall now occupies all of the former "gymnasium," in addition to newly renovated offices.  It's a growing city and growing city staff.

This project, the 46-unit condominium unit on Stieger Lake, is being viewed as the catalyst for downtown redevelopment.  As such, it sets the tone for the entire town and it would affect the city for a long, long time.  Prices would range from $150,000 to $300,000 per unit.