The Hudson

It’s amazing what changes a year can bring. Twelve months ago, The Hudson was already a beautiful Georgian building – an historic landmark, even – but it was far from the ultrastylish, modernist residences it’s now shaping up to be. And, in another 12 months, the transformation will be complete.

At this point, we’re full-speed ahead. Our historical refurbishing specialists are 60 percent through their painstaking work of revitalizing the façade’s heritage details. By the end of this year, each of the 243 windows and all of the ornate terra cotta will be as fresh and stunning as they ever were. Meanwhile, months of toil have paid off with a completely seismically sound structure. Next on the agenda: the addition of the two penthouse levels and the construction of the greenery-lined brick carriageway connecting Fisgard to Herald Street. And that’s just Phase One.

Phase Two – the 12-storey Hudson Mews – is awaiting its development permit. Construction should start this fall, and The Hudson Mews will be complete late in the Summer of 2011.

Of course, not everyone in Victoria is focused solely on The Hudson. After all, it’s a city bursting with activity. The Bastion Square Public Market is just one community event that happens right outside The Hudson’s doors. In September, the Vancouver Island Blues Bash and the always-popular Great Canadian Beer Festival are added to the mix. In October, the Royal Victoria Marathon takes to the streets.

On site, though, it’s all about the work. For more information and a to-the-minute update on The Hudson’s progress, visit hudsonliving.ca.

Hudson Homeowner

For Danielle Murray, it’s the small details that are oh-so-telling. The exposed heritage columns, the quartz countertops, the deep soaker tub, the radiant in-floor heating – they all gave Danielle an instant connection to The Hudson.

And once she realized she could turn the second bedroom of her fourth-floor loft into her fantasy closet, there was no denying that The Hudson was meant to be her home.

Truly, it’s a perfect fit: a diehard shopper living in a legendary department store. And with The Hudson’s own street-level boutiques and easy access to downtown’s best shopping, the central location is exactly where she belongs.

Not that the 26-year-old Danielle, a native Victorian, doesn’t have more on her mind than strappy sandals. By day, she works as a commercial account manager for the Bank of Montreal. At the same time, she’s pursuing an MBA in marketing. Her enthusiasm is most evident, though, when she’s talking about her own business, Taboo Dance and Fitness. Now in its fifth year, Danielle’s classes help women get healthy while emphasizing fun, empowerment and the importance of feeling sexy.

When she does have a free minute, Danielle’s usually shopping along her favourite street, lower Johnson – hot on the trail of a few more items to help fill up that dream closet in her soon-to-be home at The Hudson.

To join a free drop-in class at Danielle’s Taboo Dance and Fitness studio, check out www.Taboodanceandfitness.com

By Susan Kerschbaumer