Image credit: A rendering of a planned development at 9 Erskine Lane in View Royal. Four rental buildings totalling nearly 350-units of purpose-built apartments are proposed near Victoria General Hospital. © THUJA Architecture + Design
CENTRAL SAANICH
The Tsawout First Nation is celebrating the start of construction on a 6,700 square foot cultural project along Stautw Road near the banks of Haro Strait. Known as the Bighouse, the “unique cultural and social preservation and revitalization” initiative will replace the Tsawout Nation’s longhouse destroyed by fire over a decade ago and return a gathering, learning and healing centre to the community. Although work on the structure is progressing quickly, funds for the Bighouse interior finishings are being raised through a $100,000 GoFundMe campaign to help carry the project through to completion. Money will go towards the building of a community kitchen, a seating arena and finishing details.
COLWOOD & LANGFORD
A vacant property split by the Colwood and Langford border will become a landmark automotive dealership as Harris Auto Group works to relocate its downtown Victoria dealership. Harris Victoria Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, currently situated between Yates and View streets at Cook Street, has begun construction under partnership with Starlight Developments and Island West Coast Developments (IWCD) on a 35,000 square foot dealership on Veterans Memorial Parkway at Meaford Avenue (near Langford’s Lowe’s home improvement store).
ESQUIMALT
An Alberta-based developer is proposing nearly 130 rental residences along the 500-block of West Bay Terrace at Dunsmuir Road. Wexford Developments has applied to construct a five-storey complex on the footprint of 530-538 West Bay Terrace and 877-879 Dunsmuir Road, currently home to five single storey multi-unit rental buildings. The proposal, designed by Victoria-based de Hoog Kierulf Architects, spans roughly 170 meters north to south, and includes five residential levels with a rooftop amenity area for residents.
SAANICH
A Manitoba-based developer with a burgeoning roster of rental apartments on the West Shore has set its sights on the Tillicum neighbourhood with a two-building proposal. Planned at six and five-storeys tall, the project from Ironclad Developments is earmarked for 14 properties along the 3000-blocks of Tillicum Road and Albina Street at Obed Avenue, with the six-storey massing fronting Tillicum Road and the five-storey massing fronting Albina Street. Although a unit count has not been identified by the developer, the density seek is anticipated to land in the range of 200-suites in one, two and three-bedroom layouts.
SIDNEY
An already approved condominium project is back before the municipality with a larger footprint and unit count following an adjacent property acquisition by the proponent. Developer Mike Geric Construction, currently building the mass timber-designed Tresah condominiums in Victoria’s Mayfair District and having recently sold-out of its Reeve townhomes in Saanich’s Royal Oak neighbourhood, is once again seeking approvals for an upcoming condominium offering known as The Rise on 5th. Approved last year for two properties (9570 and 9574 Fifth Street) was a 19-unit concept with underground parking. Post-approvals the developer acquired an adjacent property (at 9566 Fifth Street) providing an opportunity to expand the building while yielding space for 36 residences in studio, two and three-bedroom layouts.
SOOKE
A major retail plaza has been proposed for Sooke’s town centre with enough square footage to more than double the core’s commercial base and bring the district’s retail capacity to nearly 520,000 square feet. Coming to the 6700-blocks of West Coast Road/Highway 14 and Eustace Road at Gatewood Road is a nine-acre project comprised of 156,000 square feet of commercial construction, including 15,000 square feet of offices, across six buildings from developer Mid America Venture Capital Corp. If approved, the shopping centre will become Sooke’s largest commercial destination.
VICTORIA
Three up-market residential towers at Dockside Green – comprised of 365-suites amid one of the world’s most environmentally sustainable urban communities – are now underway at the entrance to the burgeoning Vic West neighbourhood. Among them is Dockside Green’s first condominium offering in over a decade, a 107-home tower comprised of one, two and three-bedroom layouts.
VIEW ROYAL
A multi-building rental development along Erskine Lane in View Royal is moving through the approvals process as one of the largest development undertakings within the municipality. Planned for 9 Erskine Way are nearly 350-units of purpose-built rental apartments across four five-storey buildings designed in a west coast theme. The project, from Squamish-based THUJA Architecture + Design, will include a mix of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments with 10 per cent of homes earmarked as affordable with household incomes limited to $74,150 for studio and one-bedroom layouts, and $113,040 for two and three-bedroom layouts.
