A rendering of TELUS Ocean, a 53 meter tall, 10-storey office complex proposed for Douglas Street at Humboldt Street in downtown Victoria. The concept, by TELUS and local development partner Aryze Developments, will feature 155,000 square feet of multi-use space and rooftop gathering areas. 250 TELUS employees will occupy two office levels. © TELUS/Aryze Developments
Regional
The Capital’s active inventory of rental projects totals nearly 14,000-units of new housing, according to Citified’s tracking of development activity on southern Vancouver Island. The figure includes projects proceeding through the municipal approvals process, already in the post-approvals phase, and under construction.
Split between the Capital’s urban core and downtown Victoria, the West Shore and the Saanich Peninsula, the core is leading the way with over 8,000-units proposed and approved, while a further 2,300 are under construction.
On the West Shore approximately 1,800-units are in various stages of the approvals process and in post-approvals, while just under 1,400-units are under construction. The Saanich Peninsula has 266-units planned and some 200 in active construction.
Saanich
A 90-unit residential complex has been proposed for Torquay Drive at Shelbourne Street in Saanich’s Gordon Head neighbourhood.
Number 10 Architecture has envisioned a four and five-storey C-shaped design for a land parcel currently home to a collection of eight townhouses.
Sooke
Townhome sales at an oceanfront community in Sooke have surged in recent months as the impacts of COVID-19 leave homebuyers with a renewed appetite for semi-rural and small town real-estate offerings, according to a developer of a large project near Sooke’s town centre.
The master-planned, 91-residence Heron View development is entering its second-to-last phase of construction to keep up with demand for its bi-level townhomes overlooking Sooke Harbour.
Bob Vaughan of Silvercreek Development says that as purchasers fan out in search of new-build or pre-sale offerings outside of the Capital’s urban core, the final build-out of Heron View’s remaining homes has been fast-tracked several years ahead of schedule.
Victoria
The second phase of a Friends television show-inspired rental complex in the Quadra-Hillside neighbourhood has been proposed by Aryze Developments.
Aryze, currently building the sitcom-themed Ross Terrace along the 2500-block of Fifth Street just south of Kings Road, is seeking approvals for a nearly 60-unit, six-storey design at 1025 Kings Road that would rise adjacent to Ross Terrace.
The concept is envisioned for a property currently home to a 15-unit, four-storey apartment building constructed in the 1970s that is approaching replacement age.
TELUS Ocean’s design has been officially revealed for a high-profile property in downtown Victoria.
The collaborative effort between telecommunications giant TELUS and Aryze Developments is targeted for the City of Victoria-owned Apex Site, a triangular property at the nexus of Douglas and Humboldt streets immediately north of the Crystal Gardens complex.
TELUS Ocean, rising to ten-storeys, will incorporate over 117,000 square feet of office space – two levels of which will be occupied by TELUS and six by other tenants – while just under 5,000 square feet of retail space will be available at ground level. The building’s rooftop will serve as a gathering and event space, with several floors also featuring outdoor components made possible by terraced massing.
Designed by New York City and Toronto-based Diamond Schmitt Architects, TELUS Ocean’s wedge-shaped footprint, with its large glass cladding and iceberg-like dominance, will act as a beacon for the south end of downtown Victoria, the proponents say.
A proposal for a 20-storey hotel along the 700-block of Fort Street at Blanshard Street unveiled in January has been formally submitted to the municipality.
The 128-room wedge-shaped highrise is envisioned for a trio of properties at the northwest corner of the intersection currently occupied by retailers that include a Monk’s Office outlet, Ditch Records and a surface parking lot.
Developer Merchant House Capital believes their concept, attractive to longer-term clients amid a changing travel market, will fill a niche in the Capital.
View Royal
A high-profile corner lot in View Royal is the focus of a mixed-use residential and retail development effort that may include a boutique grocery store.
Represented by Vancouver-based Ankenman Marchand Architects on behalf of an unnamed real-estate development firm, the proposal includes what proponents hope will be a Red Barn Market, along with over 50 condominiums within a six-storey building.
Preliminary plans identify the proposal as rising on a parcel currently occupied by Namaste Indian Restaurant at 298 Island Highway and Helmcken Road. The popular dining spot may be better known to Victorians as the former Amrikko’s Indian cuisine diner, which ten years ago overtook operations from the long-time View Royal landmark Sammy’s Chinese Food.
