A parking lot could soon be home to a 23-storey rental tower, after Victoria council moved forward a plan for the development adjacent to View Towers.
Citing the need for rental housing, council voted 7-2 in favour of a development permit with variances for the 265-unit project at 937 View St.
The tower, proposed by Vancouver-based Nelson Investments, will have no dedicated parking and is expected to be built before the end of 2027.
“For me a top priority for this term, for this entire council, is housing and we’ve got over 260 units of purpose-built rental in front of us,” said Coun. Dave Thompson. “This is desperately needed housing.”
Thompson noted that speakers at a public opportunity for comment on Thursday were overwhelmingly in favour of the project, and represented the business community, students, the hospitality industry and firefighters.
“This is workforce housing,” he said of the tower, which will feature all-electric systems.
He said the development, located in a walkable neighbourhood near transit and cycling lanes, could help meet regional climate-change goals. “This is car-free living. It’s an all-electric building. No greenhouse gas emissions.”
Those who spoke in favour of the project noted the tower represents much-needed density in the downtown and more affordable units of housing that could help younger people stay in the city.
Some councillors questioned just how affordable the units will be, however — the rents are expected to range from $1,450 for a studio apartment to $2,700 for one of the 16 three-bedroom units. The vast majority, 216, of the units are one-bedroom suites that will start around $1,550 per month.
The project beside the 19-storey View Towers has been in the works since 2017, and has undergone several design changes due to feedback from the city.
The plan was last rejected by the previous city council on advice of city staff in the spring of 2022. At that time, it was envisioned as a 19-storey, 266-unit building, but council didn’t like its size, shading and failure to conform with design guidelines.
There were concerns about the livability of the small units proposed, which ranged from 314 to 523 square feet, and the fact there is no parking.
City staff were still not happy with the most recent design, and had urged council to reject the project due to insufficient setbacks and the potential impact on adjacent undeveloped sites.
There were concerns about parking and the size of the units — in the latest proposal, the average size of a unit is 389 square feet.
While the project has been given the green light, it is not yet a done deal.
The developer must meet several conditions, including incorporating wind-mitigation features, adding indoor and outdoor amenities for tenants, revising its bike and mobility-scooter parking configurations and ensuring the building design does not hinder the ability to construct a building at the vacant adjacent site at 930 Fort St.
If Nelson Investments can’t convince city staff it has addressed all of those issues, it will return to council.
Councillors Stephen Hammond and Marg Gardiner voted against the project.
Gardiner said while there were things she liked about it, she was concerned about the livability of the small units and the size of the building on a relatively small lot.
Coun. Krista Loughton said for her, “housing trumps everything.”
“This is a project that could potentially be multi-generational, affordable rental housing for people in Victoria. The importance of creating things so that people’s children and grandchildren can stay here and support parents in their older age, that for me, that trumps everything,” she said.
Mayor Marianne Alto said one of the most important factors was the number of secured rental units.
“I think this brings certainty into the rental market,” she said. “It’s a change in the skyline and it’s tough. Change is hard, but if we’re going to really accommodate the thousands of people we’re told are coming and we want to have those people become Victorians, we have to embrace the change.”
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