The District of Oak Bay is again embarking on a planning strategy to guide the future of Turkey Head, the leased home of Oak Bay Marina on Beach Drive.
Oak Bay council has agreed to hire a project lead consultant to help reach a partnership with First Nations, generate a financial return from the site, support more public use and provide for environmental stewardship.
Mayor Kevin Murdoch said Friday the district is looking for someone with commercial development expertise.
“We are fairly open-minded in terms of what might go on the site. So we’re not trying to pigeon-hole it too much,” he said.
“I’m optimistic that we will get something pretty impressive out of this process but it has to follow its path.”
Use of the site beyond 2027, when Oak Bay Marine Group’s lease expires, has not yet been determined, he said. The municipality has spent several years seeking the best uses for the prominent site, which includes the marina, attached buildings and a large parking lot.
It hasn’t been an easy task.
The district owns the lands at Turkey Head and leases the foreshore from the province. It leases out the land and buildings and subleases the foreshore to Oak Bay Marine Group.
Oak Bay issued a request for proposals in 2020 seeking a new 30-year lease for the property, envisioning a livelier place with a wider variety of uses and more community amenities. It also carried out community consultation.
In May 2021, council chose to negotiate with Oak Bay Marine Group, which has been at Turkey Head since 1962.
The company’s proposal featured cycling facilities, charging stations for e-bikes, a paddle-sports centre with rental equipment, a boat brokerage and a community meeting space. It owns and maintains the docks.
However, during in-camera meetings in 2022, council decided not to proceed with that proposal. No reasons were revealed publicly.
After council couldn’t agree on a redevelopment plan, it decided in 2022 to extend Oak Bay Marine Group’s lease by five years and tackle the issue after a new council was elected that fall.
In early 2023, Oak Bay Marine Group decided not to continue leasing the 5,900-square-foot restaurant space, with about 130 seats, at the site. Oak Bay Marine Group chief operating officer Brook Catelsky said at the time that, like other restaurants, it had been dealing with labour shortages, supply issues and inflation. He could not be reached for comment Friday
The restaurant remains vacant.
For more on marina lease negotiations, go to oakbay.ca/marina-lease-negotiations.
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