The District of Saanich is holding a public drop-in event Saturday to provide information and get feedback on its $172-million plan to modernize its operations centre.
The event will run 1-4 p.m. at the Bucket Shed at the Saanich Operations Centre, 1040 McKenzie Ave.
The public will get a chance to see the scope of the project, question the experts and provide feedback before a rezoning application is submitted for the site in November.
This month, Saanich council directed staff to start work to identify a private-sector partner who will develop a master plan for the site at McKenzie Avenue and Borden Street.
The district would expect a single payment of about $30 million from a developer for the development lands while retaining ownership of the entire site in perpetuity.
The hope is the redeveloped site will include facilities for municipal services as well as rental housing and commercial spaces, with buildings that could be up to 18 storeys. Ten per cent of the estimated 600 new residential units could be available at below-market rates.
Council is hoping to get elector approval to borrow as much as $150 million for the project, likely through an alternative approval process that’s expected to happen in the next six months. In that process, 10 per cent or more of eligible electors have to submit forms in opposition to the initiative for it to fail.
The project has been deemed a priority because the aging site has been deemed unfit to handle future growth. The buildings are 40 to 70 years old, don’t meet building-code requirements and have been deemed to be past their useful life.
Part of the redevelopment will see Saanich move its parks maintenance group to a three-acre industrial property it bought from Don Mann Excavating in the 4000-block of Lochside Drive.
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