BC Housing has applied to rezone multiple lots along Caledonia and Douglas Street to create a multi-purpose housing development at the current site of the Capital City Center Hotel and White Spot restaurant.
Lots 710, 722 and 732 Caledonia St. and 1961 Douglas St. are part of the application. BC Housing bought the hotel in April 2021 and in the year prior, it had leased several of hotel’s rooms for temporary housing.
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“It is BC Housing’s long-term goal to redevelop this site to create more housing and better supports for the people we serve,” read a statement announcement the project. “Although the Capital City Center Hotel has provided vital supports and temporary housing, we recognize the building was not built or designed for this purpose.”
BC Housing is partnering with Victoria-based Chard Developments and 710 Caledonia Equity LP, the developers of the adjacent and now permanently closed White Spot restaurant, to apply for property rezoning with the City of Victoria.
Proposed for the sites are purpose-built and designed supportive housing, market rental units, below-market rental units, office units, childcare, a public plaza, commercial retail and a grocery store.
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If approvals are received from the city, the development would occur in four stages.
First, a temporary supportive housing building would be set up in a parking lot across from the hotel entrance, at 722 and 726 Discovery St., with hotel residents given the option to move in.
The empty hotel, restaurant and other buildings on the included properties would then be demolished. Finally, Chard and BC Housing would work together on creating the multi-purpose development.
“We believe this proposed redevelopment would revitalize the neighbourhood by creating a variety of housing types and a ‘15-minute neighbourhood,’ where all residents live within a short walk of offices, childcare centre, and community-serving retail that includes a grocery store,” the BC Housing statement read.
The plan is to engage with impacted communities to refine the vision for the project.
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