The under-construction University Heights development in Saanich’s Gordon Head neighbourhood will have several features, including a major grocery store, drug store chain, daycare, bank, medical practitioners, fast food spots, casual restaurants, plus rental units.
The space will comprise of three different buildings, with the first estimated to open before the 2024 to 2025 school year in August.
“We think about half of the units will be occupied by students in three buildings where we are designing smaller units,” said one of the Greystar Real Estate developers for the complex, Matt Woodland. “Ten per cent of the units will be affordable. So roughly 60 affordable units delivered into the market along with 534 rental units perpetuity.”
The price and monthly rent of the suites is still undetermined, as Woodland said that “tenants will need to qualify for those units based off income levels verified by a third party affordable housing provider.”
Before selling the project to Greystar, Wesbild Homes started an application for the development late 2017. Previously, there was a shopping mall constructed in the early 1970s occupying the space, but last year the mall was torn down for the redevelopment.
An underground parkade is being constructed and the developers are pouring the foundation for the first building. They’re planning to dig for the second building after the opening of the first one in 2025. More recently, on Friday (June 9) the Home Depot officially reopened after being under renovations for the past four months.
“That’s gonna be hard to navigate all those cars,” said Chris Poirier-Skeleton, chair of board of the Gordon Head Residents’ Association. Her concern for the neighbourhood is that the development could double the amount of traffic in the limited lane areas, putting pedestrian safety at risk. She is, however, pleased with “the underground parking, so they’ll be no cars on residential streets.”
Poirier-Skeleton’s vision for the project is for it to be a plaza, similar to the Cook Street Village.
Woodland believes it will be an area many will gather in and will have more foot traffic.
“The expectation is that with a lot of the students, a lot of them will be not driving, but walking, busing or biking to campus. So right there we believe there will be a significant reduction in demand for those road services.”
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