Revised 1,900-unit development aims to overhaul underused Vic West heritage site

Move ahead with the latest update for a major overhaul of Vic West’s harbour or continue to refine the plan that’s been in the works for about 15 years. That will be for Victoria council to decide on Thursday (May 4).

The Roundhouse at Bayview Place development is a comprehensive reimagining of the area within Catherine, Esquimalt, Sitkum and Kimta roads – bisected by the E&N Railway – and is the second phase of the 20-acre project after the Hillside redevelopment directly to the east.

The Roundhouse portion looks to build nine towers, ranging from 18 to 29 storeys, consisting of 76,000 square feet of commercial space, condos, hotels and 156 below-market rental units on a site located in the vicinity of a historic Songhees village and was used by the Lekwungen people for thousands of years before it became industrial lands.

Victoria staff said the site is currently underutilized with much of it left vacant and the project looks to weave numerous public plazas, open spaces and multi-use pathways around the revitalized heritage buildings.

Bayview Place developer Focus Equities’ updated rezoning package – labelled with “final submission” – includes a master plan that envisions a climate-change-ready, highly livable urban neighbourhood in the heart of Vic West that would provide: housing diversity; a transportation hub for all ages, abilities and modes of transit; and strategic densification near downtown.

The project’s name comes from the E&N Railway Roundhouse and its five other associated buildings that were built in 1913 and hold National Historic Site status. Focus Equities’ application said its proposal would complement the heritage complex by making it the neighbourhood centrepiece and an adjacent turntable plaza would provide cultural and commercial programming.

The developer wants that plaza to be a community gathering spot and would also establish a retail boardwalk along Esquimalt Road. The proposal also looks to add bike and pedestrian paths along the E&N Railway, which would need to be realigned for the project but would have to allow for the potential of light rail transit in the future.

There are concerns about the scale of towers and podiums directly beside the heritage buildings, the city said. Reducing the heights of the adjacent buildings and reallocating the density elsewhere “would help to minimize the impact on this historic area and will help allow the precinct to be viewed coherently and from more vantage points as a whole entity,” staff said.

The 1,900-unit proposal’s updated density of 4.75 floor space ratio had Victoria counter with an FSR of 4. The applicant is exploring a 4.4 FSR, which it said would be needed for the economic viability of the site remediation, heritage building rehabilitation, realigning the rail corridor and providing sites for rental and affordable rental housing.

Staff also believe more can be done on improving tower separation for bettering resident livability, mitigating density impacts, ensuring light access to the public realm and permitting views into and through the site – but that would likely push the maximum heights of some buildings to 32 storeys.

“Although the such heights will exceed those found in the area and be amongst the tallest in Victoria, staff believe the buildings can be designed to mitigate the impact. A well-designed tall building with a smaller floor plate will often be less imposing than a shorter building with a larger floor plate,” a staff report said.

READ: Bayview Place developers pitch almost 2,000 units for Vic West site