The corner of Admirals and Gorge roads could undergo a major transformation in coming years, now that Saanich council has given its blessing to a 144-unit seniors complex.
At a public hearing on Tuesday, council gave first three readings to bylaws that would allow the project to proceed.
Despite a large crowd, only a handful of people spoke to the project, with minimal opposition.
“(The developers) really did listen to the community on this and they kept trying to address concerns,” Mayor Frank Leonard said.
“Part of the property is (currently) zoned shopping centre, part is zoned motel/hotel. … They came in with a comprehensive development and took the entire site and put in a use that’s welcome, as opposed to a mix of shopping centre and hotel.”
The planned four-storey building, which includes a care facility for seniors with memory loss, still needs to go through a final reading of the applicable bylaws before construction can begin.
In addition to building the new facility, the developer plans to rehabilitate Brookman’s Grocery and move it elsewhere on the property.
kslavin@saanichnews.com