A proposal for a high-density rental building with no parking in Victoria’s downtown has been submitted to the City of Victoria for review.
A different version of the proposal was rejected by the city in May 2022, with staff saying the plan for a 19-storey tower at 937 View St. – next to View Towers – had design issues and that the height would have detrimental impacts on shadowing, skyline view and sunlight access.
But the new proposal by Nelson Investments is now even taller at 23 storeys to accommodate 269 rental homes averaging 389 square feet in size.
The new proposal reflects the changes that have taken place in Victoria in the past year when it comes to housing, including the election of a new council. Victoria was also included this week as one of three Greater Victoria municipalities subject to new housing targets as part of B.C.’s Housing Supply Act.
That means the city is on notice to approve more housing.
For the View Street proposal, it sits on the site of a parking lot across from the newly approved Harris Green Village, which includes rental towers ranging from 28 to 32 storeys – meaning the new council may not be as concerned about height.
“We’re committed to the vision we’ve long held that a parking-free, quality rental building at this location is the right response to the housing and affordability crises in Victoria,” said Chris Nelson, president, Nelson Investments, in a statement. “We think that our application is coming back to the city at just the right time, especially with the recent announcement of the Housing Supply Act that includes Victoria as a community that the province is working with to meet housing targets over the short and long term.”
Amenities in the proposed building include a community garden, rooftop patio with outdoor kitchen, outdoor seating areas and a café on the ground floor. The pet-friendly building would also have a dog-run area on a sixth-floor patio.
The proposed building site is currently a surface parking lot next to View Towers.
To support the car-light living that’s envisioned for the building, the first floor of the building includes a secure bicycle storage room with e-bike charging, a bike repair and wash station as well as room for oversized bikes.
The 937 View St. development permit application is currently with city staff for review.
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