Victoria council will get a chance Thursday to weigh in on a plan that could see nine new buildings — including a 20-storey tower — replace the 23 buildings of affordable housing spread along two blocks of Blanshard Street near Hillside Avenue.
B.C. Housing owns the eight-acre parcel of land that stretches from Bay Street to Hillside Avenue and is bordered by Blanshard and Dowler Place.
It’s hoping to rezone the site for as many as 900 new housing units, 341 of which would be rented at below-market rates. There are currently just 196 units on the site.
The massive project, which would be built out over the next 10 to 20 years, is intended to replace aging facilities in the complex, according to a letter signed by architect Franc D’Ambrosio on behalf of B.C. Housing.
D’Ambrosio noted that existing buildings in Evergreen Terrace were completed in 1970 and have reached the end of their useful life, “even with regular maintenance and major renovation work.”
“It has been determined that replacement is more economical than continued repair, and that the land’s capacity is much larger and can help address the increasing need for urban housing in Victoria.”
The site currently houses 175 low-income townhouses and apartments and 21 supportive-housing units.
The 21 supportive units are in a building called Spaken House near the corner of Hillside and Blanshard. Erected as a temporary structure following a November 2016 fire, Spaken House is operated by the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness as supportive housing for Indigenous women.
The existing buildings would be removed in phases, and tenants would be supported throughout the development and relocation process, said B.C. Housing, which argues the project will create “704 more units of needed housing in the capital region.”
B.C. Housing would retain ownership of the land and develop the new housing in partnership with non-profit and market housing providers.
The project envisions a child-care centre with space for as many as 37 children, about 10,000 square feet of multi-purpose amenity space spread around the community, a plaza and park area, potential commercial space and infrastructure upgrades for the surrounding intersections, including bike lanes and transit stops.
Kelly Greenwell, executive director of the Quadra Village Community Centre, said while the community sees a lot of good in the project — including childcare, green space and housing — the sheer size is overwhelming, given that it envisions a seven-fold increase in population on the site. “There’s a lot of wondering what that’s going to be like — a bit of a mini population explosion in a fairly densely populated part of the city.”
Greenwell said he hopes city council will require B.C. Housing to commit to providing more resources as part of the rezoning process, including investments in services and support for the new population.
“Our community centre, for instance, is already at capacity and there’s going to be a lot more people living literally right across the road from where we are,” he said.
He said support around food security, mental health and economic issues is already needed.
D’Ambrosio noted in the letter that if rezoning is successful, the first phase of construction could start later this year, with the full build-out done in 10 to 20 years.
Proposed in the first phase is a six-storey building one block north of Bay Street facing Dowler Place that would house the childcare centre.
The construction sequence beyond the first phase will depend on market demand, tenant need and other factors, he said. The 20-storey building is proposed for the northwest corner of the site at the corner of Hillside and Blanshard.
