An upcoming downtown Victoria development plans to host a unique co-living situation for more than a third of its 121 rental units.
The 16-storey project by Townline Homes Inc. at 1468 Vancouver Street will include 54 co-living suites, ranging in size from three to five bedrooms.
These spaces include shared kitchen and laundry spaces, and in some units shared washrooms. The target demographic for these units would be post-secondary students.
The project will also include 43 one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units.
“Townline Homes Inc. is excited to propose a purpose-built rental tower on the corner of Pandora Avenue and Vancouver Street.
The Harris Green area is a neighbourhood in transition and we are proud to be a part of the progression,” wrote Alex Warren, development manager, in a letter to the City.
“We believe this proposal meets the needs of the City and residents alike, creating a development which fulfills the unique needs of rental tenants while being creatively designed to produce a positive pedestrian experience for the general public as well.”
Additional amenities include an open concept commercial/residential entryway on the bottom floor, private courtyards, a gym, bike workshop, social lounge, communal kitchen and music room.
Plans also call for 213 vehicle parking stalls as well as 216 bike parking spots.
Presently, the two parcels of land house the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and Photoprint Ltd. The Seventh Day Adventist Church at 938 Pandora Ave. was built in 1949, but after an investigation, Townline found that too many of the building’s original features had been changed, and that structural compromises meant the building could not be retained.
Plans updated since the original 2018 proposal have been submitted to the City of Victoria for review.
The next steps would require review by council at a committee of the whole meeting on a yet-to-be-determined date.
