Citified Victoria

A proposal for a seniors residence has emerged for the 800-block of Esquimalt Road. The project, if approved, would be a follow-up to a seniors complex currently under construction in Esquimalt by the same developer.

Bringing to market Victoria's largest mass timber-designed condominium has been a long time coming, and developer Edward Geric of Mike Geric Construction, currently building Tresah in Victoria's Mayfair District, discusses the 12-storey project, how the concept materialized, and what its legacy will be as one of the first adopters of a new made-in-BC building technology.

The final phase of construction at Uptown Shopping Centre has changed following Saanich's roll-out of a new guiding document for Saanich's core, known as the Uptown-Douglas Plan. A residential tower approved in 2016 as the final phase of the shopping plaza has undergone a significant redesign to better relate to Saanich's emerging vision for the area.

Saanich's Glanford Auto Service property on Glanford Avenue at Vanalman Avenue, across from the Red Barn grocery store, has been re-envisioned as a convenience store and gas bar.

British Columbia's wealthiest man appears to be banking big on Victoria's Burnside-Gorge neighbourhood and the emerging 'midtown' district between downtown Victoria and Saanich's Uptown. Jim Pattison has acquired a final piece of a large real-estate holdings puzzle on Douglas Street at Finlayson Street, which hints at the possibility of a big development play on the horizon.

In a nod to the future of emerging building materials, this morning dignitaries celebrated the construction start of Tresah, Victoria's first mass timber-designed highrise condominium tower now rising between the 600-blocks of Frances and Speed avenues. The nearly 250-suite project is a big step towards the formation of a new midtown area between downtown Victoria and Saanich's Uptown precinct.

2020 toppled so many records throughout Victoria's real-estate market, it was hard to keep track of the numbers. Among the $6.53 billion invested into local real-estate, trends emerged that could point to how 2021 will shape up. Are condos on track for a banner year? Will single-family-homes face growing demand?

A move-in ready release of six condominiums will finalize the sales campaign for The Wade, a 102-suite condominium project nearing completion at the intersection of Cook and Johnson streets. The five-storey all-concrete project, which became widely regarded in Victoria with its rooftop green spaces, apiary, sauna and zen garden, will also be home to an Island Health medical clinic, a pharmacy, and professional offices within its ground floor commercial component.

VanCity Credit Union's relocation from its Fort Street location to Douglas Street will be the end-cap to 1200-block of Douglas Street's recent retail comings-and-goings which include the departure of Chapters to Mayfair Shopping Centre, Shoppers Drug Mart's relocation from its space next door into the Chapters space, and Dollarama's opening in the Shoppers Drug Mart space.

The Capital Regional District's Manager of Real-Estate Services is featured in this month's Ten on the 10th Q&A segment. Stephen Henderson discusses land acquisitions for parks, affordable housing, and more.

A new tenant is coming to the base of Abstract Development's Black and White project on Fort Street at Cook Street.

A partially constructed condominium tower atop Bear Mountain will be making way for a new project, known as Elevate, as work resumes at the Hannington Road site. Known then as The Highlander, the 14-storey tower stalled in 2009.