540-unit housing project goes to public hearing

Victoria city council has advanced a pair of developments that would bring 540 units of housing to the north end of downtown.

Council on Thursday gave first and second reading and moved to a public hearing for three residential tower blocks at the corner of Douglas Street and Caledonia Avenue along with a supportive-housing building in the 700-block of Discovery Street.

The three residential tower blocks proposed by Chard Developments would contain about 450 units of housing, plus retail and office space on a site that had been home to the White Spot restaurant and the Capital City Centre Hotel.

The project also requires an amendment to the official community plan.

The supportive-housing building, put forward by B.C. Housing, would be constructed at 722 and 726 Discovery St.

The Chard project would feature a public plaza and two 21-storey residential towers. One is a market-priced condominium building with retail and office space on its lower levels, while the other is a purpose-built market-rental building on top of retail space, a restaurant, childcare facility, and full-service grocery store. A 16-storey tower of below-market rental housing to be operated by B.C. Housing is also planned.

The Discovery Street proposal for supportive housing would be built first and is being designed to house residents of the former Capital City Centre Hotel to ensure no one is displaced by construction.