A second homebuilder has been added to Colwood’s Royal Bay development, as Vancouver Island’s Limona Group has been chosen to build on 12 lots backing on to the community’s Meadow Park.
The homes, labelled “executive level” by Mark Roozendaal, a partner with the Preferred Homes Team at Re/Max, which handles marketing for Limona, will be built in a West Coast contemporary style.
“I think it’s going to be a good family neighbourhood … these are going to be spacious homes,” he said. Roozendaal added that all of the initial homes will have four bedrooms.
These larger homes will compliment the current, mostly three-bedroom stock offered by GableCraft Homes with a new type of housing, said Royal Bay president Russell Tibbles.
“We planned Royal Bay to be a community for the 21st century … part of that means having a broad range of housing. Broader than has traditionally been the case on the West Shore,” he said. “The objective of that is to meet the needs of everyone, from young families to seniors.”
Meadow Park, which is anticipated to open soon to the public, will be an urban park that the developers hope will be a key ingredient in the former quarry site’s continued revival. While Tibbles acknowledged that it’s impossible to bring the site completely back to its natural look, it’s hoped the many parks planned for the community, and the extensive planting for Garry oak ecosystems, will give it a new feel.
“It’s a site that’s always been special,” he said. “We need to help … restore it to a more natural state in its next phase of life.”
Tibbles also expressed his excitement in bringing Limona on board. The group has built more than 1,500 homes in Greater Victoria, Mill Bay and Cowichan and boasts a 35-year resume that features numerous building and environmental awards.
Roozendaal, speaking on behalf of Limona, said that excitement is mutual. “Limona is a very well-known builder and Royal Bay is a very well-known project and I think that it’s going to be a fantastic combination for people here in Victoria,” he said.
Construction on three homes will begin this month and Limona hopes to have a model home and sales centre open later this year. As floor plans and other design elements are still being finalized, it’s not known what the price range for the homes will be.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com
GREATER VICTORIA MARKET UPDATE » MONTH TO DATE March 27/17 COURTESY VICTORIA REAL ESTATE BOARD
» 757 / 1,121 — NET UNCONDITIONAL SALES / TOTAL, March 2016
» 990 / 1,445 — NEW LISTINGS /TOTAL, March 2016
» 1,573 / 2,618 — ACTIVE RESIDENTIAL LISTINGS / TOTAL, March 2016
