Construction has started on a pair of four-storey apartment buildings at 2600 Mission Rd., next to the North Island Hospital (Comox Valley) in Courtenay. The two buildings will contain a combined 94 units, consisting of 16 three-bedrooms, 46 two-bedrooms and 32 one-bedrooms.
The City of Courtenay issued three building permits worth $10.6 million to Woodsmere Holdings of Victoria. The company expects the construction period to last 13-14 months.
It is too early for the company to determine rental rates.
“It depends on cost of everything when it’s all said and done, but also market conditions,” said Steven Hurst, Woodsmere’s development officer. “You’re kind of stuck with what the prevailing market rents are, so we’ll see at the time.”
The site will include car charging stations, bicycle stalls and an on-site management office.
“We have an electric car share service, exclusive for tenants of our projects,” Hurst said, noting Woodsmere has cars at two of its sites in Langford.
One of the draws to the Mission Road site is the amount of employment within walking distance of the apartments, Hurst added.
“You could potentially live without a car, then use the car share on those special trips when you needed one.”
A number of area residents spoke against the project at a 2019 public hearing. Some were unhappy about the height of the buildings, while others expressed concern about traffic congestion and pedestrian safety.
READ: Residents speak out against apartment proposal near Courtenay hospital
READ: Courtenay council approves third reading for apartment proposal
