A proposal for what could be Victoria’s tallest building will require rezoning.
The proposal for the development at Harris Green Village includes 100,000-square-feet of commercial space and 1,500 rental apartments across its block-and-a-half site surrounding 1010 and 1020 View Street. Apartments will be split across five towers ranging from 21 to 32 storeys – which could be Victoria’s new tallest building, dethroning the 25-storey Hudson Place One on Herald Street.
If accepted, the development site will convert from core residential to a mixed-use land designation, said Sheldon Johnson, Victoria’s manager of engagement. The amendment would permit buildings taller than the current cap of 20 storeys, and density up to the development’s proposed floor space ratio of 6.2:1.
The developers are contemplating but have yet to confirm the inclusion of office space in the village, said Starlight Investments senior development manager Andrew Browne.
It will also mean the demolition of all existing buildings in Yate Street’s 900-block which currently houses Market on Yates, London Drugs, Frontrunners, Bosely’s and a dozen other businesses. Harris Victoria Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Ram currently occupy 1045 Yates Street.
“Harris Green is a great residential gateway to downtown with a strong identity and commercial space. We want to build on that,” Browne said. “We don’t want to eliminate that, we want to provide more.”
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Following two years of consultation with the community, Browne said the developer, Starlight, had heard loud and clear the need to incorporate green space with the new development. “With increased building height, we can carve out more of that ground floor area to create green space,” he said, which would include a half-acre in Yate Street’s 900-block.
Taller buildings, however, mean more sun blockage. According to their rezoning application available on the City of Victoria’s development tracker, the towers will create new afternoon shadows on buildings on Yates Street’s north side between Cook and Vancouver streets.
Victoria residents can provide comments on the proposed development until June 25 by accessing Victoria’s online development tracker and filtering for “pre-application (CALUC)” along with the development’s address.
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