Eleven years after it was first pitched, a major development is coming forward in the Township of Esquimalt.
The block-long development at 1235 Esquimalt Rd., put forward by Aragon Properties would include two separate residential buildings, one building with rental units and retail space beneath, a library paired with office space and a central town plaza.
The first units would be complete and up for sale beginning in October.
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| The property at 1235 Esquimalt Rd will house residential and rental units, as well as a library and offices, a plaza and a renewed city hall (File contributed/ Aragon Properties) |
“One thing we tried to do with this project was that we tried to go the green route,” said Luke Ramsay, development manager at Aragon Properties. “We used geothermal heated both for commercial and residential units… As well, in the parkade we offer an EV [electric vehicle] charger for every home.”
The two six-storey residential buildings hold 32 and 34 units respectively, ranging in size from one to three-bedroom units. The units would be between 662 and 1,151 sq. ft.
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People will be able to tour and purchase units in the first residential building as of October, and move-in ready by February 2022. Units in the second residential building will also go for sale in spring 2020.
Around the same time, Aragon anticipates the new library and office building will be complete.
The library will be comprised of a mass timber building.
“The library will have four storeys of office above it,” Ramsay said. “It’s a mass timber building… you’ll be able to see and touch the mass heavy timber when you go through it.”
The last part of the project to be complete will be the rental building, which will include studios, smaller one-bedrooms, as well as two and three-bedroom units.
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The bottom floor will also include some retail space, with one unit already devoted to the Esquimalt Roasting Company – the Township’s first coffee roaster – and a second space set aside for a restaurant/pub establishment.
Between all these buildings will be a community plaza designed for performances and markets, which will be decorated with an art walk from local artists.
| The property at 1235 Esquimalt Rd will house residential and rental units, as well as a library and offices, a plaza and a renewed city hall (File contributed/ Aragon Properties) |
The Township’s city hall backs onto the plaza, and will also have minor landscaping and exterior upgrades as part of the project.
For more information, people can attend the Aragon Discovery Centre at 328 Cook St. or visit aragon.ca.
