Civic documents released by the City of Victoria have revealed Vancouver-based Chard Development has plans to build two 20-storey mixed-use residential and commercial towers on a surface parking lot spanning the 800-blocks of Yates and Johnson Streets.

 

Although plans may be altered and final municipal approvals have yet to be granted, the design concept for the towers, at 848-852 Yates Street and 849 Johnson Street, has been described as “stacked boxes” by the City of Victoria’s Advisory Design Panel (ADP). The Panel also remarked that it is “exciting” to see such an architectural style proposed for the downtown core and has recommended that the project proceed to council as a development permit application with variances.

 

Currently a mix of condominium suites and purpose-built rental apartments are envisioned and could total 226-units. The exact ratio of one form of housing over another has not yet been confirmed, although the tower fronting Yates Street will contain 112-units of one, two and three-bedroom condominiums and a two-storey commercial base. The second tower may end up as rentals and has a preliminary designation of 114-units.

 

The commercial concept calls for retail space along the project’s Yates Street frontage and a resident amenity space along the Johnson Street frontage. The ADP expressed a desire to utilize the Johnson Street frontage for retail or commercial uses.

 

The ADP process, tasked with vetting the design and scale of a development proposal in the City of Victoria, is one aspect of the municipal planning process relied upon by councillors during their deliberations prior to approving or rejecting a proposal.

 

Chard Development is currently building the 10-storey Escher on Broughton condominium project in the 800-block of Broughton Street and the 15-storey Yello on Yates purpose-built rental complex spanning the 800-blocks of Yates and View streets across from its latest two-tower proposal. C