Esquimalt council voted on Monday evening to approve a 46-unit condominium building proposed for 815-825 Selkirk Avenue, just west of the Victoria-Esquimalt border.

 

Known as The Sterling, the five-storey project will deliver a collection of 26 one and 19 two-bedroom residences and a three-bedroom suite. 58 electric vehicle-ready parking stalls will be contained within a two-storey underground parkade.

 

Proponent Chris Bradley of TLA Developments called council’s 4-2 decision (with one councillor absent) a “positive step towards attainable housing and neighbourhood densification on southern Vancouver Island,” and commended the Township of Esquimalt for being “a progressive municipality with forward-thinking residents and elected officials working towards a more inclusive, family-friendly city.”

 

“We’re extremely proud of our team at TLA, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the professionalism of the Township of Esquimalt’s staff, the community groups we engaged with throughout the approvals process, and the neighbours who supported our vision from the outset,” Bradley continued.

 

Councillors Tim Morrison, Megan Brame, Jane Vermeulen and mayor Barb Desjardins voted in favour of the application, while councillors Lynda Hundleby and Ken Armour were opposed.

 

With the public hearing complete, TLA will move toward finalizing an initial regulatory process in the coming weeks and work with the municipality to secure the appropriate terms of what is known as an Article 219 Covenant, which includes a guarantee for high efficiency BC Building Code 'STEP Code 3' construction, charging stations for electric vehicles, as well as a car share vehicle.

 

TLA anticipates project marketing to begin in the fall, with a construction start planned for late fall.

 

Situated near the banks of the Gorge Waterway, The Sterling is in a walkable neighbourhood close to high-frequency transit services connecting downtown Victoria, UVic, both the Royal Jubilee and General hospitals, CFB Esquimalt, and retail nodes like Tillicum Shopping Centre and Esquimalt’s town centre. The bike-friendly area is near multiple parks, walking trails and green spaces.

 

The project’s intended attainable price points are targeted at urban professionals seeking condominium housing within Victoria’s desirable urban core, young families, first-time buyers and down-sizers or right-sizers seeking single-level, centrally located housing.

 

“Based on stakeholder feedback and our many engagement sessions, we heard from residents how important attainability was to their housing goals, and how suites with one or two bedrooms are in demand throughout the south Island,” Bradley said, adding that such feedback resulted in “nearly half of Sterling’s homes being sized at two-bedrooms or larger.”

 

A car share stall will be provided at the building available to residents and the general public. The car share, along with 58 bicycle parking spaces, are part of an effort to limit individual car use and promote a car-lite lifestyle to those who desire it. Other environmental investments will include a pre-wiring for a solar panel array should the future strata council wish to install one, the Step Code 3 sustainable material and building investment, and a landscape design that benefits local pollinators.

 

As for the existing homes currently at 815 and 825 Selkirk Avenue, TLA will move the residences for a local not-for-profit or to a First Nation for use as family housing. The two single-family-dwellings plus an additional ‘tiny home’ will provide long-term, affordable housing, the developer says.

 

TLA, meanwhile, is overseeing the construction of Skyeview in View Royal, a condominium development rising along the 200-block of Old Island Highway. 80% sold-out, Skyeview will be launching its final home release later this year. Occupancy is targeted for late 2022. The company is also involved in additional developments throughout the Capital Region, including a condominium along Saanich’s Shelbourne Street corridor, and a proposal in Saanich’s upper Quadra community.

 

To learn more about The Sterling, and to stay in touch with the project team as marketing gets underway, click here.

 

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