The former location of Pluto’s Diner – a long-time downtown Victoria hot-spot at Cook and View streets – is being transformed into a 15-storey condominium tower, and its ground floor could one day soon feature a new cafe or coffee shop destination.

 

Available for lease or for purchase are a trio of 495, 538 and 635 square foot commercial units that can be combined into two ground-oriented storefronts (e.g., the 538 and 635 square foot units can be combined) offering a business operator as much as 1,173 square feet (approximately) of high profile business frontage.

 

“The 129-suite Mod condominium tower will feature nearly 1,700 square feet of modern, flexible retail space in a growing downtown neighbourhood,” said Dan Robbins, one of Mod's developers, adding that “the eastern half of Harris Green is undergoing significant change with housing for thousands of new residents already under construction and in planning, already high walk-by and drive-by traffic, and Mod is at the gateway to the Rockland neighbourhood, the Fernwood neighbourhood, and the Cook Street Village.”

 

The builder confirms interest in Mod’s retail opportunities has been high, with multiple groups having already approached the development team to learn about the upcoming lease offerings in one of Victoria’s most desirable neighbourhoods.

 

Featuring over-height ceilings and large floor-to-ceiling window panes, Mod’s ground floor is designed with iconic status at its core, where future operators will benefit from an architecturally significant landmark aesthetic.

 

As for the type of tenants the Mod team feels would be a good fit for the project, Robbins says a corner retail space overlooking View and Cook streets is ideal for a cafe or a coffee shop.

 

“This corner, being anchored by a diner for many years, is well suited for an amenity of a similar nature,” Robbins said. “Comprised of nearly 130 homes immediately above in the tower, and given how many future residential projects are coming to the area, eateries and cafes will prove to be popular draws for a fast-growing neighbourhood.”

 

Construction completion and occupancy are earmarked for the summer of 2023.

 

Home sales at Mod, meanwhile, have been steady, Robbins says. Savvy buyers are taking advantage of the tower’s unique sighting as the book-end among downtown residential projects, meaning most suites facing east and south will benefit from preserved views. The project's still available one and two-bedroom layouts are priced from the mid-$400,000s.

 

Emerging from a long lineage of residential and commercial development in the Capital, Mod is the latest effort form developers who most recently completed View Street’s Jukebox condominium (now sold-out), the Oceanna rental complex in Sidney’s downtown, and the restoration of a downtown office building into modern tech spaces.

 

To connect with Robbins regarding Mod's commercial unit sales or leasing opportunities, and to view the project’s website, click here. C

 

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