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Times Colonist: Four-storey apartment proposed for Tillicum-Craigflower
Another four-storey apartment could be in the cards for the busy Tillicum and Craigflower area, which has seen hundreds of units proposed by developers in recent years.
Xeniya Vins of Xquimalt Developments, an Esquimalt-based architect and builder, told council this week that the area is ripe for redevelopment, as lots are larger than most in the township, which means builders need to buy fewer properties to put in larger buildings.
“We’re already seeing this trend in motion — some land assemblies are being attempted, and quite a few of the neighbours are open to sales,” she said.
Vins, whose company is proposing a 32-unit, four-storey apartment with a shop on the ground floor, noted the area already has several multifamily developments, making it a “natural and appropriate” place for more density.
Five apartment buildings are planned or have already been built within a 400-metre radius of 1005 Tillicum Rd., where Vins’ development is proposed. The address is currently home to a single-family dwelling.
The Greater Victoria Housing Society built a 137-unit apartment at 874 Fleming St. to replace the 77-unit Esquimalt Lions Lodge last year.
Xquimalt’s four-storey apartment was originally proposed in 2023 as a five-storey building with 34 units, but has come back to council with two fewer units and a squatter shape.
In an interview, Vins said they shaved a storey from the plans once they found out Esquimalt building rules require five-storey buildings and higher to have underground parkades, which would have required cutting down mature trees on the lot.
Vins told council the proposed apartment at 1005 Tillicum Rd. would be similar to the four-storey apartment on the other side of the street, which also has a commercial unit on the ground floor.
That building has had a successful hair salon operating on the ground floor for more than 13 years, showing how well a mixed-use, mid-rise building can work in the neighbourhood, Vins said.
“The hair salon has a very lovely lady,” she said. “I go there, my kids go there.”
Vins said she does not have a commercial tenant yet for the proposed building, but would be willing to build the 482-square-foot space to a tenant’s specifications.
Holly Courtright, president of the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce, said she supports the project because it addresses both the housing-supply challenge and the need for more services within walking distance.
“These are practical, needed additions that contribute to Esquimalt’s economic and social fabric,” she said, adding the chamber believes there will be no issue with filling the proposed commercial unit.
Two residents on Selkirk Road expressed concerns at council that the proposed building will be built on a problematic sewer line that runs to their street.
But Janos Farkas of Xquimalt Developments said there are plans to put in a new pipe that will be more resistant to root damage.
Council voted unanimously to move the project forward on Monday night following a public hearing on a rezoning application that changed the lot from a townhouse designation to allow for a mixed-use, mid-rise building.
Vins said she hopes to begin building by late 2026, noting she needs to secure funding for the build and there are still several things that need council approval before shovels can hit the ground.
The project would include 20 studio and one-bedroom units, nine two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units, in addition to the commercial tenant.
A total of 22 ground-floor parking stalls are proposed for tenants and visitors, as well as 72 secure-storage bicycle stalls.
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