Construction is slated to begin as early as April on an initial phase of the $90-million Pacific Landing development in Colwood.
Known as Havenwood, the 3221 Heatherbell Rd. property faces Esquimalt Lagoon, and includes stone bridges, a creek and pond and the historic Pendray house, which will continue to serve as the base for the Coast Collective arts group as the development is built in stages.
“The art collective is sort of a centrepiece and our intention is to develop more of that kind of thing,” said Randy Royer, a principal in Calgary-based Heather Bell Lands Corp., which owns the property.
The arts group moved into the 8,400-square-foot Pendray House in 2008. The 88-year-old house is classed as having a non-conforming use within the lagoon’s migratory bird sanctuary, which limits redevlopment possibilities, Royer said. “It’s a nice building. It’s a historical building.”
Community living is a key concept in crafting the mixed-use, multi-stage project on the 12-acre site, already zoned for development, Royer said. “We’ve got a yoga studio that will be going in as one of the amenities in phase one.”
A community centre with a kitchen and an art studio are ways that residents would be able to get together. “The idea there is that we will have cooking lessons and people will be able to gather and cook. We are going to put in a wood-burning oven,” Royer said. “It’s really about changing the way we develop communities.”
A previous site plan is being scaled down. “It’s more low-rise,” Royer said.
Pacific Landing’s first stage will see 33 condominium units developed in a three- and four-storey buildings. Two-bedroom units will measure 1,050 square feet and are expected to be priced between $399,000 and $499,000.
Construction on the initial units will begin in April or May and be finished a year later, Royer said.
Development phases will be rolled out with market demand with an eventual build-out valued at $90 million, said Royer.
Plans are still being developed for more condo complexes. The second is expected to hold 20 units and the third, which could be up to five storeys, could have up to 50, Royer said.
Some condos could be sold under co-ownership arrangements, meaning owners would hold specific months, he said. Co-ownership units would not be sold early on in the project, Royer said.
A hotel is “down the road,” he said, adding the aim is to build a residential facility with a resort lifestyle.
Pacific Landing is among a number of projects proposed for Colwood.
There are plans underway at the Ocean Grove site, just south of Pacific Landing.
The city is also waiting to learn what Vancouver’s Onni Group has planned for the 14-acre Capital City Centre property at Colwood Corners.
The city’s economic development plan said Colwood’s population is expected to reach 33,533 by 2038, up from 16,000 in 2011.
