Gold-coloured shovels hit the ground on Thursday to mark the start of construction of Belmont Residences, a $200-million development in Langford.
Plans call for the construction of seven buildings in six stages over five years.
A total of 440 housing units are planned, with 156 designated as rental. The rest will be condominiums.
“We like developing in phased, master-plan communities with both apartments and condos for sale,” William Fox, president of Ledcor Properties Inc., said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
The new residential community “will be a lively hub for Langford and all of its citizens,” he said.
Belmont Residences will be across a new street from what will become the Belmont Market shopping centre, being developed by Crombie REIT. The site was once the home of Belmont Secondary School. Thrifty Foods will be one of the stores.
Construction is underway on the shopping centre property.
The intention is to create walkable projects, with easy access to the nearby Galloping Goose trail. Speakers at the Belmont Residences groundbreaking talked about the possibility of people living in the condos and heading across the street to work in the shopping centre.
Paul Woodward, senior vice-president of development and construction for Ledcor Properties, said: “It’s really nice to be able to have these integrated mixed-use development plans that are thought out from the very beginning.”
The $200-million cost includes construction and other development costs.
Condo prices have not been set, but, Woodward said, “it is really important that we have real homes for real people, that are affordable.”
In the next few weeks, construction starts on two L-shaped buildings where rental units will be located. They will be four storeys, above ground-floor commercial space.
That project will take about 21 months to build, Woodward said. Rents have not been fixed. Most units are one- and two-bedroom.
Construction is scheduled to begin this summer on Ledcor’s first condo, a five-storey wood-frame building, with 80 units and underground parking.
It will take about 18 months to complete.
Ledcor will build about 320,000 square feet of residential space in total, Woodward said.
Amenities include facilities for cyclists and repair stations, dog grooming and washing areas, and kayak storage.
Langford Mayor Stew Young said this is the largest development currently underway in the municipality.
He said he is pleased to see this type of project, with its walkable design, easy access to the trail, shopping and housing. It fits in with his vision of a community where people can work and live, and enjoy themselves in what he predicts will be the region’s sports capital.
Langford is planning to increase Westhills Stadium to 8,000 seats from its current 1,1718. “It is really important to make sure that we recognize how we build community.”
Langford council and staff are committed to reducing red tape, he said.
