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Central Saanich cannabis bunker sold for $2.1 million

It was purpose-built for cannabis cultivation
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Structure on Lochside Drive was built in 2014 for cannabis cultivation. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST

A standalone, purpose-built marijuana-growing building in Central Saanich has been sold for $2.1 million.

Details of who bought the property, which had been listed for sale at $2.5 million, have not been made available.

The 5,435-square-foot space on 2.71 acres of agricultural land at 6922 Lochside Dr. was built in 2014 for cannabis cultivation.

About $100,000 worth of cannabis-cultivation equipment remains on the site.

In 2020, building owner Phil Illingworth started trying to lease the space after a dispute with the building’s first and only tenant led to the ­building being vacated and Illingworth demanding the return of ­equipment.

The tenant, Evergreen Medicinal Supply, had its licence suspended by Health Canada in 2019 after an unannounced inspection of the facility resulted in “a number of ­critical observations and an overall ­non-compliant rating.”

The B.C. Supreme Court ruled Evergreen had to hand over the keys to the building to the owner as a result of a dispute over about $400,000 in unpaid rent.

Before its licence was suspended, Evergreen Medicinal was authorized to cultivate, process and sell dried and fresh cannabis, cannabis plants and cannabis seeds to both provincial and territorial distributors and directly to patients authorized to use cannabis for medical purposes, Health Canada said.

The vacant building includes power, vault, steel and concrete block construction, security fences, controlled access doors and a back-up generator.

aduffy@timescolonist.com

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