Your Weekly North Vancouver Island Construction News

January 18, 2023

In this Week’s Issue of Building Links

  • Powell River: City moving forward with the potential development of a city owned apartment building.
  • Courtenay: NIC has announced the contractors for the student housing project. 
  • Campbell River: Approvals moving forward for over 600 mixed units. 
This aerial photograph shows the lot at 7104 Barnet Street in Powell River. A computer overlay in the top left corner demonstrates how a 5-storey city owned rental building could fit on the lot.

Powell River: City moving forward with the potential development of a city owned apartment building.

The City of Powell River is considering a city-owned rental housing at 7104 Barnet Street. The property is currently over 7 acres and located beside the RCMP detachment. A feasibility study in 2022 recommended a 3 to 5 storey building with approximately 60 units ranging in size from 1 to 3 bedrooms. In November 2022, Life Cycle Housing Society expressed keen interest in working with the City to develop the new rental housing. In the interest of transparency, city staff felt it would be appropriate to issue an Expression of Interest to determine if any other non-profit would be interested in partnering with the city on this project. Council agreed and directed staff to publish a Request for Expressions of Interest for the delivery of mixed-tenant, mixed-income rental housing on city owned land. Staff are working on the documents and expect to issue the request over the next few months.

Courtenay: NIC has announced the contractors for the student housing project.

North Island College has awarded the contracts to Urban One Builders and HDR to oversee the design, engineering and construction of the College’s first housing project. The two companies will oversee the design and multiple partners handling design, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering, sustainability, geotechnical work and landscape architecture. Two student housing buildings will provide 217 beds for students, including 157 beds in a larger building and 60 beds for students with families in a separate building. The buildings are expected to include Mass Timber and meet Step 4 of the BC Energy Step Code.

Campbell River: Approvals moving forward for over 600 mixed units.

Campbell River has given third reading for rezoning two residential projects with over 600 mixed units. The projects include a combination of single family, suites, duplexes and townhomes over several phases. The project is a 142 acre residential development with several conditions required prior to subdivision approval. The rezoning changes the current Residential Estate (RE-1) Zone to Residential One A (R-1A) and Residential Multiple 2 (RM-2). As proposed, the project will include approximately 400 units built in 7 phases, with single-family and suites, and low to medium-density multi-family components. The second project is for 3 lots totaling over 40 acres on the corner of S Elk River Road and Pinecrest Road. As proposed, the project will include 20 duplex lots, 138 single family with suite lots, and 4 lots for multifamily projects. The subdivision will be achieved through 4 phases.

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