The proposed development for the White Spot and the Capital City Centre Hotel lots are headed to public hearings after a unanimous vote in committee of the whole.
The Capital City Centre Hotel is currently being used as supportive housing, so the redevelopment of this area is proposed to take place in two phases, as proposed by BC Housing and Chard Developments.
The first would be to build an eight-storey supportive housing development on the neighbouring site at 722 and 726 Discovery Street, which is currently a surface parking lot.
Once complete, it is proposed to have approximately 90 supportive housing units. There would also be 24/7 on-site supports and a private outdoor amenity space. The site would be owned by BC Housing and run by Our Place Society, which currently operate Capital City Centre Hotel, another supportive housing project.
This proposal already came before the previous council, who requested the design be altered to preserve three Garry oak trees. They would need to be removed in order to accommodate the previous design, however since then the designer has altered the layout, which now results in the preservation of two of the three trees.
After the residents of the hotel are moved into the new supportive housing complex or alternate housing in the city, construction on the neighbouring property at 710 Caledonia Avenue and 1961 Douglas Street, which is the site of the former White Spot and Capital City Centre Hotel, is proposed to begin.
This phase would consist of a “commercial podium,” which is two storeys of shared commercial space, with three towers between 16 to 21 storeys on top.
The project would result in approximately 540 homes and 97,000 square feet of commercial space.
The commercial podium is proposed to include a grocery store, childcare facility and shops.
The housing will be a mixture of below-market rentals, market residential rentals, and owner-occupied homes.
The next step is for the two projects to come for public hearings before council can give a final vote.
Laura Brougham
