Oak Bay seeks project lead to help plan future of Oak Bay Marina site at Turkey Head

The District of Oak Bay is looking for a project lead to help determine the future of the Turkey Head (Spewhung) site, which includes the Oak Bay Marina property.

The municipality has long been trying to determine the future of the marina area, after its long-term lease with the Oak Bay Marine Group (OBMG) ended in 2022.

The OBMG had previously leased the site for decades, and in 2022 the district signed another short-term lease with the marine group that would last for another five years as the municipality works to establish a long-term plan for the property.

That short-term lease is set to end in 2027 and the district is hoping to have a long-term plan in place for the property before then.

The longstanding Oak Bay Marina Restaurant, which occupied one of the buildings at the marina for roughly 30 years, closed in 2023, with its owners largely blaming inflation for the closure.

“The marina restaurant building is currently vacant and no longer being leased by OBMG,” said the district in a release Wednesday.

“Use of the site beyond 2027 has not yet been determined, nor has a decision been reached regarding future use of the vacant restaurant.”

Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch says he looks forward to the creation of a long-term plan for the marina site, and says that a project lead will help make that happen.

“This project lead will help advance the technical work while facilitating Council, District Staff, First Nation partners, and our community in exploring the future of the site that aligns with community objectives,” he said in a release Wednesday.

Those community objectives include First Nations partnership, sustainable financial return, site activation and public use, and environmental stewardship, according to the district.

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