Transit-oriented development coming to Victoria, premier announces

The Uptown-Douglas corridor is shown.

A new transit-oriented development will be coming to the Victoria area, B.C.'s premier announced Monday.

Hundreds of homes will be built in the Uptown area of Saanich, using two parcels of land that were recently bought by the provincial government.

Plans are still being finalized, but the site is expected to include public gathering spaces, commercial space, and the potential for amenities like child care and community health facilities. It'll also be designed to integrate with the Lochside and Galloping Goose trails, to improve connections between active transportation routes.

"Our communities are growing quickly, and people need affordable homes close to public transit, so they can get to where they need to go – and get ahead in life," Premier David Eby said in a statement. "This new development in Saanich will create a vibrant, connected community where people can find everything they need at their doorstep."

The land was bought using money from the Transportation Ministry's property acquisition fund, which was announced in the province's 2023 budget. One property was bought for $7.5 million, while the other was bought for $1.8 million.

"It’s encouraging to see housing developments being planned along frequent transit corridors because making transit easier and more accessible will get more people onto buses and get them where they need to go without the need of a personal vehicle," said Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock in a statement. "Higher density developments in closer proximity to frequent transit service and retail spaces like Uptown will result in the creation of more livable communities."

Last fall, B.C. proposed new legislation that would require municipalities to designate areas near bus exchanges and rapid transit as transit-oriented development areas. Within those areas will be minimum height and density requirements based on the size of the city and the distance from the transit facility.