The Township of Esquimalt has moved forward a proposal by GMC Projects to breathe new life into the 122-room Econolodge Inn and Suites at 101 Island Hwy., allowing for the conversion of the former hotel to a 96-unit rental complex.
Named Portage West, the project will convert four two-storey block units at the site, as well as five individual cabin structures on the edge of the Gorge Waterway, into rental accommodations. TheyB次元官网网址檒l range from studio to two-bedroom apartments, while one of the cabins is slated to become a four-bedroom, roughly 1,500-square-foot apartment.
B次元官网网址淥ne of the things I love about this project is the collaborative living approach that lies at the heart of the concept,B次元官网网址� said Coun. Susan Low, adding the sharing of some common spaces tends to create a stronger sense of community.
She also appreciates the plan for a small on-site caf茅 that will be open to the public as well as residents. B次元官网网址淚 love the idea of the cafe upgrade and the way it will move this development into being a part of the community. ItB次元官网网址檚 a place where residents and neighbours can meet and interact. ThatB次元官网网址檚 how communities are made.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 a sentiment shared by GMC president Jordan Milne.
B次元官网网址淭his is a great site. The apartments are going to be pet friendly, have the waterfront pool, and weB次元官网网址檙e putting in a community kitchen/barbecue facility. It will be a fantastic place to meet the neighbours, relax and know that youB次元官网网址檙e part of the community,B次元官网网址� he said.
Milne observed that Victoria, with a rental rate of less than 0.5 per cent, is in dire need of rental accommodation and that this project is designed to, at least in part, address that need.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e really excited to be bringing Portage West onto the market and will be getting right to work on the first phase of the project, which will create the first 14 apartments at the site by the end of October 2017,B次元官网网址� he said. The remaining four phases will bring additional units on line and the project is scheduled for completion by the summer of 2018.
Although the zoning for the site will theoretically allow for some units to be used for tourist accommodation of less than 30 days, vacation rentals may not be mixed in the same block as the apartments, explained Low. As well, the vacation rental use would only be allowed if the vacancy rate for apartments increased substantially, a possibility not envisioned in the foreseeable future by either Milne or Low.
