At Uptown, construction crews are installing finishing touches B次元官网网址� plants and trees, the centerpiece mosaic fountain, and faces of the clock tower. Vast, untouched parkades still smell of fresh paint.

Town and CountryB次元官网网址檚 four year transformation from a worn out strip mall to a major shopping hub is quickly rolling toward completion. By the end of the month, businesses, restaurants and retailers will begin setting up shop in Uptown's Phase 2 B次元官网网址� some will open for Christmas and others by next spring.

The majority of heavy lifting for the $350-million development is effectively finished. In a few weeks, Uptown will open its main boulevard to vehicles and pedestrians, even as retailers transform empty building interiors. Additional vehicle access points from Carey Road and Blanshard Street should also ease traffic congestion that can build at the entrance through Saanich Road.

B次元官网网址淚f traffic can only go halfway in, it wonB次元官网网址檛 flow. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the challenge of operating a site while constructing it over top,B次元官网网址� said Geoff Nagle, a director of development with Morguard Investments, the owner of Uptown.

For Nagle, the public face of Uptown and who has spent more than a decade working on the project, shepherding Uptown through a recession, keeping tenants open during construction B次元官网网址� Wal-Mart didnB次元官网网址檛 close once B次元官网网址� and while achieving a LEED gold standard, are points of pride.

B次元官网网址淎t all projects across the city, (in 2009) the cranes stopped turning for six months. We did not,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hrough the global economic recession, our cranes never stopped.B次元官网网址�

That kept hundreds of people employed. Over four years about 3,200 tradespeople have worked on the site, about 250 to 300 each day, without a lost-time incident.

The recession though has taken its toll in terms of finding tenants. Phase 1 of Uptown is about 90 per cent leased overall, but about 35 per cent of the office space remains empty.

Uptown has found major office tenants for Phase 2 B次元官网网址� Western Union is leasing about 12,000 square feet, and an orthopedic surgeon is taking 10,000 square feet B次元官网网址� but only about 30 per cent of office space is spoken for to date. Retail uptake in Phase 2 is higher than office space, but Nagle said there remains healthy competition for retail outlets across the region.

B次元官网网址淚n a competitive market, weB次元官网网址檝e got a quality product, but we never expected to be immune to market realities,B次元官网网址� Nagle said. B次元官网网址淲e have been successful at attracting private sector tenants, government tenants because of the LEED gold buildings, because itB次元官网网址檚 a desirable space.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 say 85 per cent of the space (in Phase 2) is under negotiation of one form or another,B次元官网网址� he noted, which includes four restaurants. "We are very pleased with the progress being made.B次元官网网址�

The residential phase in the northern two acres of Uptown remains on hold until Morguard finds a new partner with deep pockets. Once eyed for two 36-storey towers, that piece of land will be blasted and dug out until it sits level with Uptown Boulevard, and then it will wait.

Saanich council, in its love-hate relationship with Uptown, has criticized the project as B次元官网网址渋mposingB次元官网网址� and and car-centric, but appreciates the benefits of reaping more property taxes. Nagle said the opening of Phase 2 and the lowering of construction barriers will create the kind of open-air shopping community envisioned from the get go.

He is also quick to point out that the Morguard quadrupled the retail and parking space from Town and Country, but using less land. Building the same floor space under a traditional suburban sprawl model would have taken 86 acres, he said.

B次元官网网址淏uilding density is a huge regional benefit. State of the art 1959 will never be built again.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭his is a spectacular result,B次元官网网址� Nagle said while overlooking the central pedestrian square. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a huge amount of work, but the results are incredibly satisfying. ItB次元官网网址檚 why IB次元官网网址檓 in this business, to create change for the better.B次元官网网址�

editor@saanichnews.com