If Colwood's Royal Bay does get a ferry terminal for a passenger-ferry service to downtown Victoria, it's likely the terminal will be one piece of a much larger puzzle.
The proposed site for the terminal is Royal Beach, a large piece of waterfront property next to the developing gravel pit and crown jewel of Colwood known as Royal Bay.
In 2017, Seacliff Properties, a Vancouver-based land development company, purchased Royal Beach with plans of turning the 134-acres of oceanfront land into a bustling seaside community.
Currently the waterfront is zoned for 926 units of residential housing along with significant commercial space.
It's within this development that BC Ferries is studying the potential for a passenger ferry terminal in a pre-feasibility study.
It appears Seacliff Properties is open to the idea.
Part of the development's objectives include connecting Royal Bay to the greater community by providing what developers call a "multi-modal transportation network."
It's unclear what exactly that means but Seacliff Properties says it looks forward to working with stakeholders to investigate a passenger-ferry terminal further as a way of alleviating some of the region's traffic challenges.
If approved, the proposed terminal site would be situated somewhere near the proposed community already revealed in developer renderings.
The images show a vibrant seaside community offering a range of housing options, along with a variety of commercial services and office space.
Developers say it's likely the terminal would be part of an area called "The Shores". According to one image, "The Shores" would be the site of residential and commercial amenities.
The developer’s plans also call for a public access pier, a massive amenity that would be separate from the proposed ferry terminal.
“The new public access pier we’ve proposed as the central feature of the Royal Beach development will define Colwood’s waterfront as both a local and regional destination for generations to come," says Georgia Desjardins with Seacliff Properties.
The developer says it is working with the City of Colwood and will be submitting a rezoning application this spring.
