Oak Bay Marina redevelopment plans pushed back 5 years

The Oak Bay Marina entrance on Oct. 19, 2020. (CTV News)

The District of Oak Bay, B.C., says it's not ready to make changes to the Oak Bay Marina, which were set to begin next year.

Since 2020, the municipality has been seeking proposals to shake up the waterfront property, since its lease with the Oak Bay Marine Group was expiring at the end of 2022.

In early 2021, Oak Bay said it had narrowed its choices down to two proposals.

Both proposals called for renovations to the existing buildings at the marina, including the restaurant and boat repair facilities, as well as the construction of new buildings.

The district also said it was looking to improve the property's green space to try to attract visitors to the area year round.

On Monday, however, the municipality said it needed more time to consider the redevelopment proposals with an eye towards long-term impacts on the community.

The district reached an agreement-in-principal to extend its lease with the Oak Bay Marine Group for another five years, from 2023 to the end of 2027.

Oak Bay says it appreciates the marine group's long history of operating the property and for its work submitting its own redevelopment proposal.

"As the district prepares for next steps, council will be guided by community values including dialogue with the original Peoples of the lək̓ʷəŋən Territory towards advancing strong relationships, prosperity, and stewardship of lands and waters," said Mayor Kevin Murdoch in a statement Monday.

Once a redevelopment plan is settled on sometime after 2027, the new lease for the property will be in effect for 30 years.