University of Victoria to redevelop Ian Stewart Complex into housing
![Ian Stewart Complex The Ian Stewart Complex is shown. Jan. 26, 2023 (CTV News)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2023/1/26/ian-stewart-complex-1-6248392-1674782376134.jpg)
The University of Victoria plans to build a mixed-use housing and commercial development on the site of its aging Ian Stewart Complex.
The school said the complex is reaching its end of life and the project is in response to the regional housing shortage.
"We completed an employee housing survey in the fall of this year," said Mike Wilson, UVic director of campus planning and sustainability.
"What that told us was that rent, as well as mortgage payments, are rising really quite rapidly in the region as we all know," he said. "We want to be able to provide housing that is a really close walk or cycle to the campus and that's able to attract new faculty and staff to the university."
The complex, located at 3964 Gordon Head Rd., was the school's primary recreation centre up until 2015 when the Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA) opened on campus.
The ice rink surface at the Ian Stewart Complex remains in use, as do several office spaces.
With limited ice space available in the region, the school has given users until 2026 to find a new home before it closes the doors for good.
"We recognize that ice time is at a real premium," said Wilson.
"But certainly we also understand that from the broader community there is a strong desire for housing," he said.
Wilson said the proposed development is made of about nine acres of land, including part of a parcel across the street from the Gordon Head Road facility.
The redevelopment locations are pictured. (UVic)
The project is in its very early stages, the school says, and it plans to engage the community to gather feedback on what direction to take the development.
Standing in front of the complex Thursday, Wilson said whether the housing units will be sold or rented is just one of the many decision yet to be determined.
What the school does know is that the plan is to support the whole community.
"We’re looking at partnership opportunities with the provincial government, among others, but really looking at a mix of units in order to support the community," said Wilson.
Saanich Mayor Dean Murdcok says the new development represents a "fairly significant step forward in terms of creating housing."
"I‘m committed, and I think the university is committed, to ensuring that we can create homes for people of all incomes and all stages of life and utilizing this property is a great opportunity to do that," he said.
Wilson said the housing development will be a new model for the school, but that similar projects have been completed successfully at other universities in the province.
The new building will provide new sources of revenue to support the university's academic goal, he said.
With the size and scope of the project, Wilson said it’s too early to say when shovels will be in the ground.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6968646.1721316302!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING High-profile Liberal minister to announce he is quitting cabinet, not running in next election: sources
Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan is set to announce as early as Thursday that he will not run in the next federal election, and will be quitting his cabinet position, multiple Liberal sources tell CTV News.
More Americans are searching online about moving to Canada. But will they come here?
In the last few weeks, there has been a surge in the number of Americans searching online about moving to Canada and recent political events appear to have been a major catalyst.
'One screen, two movies': Conflicting conspiracy theories emerge from the Trump rally shooting
A former president is wounded in a shooting, the gunman quickly neutralized, and all of it is caught on camera. But for those who don't believe their eyes, that's just the start of the story.
Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller's office vandalized in Montreal
Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller's office in Montreal was vandalized early Thursday morning.
B.C. woman who thought Coldplay concert 'was a date' must pay ex for ticket, tribunal rules
A B.C. woman has been ordered to repay her ex for a ticket to Coldplay's 2023 concert in Vancouver – in a small claims decision that highlights the distinction between gifts and loans under Canadian law.
6 bodies were found in a Bangkok hotel room with no signs of violence. Police think they know why
Should visitors to Thailand be concerned about their safety after six people were found dead in a locked hotel room in Bangkok?
Tail hair cut off multiple horses outside Alberton: P.E.I. RCMP
The Prince Edward Island RCMP is asking for the public’s help after three horses recently had their tails cut off.
Two listeriosis deaths in Ontario linked to plant-based milk recall: MOH
Two deaths as a result of a listeriosis outbreak linked to a plant-based milk recall are in Ontario, provincial health officials confirmed Thursday.
Mississauga, Ont., nursing home evacuated of more than 100 residents amid flooding
First responders say it took nearly 12 hours to rescue more than 100 residents from a flooded Mississauga, Ont., long-term care home after torrential rain pummelled the Greater Toronto Area on Tuesday.