University of Victoria to redevelop Ian Stewart Complex into housing
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
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.