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VICTORIA – A new transit-oriented development with hundreds of homes and community amenities has been announced for Saanich, B.C.

The development will be located on several parcels of land in Saanich’s Uptown area, including two recently bought by the Government of British Columbia.

“The Uptown-Douglas area is the perfect location for a high-density, transit-oriented development and regional transit hub that will no doubt be transformative for this community. Our sincere appreciation to the province for aligning with Saanich’s vision for a complete community that will feature housing, amenities, access to active transportation and transit options, and so much more for the people who will one day call it home,” Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock said in a statement. 

The land for the Uptown transit-oriented development was bought through the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s $394-million property acquisition fund announced in B.C.’s 2023 budget.

The proposal is aligned with Saanich’s Uptown-Douglas Plan which includes multiple buildings with hundreds of housing units, new public gathering spaces, active-transportation connections, retail and commercial space, and potential amenities. It will also be designed to integrate with the Lochside and Galloping Goose regional trails to create an active transportation hub, with connections to downtown Victoria, the University of Victoria, the Westshore and the Saanich Peninsula.

B.C. finalized purchase of wo properties adjacent to the Galloping Goose regional trail in recent weeks – one at 3657 Harriet Rd., currently occupied by Budget Rent-a-Car, and another at 28 Crease Ave., previously occupied by Ryzuk Geotechnical. The purchase price for the Harriet Road Property was $7.5 million, while the Crease Avenue property cost just over $1.8 million, the release said.