Victoria – Evergreen Terrace Redevelopment – Affordable Housing
Conceptual plan of future buildings
Overview
Evergreen Terrace is located near the heart of the Quadra Village and an emerging midtown district in Victoria. Built in 1970, Evergreen Terrace (2501 Blanshard Street) is a 7.8 acre site, with 175 affordable homes, and 21 supportive homes in SpeqƏȠéutxw (SPAKEN) House, a temporary modular building opened in 2020 and operated by the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness.
What is happening at Evergreen Terrace?
In 2022, BC Housing started a multi-year community planning process for the redevelopment of Evergreen Terrace. BC Housing plans to replace the aging buildings with better-quality, more liveable and more sustainable homes that will serve Evergreen Terrace tenants for decades to come. Redeveloping Evergreen Terrace will provide new housing for present and future residents as well as improvements to infrastructure and livability in the Quadra West neighbourhood.
We are now in Phase 2 at the Rezoning Application stage. Following the initial submission of a Rezoning Application to the City of Victoria in December 2023, we have completed a Comprehensive Resubmission in June 2024. The plan shows how approximately 900 affordable and market-rate rental homes may be distributed across the site. Some buildings would be up to 6 storeys in height and select locations are proposed for taller buildings, with three at 15 storeys and one at 20 storeys in height. New resident and public open spaces are proposed, along with childcare and resident amenity areas. Construction will take place in phases, over 10 to 15 years.
Next steps include ongoing engagement with tenants and stakeholders, leading up to the application being considered by the City of Victoria at a Council meeting in Fall 2024.
We invite you to view the Comprehensive Development Plan and provide your feedback on the City of Victoria’s Development Tracker site.
Phase 1 - Let’s Imagine It Together
During phase 1 of redevelopment planning - Let’s Imagine It Together - we worked with tenants and community members for over 18+ months to create a shared vision for the future of Evergreen Terrace. Thanks to their input and ideas, we learned that redevelopment is needed and possible. We were also able to create a strong vision and a set of guiding principles for the project. This included the critical need and support for the full spectrum of housing with emphasis placed on a desire to see below-market rentals through partnership agreements with not-for-profit housing providers.
BC Housing shared comprehensive tenant-support commitments and plans to address the phasing of construction so that no one living at Evergreen Terrace would be without a home during this process.
In 2023, the Concept Plan was developed with significant tenant and community input. It was submitted to the City of Victoria for Pre-Application Consultation with the neighbourhood Community Association Land Use Committee (CALUC).
Phase 2 - Let’s Plan It Together – WE ARE HERE
We are now in phase 2 of redevelopment planning. Let’s Plan It Together includes meeting with the broader community and sharing what we heard from tenants of Evergreen Terrace.
A Rezoning Application was submitted to the City of Victoria in December 2023. After a process of review and incorporating feedback, a Comprehensive Resubmission was completed in June 2024. We invite you to view the Comprehensive Resubmission and Summary of Amenities & Benefits. You can also provide your feedback on the City of Victoria’s Development Tracker site.
The rezoning application process could take 12-18 months.
Phase 3 of redevelopment planning, Let’s Build It Together, will start after the planning is complete and the City of Victoria has granted all the required permits. We currently expect the first phases of construction to start in the spring of 2025.
Supporting Tenants of Evergreen Terrace and Family Members of SpeqƏȠéutxw (SPAKEN) House
BC Housing will continue to work with Evergreen Terrace tenants and Family Members of SpeqƏȠéutxw (SPAKEN) House to make sure they have access to secure housing and their needs are met throughout planning and redevelopment. When planning the construction phases, our goal is for people to stay in their homes for as long as possible and minimize disruption for everyone.
Indigenous engagement
As part of the Evergreen Terrace redevelopment project, BC Housing is working to build strong Indigenous partnerships based on the Principles of Reconciliation.
BC Housing is engaging with the Lekwungen speaking peoples, the Songhees Nation and the Esquimalt Nation. We will explore a range of opportunities and work to understand how Indigenous culture and heritage could be incorporated into the redevelopment project. BC Housing acknowledges and offers gratitude to the Songhees Nation and the Esquimalt Nation on whose traditional lands we work.
How can I get involved?
BC Housing is committed to an inclusive, tenant-first approach to this redevelopment project. We invite all Evergreen Terrace tenants, Spaken House Family Members, and the entire Hillside-Quadra community to continue participating as we progress through the Let’s Plan It Together phase of this redevelopment. Watch your mailboxes and continue to visit this webpage for news about upcoming information meetings, workshops, and other events. We welcome you to reach out with any questions by email to: communityrelations@bchousing.org.