The Wallace St. area between Fitzwilliam and Wentworth streets would be transformed if development plans by TELUS materialize. (City of Nanaimo/NanaimoNewsNOW illustration)

By Ian Holmes

big plans

TELUS pitches substantial downtown Nanaimo development

Jan 21, 2021 | 5:33 AM

NANAIMO — Five hundred people are expected to live in a pair of market priced rental buildings planned for Fitzwilliam St., behind TELUS’ central office building.

The City of Nanaimo’s director of development approvals Jeremy Holm said a development permit now under review falls under current zoning guidelines.

Holm called the proposal a “game-changing” initiative to rejuvenate a long-vacant, strategically located lot.

“197 units in the Old City Quarter, that’s quite a significant scale,” Holm said. “It’s going to provide quite a good addition to the rental housing pool and introduce a lot of people to living in that area.”

If built, the development would be one the largest purpose built rental housing projects ever constructed in Nanaimo.

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Plans under review by city staff involve a pair of six storey buildings on 1.7 acres on Wallace St., bordered by Wentworth and Richards streets.

The vision includes a small ground-floor commercial unit, an entrance plaza on Wallace at Wentworth, a bike path surrounding the site and underground parking.

“It will progress to the design advisory panel for the city, they’ll consider the design as it relates to the relevant design guidelines for the city and make recommendations accordingly,” Holm said.

He said city council issuing a development permit before the summer is a reasonable expectation.

A statement from TELUS said their sizable lot located behind its central office on Fitzwilliam St. presented an opportunity to better serve the community.

“The development represents a potential $70 million investment by TELUS in the community, which will create approximately 700 jobs throughout construction over three years.”

The TELUS Living Nanaimo plan is one of several multi-family residential projects recently completed or planned for the downtown area.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes