A vacant chunk of land on NIcol/Needham streets is slated to be transformed into a six-storey residential rental building. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

more housing

Nanaimo council endorses significant south end redevelopment

Apr 23, 2024 | 12:23 PM

NANAIMO — Several underused properties are poised for a substantial bump in housing in Nanaimo’s south end.

City councillors approved the first three of four required readings to a project calling for more than 120 market rental housing units on Nicol at Needham streets, during a Monday, April 22 council meeting.

The property involves five lots on the sloping property, including 1.5 metre strip of City-owned property sold to the developer.

“This is a six-storey, wood-framed project over a two-level concrete parking structure. The project is just under 85,000 gross square feet and proposes to house 127 rental units,” Morgan Burt of Urban Solutions Architecture said at the meeting.

These lots were rezoned by Nanaimo council on Monday, April 22 to eventually make way for a market rental housing project. (City of Nanaimo)

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Burt noted 49 one-bedroom units are envisioned, along with 27 two-bedrooms, six three bedroom units and nine live-work units facing Nicol St.

Indoor/outdoor amenity space will be included, while a public plaza with seating on Needham St. is included at the conceptual stage.

Burt said most opinions formed at a public information meeting held last year were positive.

While the properties were rezoned by council in a series of non-contentious votes, Jeremy Holm, the City’s director of development approvals, said this application is the first of its kind locally under new B.C. government rules to speed up housing projects.

“In this case council is actually prohibited from holding a public hearing with respect to this bylaw as at least 50 per cent of the proposed development is residential,” Holm said.

This south Nanaimo lot is primed to be transformed into a six-storey wood-framed residential building. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Four of the five lots are empty, with the exception of 515 Nicol St, which is in the process of being torn down, a City staff reported noted.

The derelict home to be demolished had been the source of considerable social disorder causing many local neighbourhood concerns, including a daytime shooting in October 2021.

One more vote is required by council in order for a development permit to be awarded prior to the building permitting stage.

Coun. Erin Hemmens recused herself citing a conflict of interest, while her council colleagues voted 8-0 in favour of advancing the project.

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