The development permit for a  five-storey, 53-unit multi-family rental apartment with ground-floor commercial space was recently approved in Nanaimo's downtown core facing Franklyn St. (City of Nanaimo/Camargue Properties)

By Jordan Davidson

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NANAIMO — Housing with attached retail opportunities is one step closer to being built in the downtown core on the site of a City of Nanaimo staff parking lot.

A development permit was approved Monday, July 22, for lots at 350 and 398 Franklyn St. to be turned into a five-storey residential complex with 53 apartments with a ground floor commercial unit.

With 41 partially underground vehicle parking spots planned, coun. Janice Perino asked if there will be enough places to park for residents, along with customers and staff of the commercial spaces.

Director of planning and development Jeremy Holm said on-site commercial parking is not required in the downtown area for the first 100 parking stalls.

“It’s actually assumed for smaller commercial developments that on-street or other parking options in the way of paid off-street parking would be providing for those uses.”

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Along with the 41 vehicle parking spots, 27 spaces of long-term bicycle storage in a secure room will also be available for residents, with two spots for visitor parking and short-term bicycle spots available at both the residential and commercial entrances.

The development permit was approved unanimously.

While each residential unit will have a private balcony, each floor will have their own common amenity rooms, along with a rooftop amenity area on the fourth floor. (City of Nanaimo/Camargue Properties)

The lots will be consolidated into an ‘L’ shape, with street frontages facing Franklyn St., Robson St., and Wesley St.

The main entrance for the residential units will be to the east at the corner of Franklyn St. and Robson St., while the commercial developments will face Wesley St.

A number of recommendations from the Design Advisory Panel were acted on, including using brick for the commercial units, adding columnar trees along Franklyn St., a rooftop amenity space with access from the fourth floor, and replacing trees along Wesley St.

Robin Kelly with developer Groupe Denux said their plan is to enhance the Wesley St. corner with a more suitable tree selection, as the roots of the current trees are already bowing over a retaining wall.

“The arborists wasn’t even sure if they were going to survive, so we definitely do want to help with that corner and our goal is to replant new trees just in a way they’ll survive.”

A building permit is still required before shovels can go into the ground.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow