Nearly 160 units of rental housing is planned for a mostly vacant lot in north Nanaimo. (Daryoush Firouzli Architecture Inc.)

By Alex Rawnsley

HOUSING DENSITY

158-rental unit build envisioned off Nanaimo’s Bergen-Op-Zoom Dr.

Sep 14, 2025 | 9:36 AM

NANAIMO — A pair of five-storey buildings with a combined 158 housing units is planned for a recently re-zoned north end lot.

The City’s Design Advisory Panel gave their support for the project at 5360 Bergen-Op-Zoom Dr., on Thursday, Sept. 11, featuring a mixture of studio, one and two-bedroom units, located off Metral Dr.

Lead architect Daryoush Firouzli said the property, running adjacent to the Island Hwy. by Nanaimo North Town Centre, was specifically designed to be a market rental building.

“You’re coming to one big open space, which you can see both…buildings. It’s very clear, it’s very simple and easy (to navigate). It’s very important for tenants to easily find their places and even for guests…it’s a very simple design, straight lines, modern.”

Two, five-storey buildings are envisioned. (Daryoush Firouzli Architecture Inc.)

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The units, spread across the two buildings, would include 14 studio apartments, 76 one-bedroom and 68 two-bedroom apartments.

Currently on the property is a single family home and secondary buildings, while the immediate surrounding area are predominantly low to medium density residential properties.

Underground parking is planned beneath both buildings, contributing to 231 available parking spaces on the property.

Bike storage is also planned.

However, a reduction in parking, closer to minimums for this type of development, was one of ten recommendations made by the Panel on Thursday night.

Others included changes to an outdoor amenity area, and requests to consider a green roof and changing the building’s exterior colour scheme.

Panel members also supported a requested height variance of 4.5 metres, with the current plans calling for a building height of 18.53 metres.

The number of parking spaces in the final plan could change, with Design Advisory Panel members requesting more green space at the expense of some parking stalls, which aren’t required by City bylaws. (Daryoush Firouzli Architecture Inc.)

Should the project proceed through both development and building permit stages, upgrades to surrounding infrastructure would be required.

Civil engineer Scott Jensen said some water servicing work on Bergen-Op-Zoom Dr. would be required.

“…to add a larger water main pipe to provide water to the site, as well as divert storm water that lands on the Bergen Op Zoom roadway, it just currently splashes over land onto the development property.”

The development would also add catch basins and be designed in a way to better handle storm water, dispursing it across a wide area of the property.

Following consideration of the recommendations by developers, the project is expected to return at a later date to the Council table for a development permit.

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