A pair 21 storey towers that will eventually feature 224 residential suites has been given the green light by Victoria.
City council passed the motion to allow the development at 848 Yates Street at a council meeting on Thursday.
Coun. Geoff Young noted that the towers are high but fits well in that neighborhood. “The skyline of Victoria has been changing, we have seen higher buildings and in many cases, I think they have fit in with each other.”
To afford a one bedroom condo it's estimated a buyer would have to make around $69,000 a year so the units aren't being considered affordable housing.
Coun.Ben Issit voted against the motion, saying it did not address the affordable housing problem in the city. “To even consider buildings of that altitude, they have to address the housing affordability crisis and there’s no binding obligation on the developer to build affordable units.”
Chard Developments Ltd, the developer, has told city council they are considering working with B.C. Housing to maybe create some subsidized housing on the Johnson Street Side in the second phase of building.
Coun. Young says the city needs a range of housing and they can’t ask every development to have affordable housing.