Major Plans & Projects
Major Plans and Projects are underway and envisioned for our Gordon Head neighbourhood. The descriptions below provide a brief summary of each initiative. Please visit the Hello Saanich Portal for more current information, and to register for updates.
Major Plans
The Shelbourne Valley Action Plan (SVAP) was adopted on May 1, 2017. The area encompasses properties 500 metres on both sides of Shelbourne Street from near Torquay Road to North Dairy Road. The plan guides land use and transportation decisions in the Shelbourne Valley area for the next 30 years. The plan has resulted in the Shelbourne Street Improvements Project (SSIP), has enhanced cycling, pedestrian, and transit infrastructure, and has guided the evaluation of development projects.
A Shelbourne Valley Action Plan Update is underway to align with new Provincial and municipal policies and to address current trends and issues. Also, where the SVAP overlaps with the Quadra McKenzie Plan (QMP), those affected properties will change their land use designations to align with the QMP.
One primary growth area identified in the SVAP is Feltham Village in Gordon Head. A significant area around the intersection of Shelbourne Street and Feltham Road has new land use designations that enable higher densities of mixed-use developments and multi-unit residential developments ranging from 3 stories to 6 stories high depending on the property location.
The Quadra McKenzie Plan (QMP) is a new major plan that envisions vibrant, walkable Centres and Villages linked by Corridors with frequent transit services, and all ages and ability cycling and walking facilities. The QMP includes the Shelbourne McKenzie Centre and the Gordon Head McKenzie Centre related to Gordon Head. The Plan provides guidance on growth and change over the next 20 years; shaping land use, transportation, parks, and neighbourhoods. Public consultation is underway on a revised draft of the QMP. A refined version is estimated to be presented to Council for consideration in Winter 2025/2026.
Major Projects
University Heights is a mixed-use development near the intersection of McKenzie Avenue and Shelbourne Street. The project aims to create a compact community space consisting of 598 residential rental units, over 110,000 square feet of commercial space including a daycare, a transit hub, and a public plaza. The first phase of residential units and some commercial spaces are estimated to open starting in the fall of 2025.
The University of Victoria (UVIC) is planning a new University District on university-owned lands near the intersection of McKenzie Avenue and Gordon Head Road. The project will transform UVIC’s Ian Stewart Complex and adjacent lands into a walkable mixed-use community primarily to provide new housing. The site is located in a primary growth area that envisions buildings up to 6 storeys high. The University District area consists of three properties totalling 14 acres. The properties will be developed in phases over multiple years.
Hello Saanich Portal
Shelbourne Valley Action Plan
Quadra McKenzie Plan
Lambrick Campus Redevelopment
University District
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