Saanich Council has approved a massive development at the site of the formewr Mayfair Lanes bowling alley at Tolmie Avenue and Douglas Street.
Loblaws, who own the land, have partnered with Townline Development to build a Real Canadian Superstore outlet topped with three rental towers, with the tallest one coming in at 24 storeys.
"This is the largest development project that we've seen in Saanich," says Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock. "It's 555 rental units and those range from studios and one bedrooms to two and three bedroom units. It really is creating homes for people at all stages of life."
Loblaws purchased the site back in 2006 and demolished the old Mayfair Lanes bowling alley to make way for a stand-alone Superstore. But that plan was never finished.
"The market changed. There was a very large Walmart supercentre that went in just up the road and I think that changed the conditions for Loblaws. So they stepped that one back. They went through a couple of iterations and then finally worked with a partner in Townline to do a combination of residential and commercial with a large Superstore on the main floor. That's what was approved by council on Monday night."
Townline hopes to begin construction in 2025.