Thursday, March 28, 2024

Esquimalt’s infamous Carlton Club being demolished to make way for 176 homes

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The building which housed the famed Carlton Club for decades could soon be demolished.

The 900-block of Esquimalt Road and the 900-block of Carlton Terrace may soon be reduced to rubble before two buildings are erected on the sites, creating 176 new condos for strata ownership, 96 new rental properties and several commercial spaces.

The building that houses the Carlton Club along with the neighbouring building which hosts Bunny’s Nook Kitchen, Spice Valley, Lum’s Chinese, Sarpino’s Pizza and Canada’s Best Karate have both been acquired by GMC Projects — a local development company known for several successful revitalization projects in Victoria and Vancouver.

GMC Projects has set lofty goals for this dual project which still has yet to be approved by Esquimalt’s town council. 

The project includes several affordable housing options, a massive dog park, over 200 bike parking stalls with a repair lounge, a gym, a music room, a dog wash room, a BBQ area, a games pitch and much more. 

(GMC Projects)

In April, GMC Projects delivered a presentation to the immediate West Bay community in which CEO and President, Jordan Milne, shared the company’s approach and philosophy. Milne also outlined the architectural and landscape drawings developed over the past two years. 

The 26-storey and six-storey buildings would be a massive change to the West Bay skyline in Esquimalt, but the developers believe it will help bring vibrancy to the neighbourhood and will help bolster Esquimalt’s local economy. 

“There’s a variety of values and objectives in how we approach this project,” said Milne. “Community is a foremost component of that.”

“When I speak about community, I speak about it in a variety of ways: there’s the ‘macro-level community’, the improvements we’re proposing to make to the public realm, the opportunities for community gathering, the opportunities for community improvements and infrastructure and there is also the micro-community.”

Milne also outlined that diverse housing options, sustainability and affordability are important to GMC Projects in all their properties. 

The development permits and development with variances permits GMC Projects have applied for have yet to be approved by Esquimalt council and staffers.

mm
Curtis Blandy
curtis@victoriabuzz.com

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