Construction begins on $1.2B waterfront neighbourhood in Greater Victoria

Construction begins on $1.2 billion waterfront neighbourhood in Greater Victoria

Artistic rendering of The Beachlands (Royal Beach) in Colwood. (Seacliff Properties/Reliance Properties)

This single neighbourhood-sized redevelopment is expected to significantly increase the population of the Greater Victoria suburban city of Colwood, which currently has about 19,000 residents.

Construction officially began today on the The Beachlands neighbourhood — previously known as Royal Beach — on the waterfront of Colwood. The development will be built on a 134-acre brownfield site, which features a shoreline length of 1.4 km.

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Over 15 years, upon full buildout, The Beachlands will have a total of 2,850 homes within apartments, townhouses, and single-detached house configurations, along with a commercial village with office, retail, and restaurant uses centred around a waterfront plaza, and over 47 acres of public parks and open spaces.

The first phase now officially under construction will generate 181 homes, including “missing middle” townhouses.

This redevelopment, carrying an estimated construction cost of $1.2 billion, is a partnership between Vancouver-based developers Seacliff Properties and Reliance Properties.

the beachlands royal beach colwood seacliff reliance properties

Construction groundbreaking on February 12, 2024, for The Beachlands (Royal Beach) in Colwood. (Seacliff Properties/Reliance Properties)

Site of The Beachlands (Royal Beach) in Colwood. (Google Maps)

Site of The Beachlands (Royal Beach) in Colwood. (Seacliff Properties/Reliance Properties)

the beachlands royal beach colwood seacliff reliance properties f3

Site of The Beachlands (Royal Beach) in Colwood. (Seacliff Properties/Reliance Properties)

Development site plan for The Beachlands (Royal Beach), with new roads, parks, and open spaces. (Seacliff Properties/Reliance Properties)

Up until 2008, for over 100 years, the site was a rock and gravel mine. It was acquired by Seacliff Properties for its development potential in 2017, and a joint partnership was announced with Reliance Properties in 2022. The municipal government first envisioned the site’s development in the 1990s.

“After seven years of planning, public consultation and various approvals, we are thrilled to put our $1.2 billion investment in motion and start construction of The Beachlands, a world-class seaside community that will contribute much-needed housing, jobs and spending in Colwood and the region,” said Georgia Desjardins, director of development at Seacliff Properties, in a statement today.

Jon Stovell, president and CEO of Reliance Properties, says the new neighbourhood could generate 10,500 full-time direct, indirect, and induced jobs from resident spending on local businesses.

Under the first phase of construction, the presentation centre will reach completion in Summer 2025, and the first two multi-family buildings will be ready by Summer 2026.

Artistic rendering of The Beachlands (Royal Beach) in Colwood. (Seacliff Properties/Reliance Properties)

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The other major neighbourhood-sized development in the immediate area in Colwood is Gablecraft Homes’ Royal Bay, which is a 158-acre development to the west with over 2,000 homes and additional commercial uses.

This area of Colwood will also see major institutional uses in the near future — specifically, the site of the Royal BC Museum’s future satellite facility for collections storage and research. Four years ago, the provincial government bought an eight-acre parcel of Royal Bay for $14 million to build the new satellite museum facility.

Construction on the 164,000 sq ft satellite museum building began last year, and it is expected to reach completion in Summer 2026. The project carries a total cost of about $270 million, and it will replace the current collections storage and research facilities found in the basement of the existing main museum complex in downtown Victoria.

Master plan of Gablecraft Homes’ Royal Bay development in Colwood, with the location of the Royal BC Museum Collections and Research Building highlighted. The undeveloped site to the right is the separate The Beachlands (Royal Beach) development by Seacliff Properties and Reliance Properties. (Gablecraft Homes/Government of BC)

Construction progress on the Royal Bay neighbourhood. (Gablecraft Homes)

royal bc museum colwood collections research building

Artistic rendering of the Royal BC Museum’s collections and research building in Colwood. (Michael Green Architecture/Maple Reinders Constructors/Royal BC Museum)

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