A new multi-family apartment building at the corner of 13th Avenue and Ironwood Street will be slightly taller with more apartments and fewer parking spaces.
City council approved some variations to the original 35-unit layout at its Tuesday night meeting to allow eight fewer parking spaces (45 instead of 53) and increase the height of the building by an extra floor to five stories (15 to 16.2 meters or 49 to 53 feet).
The original proposal had 12 studio, nine one-bedroom and 14 two-bedroom apartments for a total of 35 units. Now, there will be 12 studio, 20 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom apartments for a total of 43.
Councillor Ben Lanyon says scrubbing parking spaces makes things in the downtown more affordable.
“I think for certain parts of the downtown this move towards slightly fewer parking stalls is not a bad thing and should actually be encouraged. A higher number of stalls per unit downtown means higher average price (per apartment),” Lanyon said.
Councillor Ron Kerr is encouraged to see the downtown development moving forward.
“Like some projects around town that we pass…and approve and they sit there for years, this one looks like perhaps it’s ready to get started right away,” Kerr said.
Council also approved reducing setbacks from Ironwood Street and 13th Avenue for the building that’s across the road from the Campbell River Common mall.
Once the developer puts down a $207,000 security deposit and registers rights of way for the city for a future transit shelter and for city infrastructure, a building permit will be issued.
