Passerbys may have seen some excitement at Colwood Corners Thursday afternoon.
Onni Group, a Vancouver-based developer, hosted an event to kick off the construction on their project at Colwood Corners.
Onni received the building permits for the overall site, civil and landscape preparation last winter.
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Rodney Rao, development manager for Onni, was in attendance for the ceremonial concrete pour and Mayor Carol Hamilton placed the commemorative plaque in a concrete slab to mark the milestone for the city.
Construction will begin on the first mixed-use building at the corner of Sooke and Jerome roads, followed by two mixed-use residential buildings.
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The first phase includes six new buildings with more than 400 apartments and approximately 15,000 square metres of commercial space for shops, services, cafes and restaurants. Phase one is expected to be completed by 2020.
The complex will eventually include a central plaza, children’s play area, and walkways with landscaping, trees, outdoor seating, lights and public art.
Bike lanes and a boulevard will be added to Sooke Road in front of the development and will connect to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail.
The site was left in its current state by previous developer League Assets Corp. after it was officially declared bankrupt in 2015. Originally the site was slated for a $1-billion project that included plans for multiple high-rises.