Platinum Development Planned for Victoria

In a unanimous vote from the Victoria city council, Windmill Development–VanCity Enterprises has won a bid to redevelop Dockside, an 11.6-acre (2.85 ha) brownfield site in downtown Victoria, British Columbia. The CA$300 million development, expected to take a decade to complete, includes 1 million ft² (93,000 m²) of residential, commercial, office, and light-industrial space. “We committed to LEED^® Platinum on all buildings; treating all sewage on site; a greenhouse-gas-neutral policy, by utilizing biomass energy for heating, cooling, and electricity; a biodiesel facility; a neighborhood-electric-vehicle car-share program; and a mini transit system; plus more,” said Joe Van Belleghem, Windmill Development partner. “We were thrilled by the response from the community and environmental and business groups,” he told

EBN. “I thought I was dreaming. It’s not often a developer receives a standing ovation at council. We are committed to ensuring a development that truly embraces economic, social, and environmental issues and that is a world showcase for sustainable community design.” More information is online at www.docksidegreen.com.