MAPPING VICTORIA - 517 Chatham

517 Chatham St

Building Info

6 storey rental building - 133 suites
85 parking stalls, 176 long term bike stalls
Includes a mix of studios, 1-bedrooms, 2-bedrooms, 3-bedrooms and ground-oriented loft style units
New 7,400 square foot public pocket park on Herald Street which will have pop up retail
4,600 square feet of retail space fronting Chatham Street

Developer

Intracorp

Architect

Shape Architecture

Context

Currently a small parking lot and an accessory building

City of Victoria Development Tracker

Project Folder

Status

May 2026: Rezoning and development permit with variances were approved by council unanimously on May 28, 2026 with amendments requiring further discussion between city staff and the developer around public access times to the pass through courtyard and the cladding of a blank wall facing a neighbouring building. See Planning Deep Dive below for more info the planning process and evolution of the design.

Media and Images

June 1, 2026 Times Colonist story on project approval

May 2026 Revisions - © Shape Architecture

Location

Google Street View

Chatham Street Perspective :

July 2025 May 2015 June 2009

Herald Street Perspective:

July 2025 May 2015 June 2009

Planning Deep Dive

May 2026: Rezoning and development permit with variances were approved by council unanimously on May 28, 2026 with amendments requiring further discussion between city staff and the developer around public access times to the pass through courtyard and the cladding of a blank wall facing a neighbouring building.
Original plans were submitted in August 2025 with several revisions after that date.
The revised proposal submitted in December 2025 resulted in changes based on City Planning feedback including:
- "The north elevation has been redesigned to break down the horizontal scale and to express the massing as a series of distinct building forms. Two primary masses are emphasized through the use of red brick, establishing strong vertical anchors along the frontage. Between these primary elements, three secondary areas are expressed in a desaturated grey brick and correspond to key programmatic features, including the parkade entrance, the passage entrance, and the extension of the ground-floor retail."
- Varied rooflines and vertically-oriented elements are incorporated to reduce perceived mass and maintain a comfortable pedestrian scale
- The design incorporates durable, high-quality materials—such as brick, metal, and punched windows—that reflect the texture and character of Old Town. Façade articulation includes a modern interpretation of cornices, recessed entries, and traditional storefront proportions, maintaining a respectful dialogue with nearby heritage structures."

Original Proposal - Image © Shape Architecture

Original Proposal - Image © Shape Architecture

December 2025 Proposal - Changes include introduction of charcoal brick to break up massing - Image © Shape Architecture

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