Site prep begins for student housing and dining project

Although construction for the university’s student housing and dining project won’t kick off until 2020, early preparation work at the site will begin this spring and summer. Starting in May, watch for selective deconstruction, road and utility work around the Cadboro Commons and SUB buildings. Exterior concrete pedestrian walkways, stairs and walls at Cadboro Commons will be deconstructed, and the access lane from Sinclair Road to the rear of the Student Union Building will be widened to accommodate truck traffic—with the addition of an improved, marked crossing for the Alumni Chip Trail.

Upgrades to street lighting and other utilities will also take place, as well as landscaping changes to the SUB waste area and Joseph Cunliffe Hall Building. Any trees removed will be replaced at a ratio of three to one, following UVic’s sustainability policy.

The two new student housing and dining buildings will provide 620 beds for students currently living off campus, and help address the acute regional need for rental housing. The project will include a new 600-seat dining hall, wide range of meeting rooms, informal gathering places, designated Indigenous student lounge and classrooms. Design and construction will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Passive House standards, the most rigorous global building standards for sustainability and energy efficiency. A rejuvenated outdoor area will connect with the planned Campus Greenway east-west corridor. The BC government announced in Nov. 2018 that it will contribute financing of $123 million toward the total cost of approximately $201 million.

Some construction noise is to be anticipated over the summer. Please follow on-site signs for detours and access routes. See the project website for more information.