A proposal to replace a former gas station on Terminal Avenue with a mid-rise apartment building called Saltwind would add 69 rental-style units within close walking distance of downtown Nanaimo, transit and Maffeo Sutton Park.
What the project would include
The development team is pitching a mixed building of studio, one- and two-bedroom suites ranging from about 400 to just over 900 square feet. According to project material presented to the city’s urban design panel, the mix of units is intended to provide a range of housing options for different household types.
- Total units: 69
- Studios: 18
- One-bedrooms: 37
- Two-bedrooms: 14
- Parking: surface and underground access
- Access points: primary driveway on Terminal Ave.; underground parking entry off Stewart Ave.
- Amenity: rooftop pavilion-style space with views
| Unit type | Number | Approx. size (sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 18 | ~400 |
| One-bedroom | 37 | Varies |
| Two-bedroom | 14 | Up to ~900+ |
Design panel support and conditions
The city’s urban design panel voted unanimously to support the proposal while attaching a dozen recommendations aimed at refining the building’s form and character. Key requests included improved soundproofing for units facing Terminal Avenue and adjustments to exterior lighting and signage.
Panel members also backed a requested height variance to allow the building to reach 19.77 metres, exceeding the 18-metre height normally permitted in the zoning. The variance will be considered by Nanaimo city council when it reviews the development permit application.
“We feel it is a really kind of healthy mix…for a diverse community to kind of come and call this place home.”
The comment, delivered by a project spokesperson at the public meeting, reflected the development team’s emphasis on unit diversity and proximity to services and recreation.
Site access, parking and amenities
Proponents told the panel the site would offer both surface-level and underground parking, with ingress and egress arranged to limit impacts on local streets. Primary access would be taken from an existing driveway on Terminal Avenue, while underground parking would be accessed from Stewart Avenue.
Finishing touches include a rooftop amenity described by the applicant as a pavilion-style space offering expansive exposure to mountain and ocean views, and the surrounding neighbourhoods. The visual amenity is being held up as a communal space to offset the relatively compact unit sizes.
Next steps and local context
Signage advertising the project is already in place at the property, but Saltwind remains subject to formal development and building approvals from city council. Council will consider the development permit application at a future meeting; timing has not been announced by the city.
As Nanaimo continues to confront housing supply pressures, infill projects near transit and parks are likely to remain a focal point in local planning discussions. The Saltwind proposal underscores a broader trade-off communities across the mid-Island are negotiating: increasing density close to services while managing neighbourhood impacts such as building height, noise and traffic circulation.
For residents, the project promises new housing options within walking distance of downtown amenities, but it also raises familiar questions — how design and mitigation measures will protect local character, how traffic and parking demands will be reconciled, and whether city council will grant the requested zoning variance.
City council will have the final say on whether Saltwind moves ahead in its current form.
