COMOX VALLEY, B.C. — Construction has begun on the first student housing project at North Island College (NIC) in the Comox Valley, which will provide over 200 students with on-campus accommodation.
According to a release, the project at NIC includes two buildings, with one building providing 157 beds and another dedicated to students with families offering 60 beds.
Located near the Comox Valley Aquatic Centre, the housing will be close to amenities such as child care, restaurants, public schools, health services, and businesses. The construction will utilize mass timber and comply with Step 4 of the BC Energy Code Step Code, the highest standard for commercial buildings in terms of energy efficiency.
The B.C. government has allocated $68.5 million towards this $77.1-million project, which is expected to be completed by summer 2025. The K’ómoks First Nation, the Indigenous Education Council at NIC, and the college have collaborated on the project, incorporating Indigenous elements in the design and planning.
This student housing initiative is part of the “Homes for People” plan, which aims to develop 12,000 student beds on campuses throughout the province to alleviate pressure on local rental markets. To date, 7,766 student beds are complete or underway, with the 2023 Budget allocating $1.1 billion for on-campus housing.
The provincewide investment in student housing includes various projects across different regions.
In the Interior, new and underway projects include housing at Thompson Rivers University, the University of British Columbia Okanagan, College of the Rockies and Okanagan College. In the Lower Mainland, Simon Fraser University, University of the Fraser Valley, Capilano University, and the British Columbia Institute of Technology have seen developments. Northern B.C. features projects at Coast Mountain College and the College of New Caledonia. On Vancouver Island, apart from NIC, the University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University have also seen significant student housing developments.
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