Telus has opened a 195-unit rental building in downtown Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, B.C., built on the site of a former telecommunications property at 235 Wallace St. The multi-storey mixed-use development is part of Telus Living, the company’s push to turn old network buildings into rental housing as it retires copper infrastructure and moves everything to fibre.
The telecom has decades-old central offices sitting on valuable land across B.C. that no longer need to house switching equipment, and the company is converting them into apartments rather than selling them off.
Units range from studios to three bedrooms, all with private balconies, in-suite laundry, individual air conditioning with energy recovery ventilators, and Samsung SmartThings appliances. The building runs on Telus PureFibre, and a Telus Living app handles keyless entry, climate control, leak detection, parcel notifications, visitor management, and amenity bookings.
Shared spaces include a rooftop deck with an outdoor kitchen and barbecues, a fitness centre, a resident lounge, a children’s play area, an off-leash dog area with a pet care station, underground parking, and bike storage with a repair area. There’s street-level retail and public art as well.
The building sits within walking distance of the Old City Quarter and the Harbourfront Walkway, and a short transit ride from Vancouver Island University and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, which Telus says is a big draw for students, faculty, and hospital staff.
“We shape every Telus Living project by listening to the community, understanding its unique identity and design needs, and building accordingly. Its central downtown location and proximity to both Vancouver Island University and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital also position it as an ideal home for students, educators, and healthcare workers seeking modern, connected living,” said Manasweeta Bhatia, Vice President of Corporate Real Estate at Telus, in a statement last week.
Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog called it “a landmark project that strengthens our downtown as a vibrant, inclusive place to live.”
The rental prices range from $1,500 to $3,500 per month, for tiny studio units (starting at 343 sq. ft) to 3-bedroom units.
Beyond the Nanaimo rental development, Telus is building units in Vancouver’s Point Grey neighbourhood, where construction started last fall, as well as another project in Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast, expected to complete this year.
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