Oak and Stone

Oak & Stone — 3226 Shelbourne Street, Saanich

Oak & Stone is an 87-unit, six-storey mid-rise condominium by Victoria-based Abstract Developments, rising at the corner of Shelbourne Street and McRae Avenue in the heart of Saanich's Shelbourne Valley. Designed by WA (Wensley) Architecture with interiors by MGBA and landscape by Biophilia Design Collective, the building includes 87 homes ranging from junior one-bedrooms to two-bedroom layouts, plus a single ground-floor commercial retail unit and a public plaza at the Shelbourne-and-McRae corner. Completion is slated for 2026.

Abstract Developments brings more than 25 years of Greater Victoria building history to the project, and Oak & Stone marks the company's return to the Shelbourne Valley following the sell-out of its earlier Fifteen88 development. The site falls within Saanich's Shelbourne Valley Action Plan, a long-range municipal initiative guiding high-density, transit-oriented growth along the corridor.

Architecture and interiors

The building's massing is broken into three visual bands: a brick-clad ground floor with glazed commercial corner giving the structure a sense of weight, a middle section (floors two through four) treated with warmer wood materials and projecting balconies, and top floors (five and six) finished in light stucco with variations in the roof plane for a lighter crown. The result is a contemporary West Coast building that reads in scale with its Shelbourne Valley context rather than dominating it.

Interiors, curated by award-winning MGBA, feature two designer colour palettes — a lighter white-and-woodgrain scheme and a warmer Fjord green slim-shaker option. Standard finishes include over-height ceilings, luxury vinyl plank flooring in light oak throughout the main living areas, expansive windows for natural light, premium broadloom carpet with high-density underlay in bedrooms, quartz countertops, under-cabinet motion-sensor lighting, soft-close cabinetry, matte black hardware, and a premium stainless steel appliance package. Bathrooms include floating vanities and contemporary flat-panel cabinetry, and select ensuites offer glass-enclosed showers with handheld shower heads.

Sustainability and comfort

Homes are equipped with heat recovery ventilation for improved indoor air quality and energy efficiency — a meaningful step up from the baseboard-only norm in much of Victoria's existing condo stock. Standard bylaws permit BBQs (gas or electric) and allow cats, dogs, and small caged mammals subject to the disclosure statement.

Amenities and transportation

Oak & Stone is designed around a car-light lifestyle, with amenities oriented toward active transportation:

• Two levels of underground parking with 66 resident and 4 visitor stalls, all roughed-in for EV charging
• Secure room for 117 bicycles on the P1 level, including space for 4 cargo bikes, e-bike charging, and a bike maintenance area
• Complimentary MODO car-share membership in perpetuity for every home, with a dedicated MODO vehicle stationed outside the building
• Subsidized one-year transit pass available for residents who opt out of a parking stall
• Separate storage lockers for every home
• Secured entry, elevator access, and a ground-floor public plaza with space for café seating

Rentals are unrestricted (subject to the disclosure statement), making the building accessible to both end-users and investors.

Location and walkability

The 3200-block of Shelbourne Street sits at the centre of one of Greater Victoria's most transit-connected corridors, with high-frequency bus service running directly past the front door to the University of Victoria, Camosun College's Lansdowne campus, Hillside Centre, and downtown Victoria. Hillside Shopping Centre is roughly 350 metres away. University Heights Shopping Centre, Feltham Village, and Shelbourne Valley Centre are all within a short walk or quick cycle.

Cedar Hill Golf Course and the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre — with its pool, gym, and multi-purpose spaces — are minutes away, and the Cedar Hill trail system provides an accessible 4 km loop popular with walkers and runners. Cadboro-Gyro Park, with its beach, tennis courts, and playground, is under ten minutes by car. Downtown Victoria is approximately 15 minutes by bus or car.

Who it suits

Abstract has positioned Oak & Stone at three buyer segments. First, first-time buyers seeking an entry point into Saanich at a price point still accessible within the junior one-bedroom range. Second, investors drawn to the proximity to UVic and Camosun — two of the region's strongest student rental catchments — combined with an unrestricted rental bylaw. Third, downsizers attracted to lock-and-leave convenience in a central, transit-rich location with retail and recreation on the doorstep. The car-light amenity package (MODO, transit subsidies, extensive bike infrastructure) makes the building particularly well-suited to buyers willing to give up a second vehicle, or a first one entirely.

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