Perhaps inspired by the enthusiasm of its mayor, Victoria council has given unanimous approval to Jawl Properties’ plans to build an office-retail complex across the street from city hall, at 1515 Douglas St. The 287k SF project, designed by D’Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism, will include two towers (six and 13 storeys) with 254.5k SF of office space and 32k SF of ground-floor retail and commercial. The development—which gets top marks for having the niftiest rendering we’ve seen in a while—will target LEED Gold.

Victoria mayor Lisa Helps is an especially big fan of the Jawls scheme, insisting that this “21st-century building” will “contribute to the happiness factor of people downtown.” It’s “more than a building,” she added, according to the Victoria Times Colonist. “It’s a live interface with the public realm.” Phase 1 will see construction of the six-storey office building on Douglas and underground parking (220 stalls). The second phase will include the 13-storey tower. The former Royal Bank branch sitting on the property will be demolished.