Amazon warehouse coming to Victoria International Airport lands

Victoria -

A massive 115,000-square-foot Amazon facility will soon be built on Victoria International Airport lands near Sidney, B.C.

The building, described as a "last-mile" delivery station, will receive Amazon packages and sort them before they're picked up by delivery trucks for local shipping.

Site preparation is expected to begin in September, and construction is slated to be complete in fall 2022.

"We are pleased to welcome Amazon to Victoria International Airport and the peninsula,” said Victoria Airport Authority president and CEO, Geoff Dickson, in a release Wednesday.

"We would like to thank York Realty and Amazon for the vision they have shown in choosing this location with a goal to meet the growing demands of the region," he said.

The project went through several months of review and public engagement before it moved forward.

Some of the concerns heard by developer York Realty from nearby residents was that the building was too large, and that there would be increased traffic concerns.

In June, the project was scaled down from the initial 500,000-square-foot pitch to 115,000 square feet, and its overall height was slightly reduced.

York Realty has also promised to work with local municipalities and other stakeholders on building a roundabout at the intersection of Galaran Road and Beacon Avenue West to reduce traffic congestion, as well as other infrastructure changes.

A rendering of the Amazon delivery station is shown: (Victoria International Airport)

A rendering of the Amazon delivery station is shown: (Victoria International Airport)

"It is our hope that, with Amazon as a sub-tenant, the new delivery station will serve as a significant economic generator for the region," said York Realty president Matt Woolsey in a statement.

"More importantly, we plan on creating a building that is a first-of-its-kind in Canada, while providing landscaping improvements and amenities for the neighbourhood," he said.

The developer says it will also continue to work with the Town of Sidney, local residents and the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council as construction continues.

York Realty plans to incorporate First Nations designs into the building's exterior, landscaping design and art installations.

"The W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council has been in discussions with the (Victoria Airport Authority) and York Realty regarding the delivery station," said Gord Elliott, director of operations at the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council in a statement Wednesday.

"We are satisfied with the commitment York Realty and Amazon have made to ensure low environmental impacts, to create a relationship with the Tseycum, Tsartlip and Tsawout First Nations, and to recognize W̱SÁNEĆ lands and culture," he said.

An Amazon spokesperson also said the company was excited to expand on Vancouver Island, and that the new delivery station would make deliveries faster in the region and provide job opportunities.

The building is expected to cost $65 million to build and will create 260 permanent jobs, according to the airport authority.