Amazon warehouse coming to Victoria International Airport lands
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.