Major redevelopment pitched for Victoria's waterfront around the Capital Iron building
Some could call the seven acres of land around the Capital Iron building under-utilized waterfront and a bit of a dead zone.
“It’s seven acres of primarily parking,” said Jon Stovell, Reliance Properties chief executive.
Reliance Properties owns the land spanning from the waterfront, through the Capital Iron building and up to Government Street, and is looking to redevelop it.
“It’s interesting, it’s part of the city’s vision called the Arts and Innovation District,” said Stovell.
The estimated $600-million project is ambitious, combining different building uses together to create a dynamic district.
“Fishing, infrastructure, arts and culture, a new art gallery, residential, rental, arts, live-work,” said Stovell.
A rendering of the proposed redevelopment from Reliance PropertiesThe Art Gallery of Greater Victoria has more than 23,000 art objects in its collection and has long outgrown its current location in Victoria’s Rockland neighbourhood.
“Contemporary art has changed a lot,” said Nancy Noble, director and CEO of the Greater Victoria Art Gallery. “It is no longer a small painting on a wall.”
The gallery says it will be making the move downtown if the project goes ahead and has signed a letter of understanding with the developer, Reliance Properties.
“The big thing is that we get to purpose build a gallery where we can showcase our collection,” said Noble.
“We’re going to be able to give the art gallery, with the cooperation of the city, a piece of land and then they are going to use their own resources to build their own gallery,” said Stovell.
That new gallery is being imagined as five to six floors of space, far more than its current location.
“(The district is) going to be a place where marine activities happen,” said Bob Fraumeni, owner of Finest at Sea.
Finest at Sea’s current operation is based in Victoria’s James Bay. It runs nearly a dozen commercial fishing vessels, a processing plant as well as a fish shop and eatery.
The operation wants to relocate to the waterfront behind the Capital Iron building.
“Hopefully a considerable amount of seafood gets brought across the docks, from sea to table as I say,” said Fraumeni.
The heritage buildings on the property won’t change much with, their current tenants remaining in place.
Under its current configuration, the seven acres of land house about 93,000 square feet of structures, employing roughly 70 people.
If the project is built out, there will be almost 900,000 square feet of structures, employing up to 1,800 people, according to Reliance Properties. It will also include 500 residential units.
“There will be good vibrancy,” said Stovell.
Reliance Properties will be submitting its master plan to Victoria council on April 18. If all goes well, the next step will be a public hearing.
If the project gets the go ahead, shovels could hit the ground within the next two years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Nicki Minaj detained by police in Amsterdam for allegedly possessing soft drugs
American rapper Nicki Minaj said she was held at Amsterdam Schiphol airport on Saturday on allegation of possession of soft drugs.
American Airlines drops law firm that said a 9-year-old girl should have seen camera on toilet seat
American Airlines has replaced the law firm that told a judge a nine-year-old girl was negligent in not noticing there was a camera phone taped to the seat in an airplane lavatory.
Public safety minister pledges to 'massively' reduce auto theft
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc insists the federal government is 'doing everything (it) can' to eliminate auto thefts in Canada, and he hopes to see 'a significant reduction quickly' following this week's announcement of new measures to counter the problem.
Three dead after vehicle leaves road in Shediac: N.B. RCMP
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
More enoki mushrooms, Lamborghini Urus and promotionally-gifted tumbler cups: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued various recalls this week. Here's what you need to know.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.