Victoria approves construction of new Telus office tower

The Telus Ocean building at the corner of Humboldt Street and Douglas Street is expected to span 11 storeys of office and retail space on the triangular lot currently occupied by two car rental companies. (Telus/Diamond Schmitt)

The City of Victoria has approved the construction of a new Telus office tower in the downtown core.

The building, located on the corner of Douglas Street and Humboldt Street across from the Victoria Conference Centre, will serve as a new regional headquarters for Telus once it is completed in 2024.

The "Telus Ocean" building was cleared for construction on Thursday by city council, after the decision was delayed last week due to a lengthy public hearing.

The new office tower will include space for retail stores at the bottom, and will also include a public plaza on the property.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps says the approval sends a strong message about the economic future of the city, calling the project a "massive investment."

"It's the strongest signal possible about the future of our downtown," she told CTV News on Thursday.

Helps added that she's grateful to the public for the input people shared about the project. She says the new tower will be a step towards building "new Victoria" without erasing "old Victoria."

"Whereas the Empress showed what prosperity (was) and what it looked like in the 19th century, Telus Ocean shows what prosperity looks like in Victoria in the 21st century," said Helps.

"Prosperity is low-carbon, it's sustainable, it's good-paying jobs, and it really orients the city for the future," she said.

Telus has partnered with Diamond Schmitt Architects and the Victoria-based Aryze Developments to build Telus Ocean, which will be home to an estimated 250 employees.

The building was approved by city council at a vote of six to three.