The City of Victoria will rip up a parking lot and create a slice of paradise after spending $11 million to buy land on Blanshard Street for a new downtown park.
The city purchased two adjoining properties totalling 25,000 square feet at 1703 and 1725-1745 Blanshard St. for the park.
The lots, at Blanshard and Fisgard, had been home to the now-closed Romeo’s restaurant and Urbana Kitchens, and their parking lots.
The park will wrap around the Philippine Bayanihan Community Centre at 1709 Blanshard St.
“We’re really happy with this particular acquisition,” deputy city manager Thomas Soulliere said Thursday, adding the community centre in the middle “certainly has the ability to integrate nicely with the public park.”
Soulliere said the community centre would be involved in the planning of the park.
The city has been looking for opportunities for green space in the downtown area for years. Soulliere said the city looked at both where it would be possible to establish a park, and where growth has been happening in the city.
The park site is directly across the street from the Hudson District’s 950 rental and condominium units.
“I think it’s a pretty exciting day for the organization to land these two properties and look to the future and what they might provide to the community,” he said.
A new downtown park is a priority in the city’s official community plan. Mayor Marianne Alto said it will “boost quality of life for downtown residents and add vibrancy to our core.”
“This purchase marks a significant step in the city’s commitment to improving the public, social and outdoor experience of being a Victorian,” she said.
Alto called the $11-million price a strategic investment that lines up with council’s goals of expanding green spaces and recreational facilities.
There is no fixed timeline for demolition of the existing buildings; Soulliere said that schedule will be worked on with council over the next few months.
As for what the new park will look like, that’s a longer-term job, but Soulliere said it will include natural elements and play features.
“Based on the feedback we received from the public over the last several years, I think there should be a combination of elements that we’ll be looking to incorporate here,” said Soulliere. “Certainly, access to nature and the natural elements, so there will be some softscape and trees — the downtown has the lowest tree canopy of any area of the city.”
Design and construction of the park will likely be done by a combi nation of in-house designers and landscapers and outside contractors.
“It’s safe to say we’ll be spending a few million to redevelop these sites,” Soulliere said, noting they will look at how that will affect future budgets once a timeline has been established.
Funds for the $11-million land purchase will come from a pot of money the city has been setting aside to acquire land for parks and open spaces.
Soulliere said as the downtown grows and densifies, there may be a need for more such green spaces.
“We’re always on the lookout for a good value and spaces that will provide open space and green space for the city over the long-term,” he said.
“We’re mindful of the city’s financial capacity, and looking to make the most of what we already have, and where we see opportunities to acquire and improve the inventory, we’re going to look at those very seriously.”
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