Victoria’s iconic Turner Building is on track for a major redevelopment, with plans to bring new life to the long-vacant site.
Developer Karl Robertson, founder of Empresa Properties Ltd., has received unanimous support from the City of Victoria’s Committee of the Whole—a significant milestone for the project.
The next step is securing final approval by early 2025, with construction slated to begin by mid-2025, assuming all goes smoothly.
The new development will feature 55 purpose-built rental suites inspired by the flat-iron design of the original Turner Building, which was once home to the popular Ian’s Coffee Shop, a beloved neighbourhood fixture.
Along with residential units, the project will include ground-floor retail spaces and a pedestrian-friendly plaza, creating a village-like atmosphere that will serve as a gateway to the North Jubilee area.
“The unanimous support from the City is a major milestone for this long-vacant site,” said Robertson. “We aim to break ground by mid-2025.”
The redevelopment will take place on a parcel of land bordered by Richmond Road, Birch Street, and Pembroke Street, where the Turner Building has stood vacant for two decades.
The site was purchased by Island Cardiology Holdings in 2013, with initial plans for a five-storey medical office building that never materialized. In 2022, Empresa Properties acquired the site and shifted focus to a mixed-use development.
Victoria council unanimously approved an application Thursday to develop the Turner Building, constructed in 1946, with a six-storey rental property at Richmond Road and Birch Street.
Empresa Properties must now work with city staff to apply for a zoning bylaw amendment.
The next step will be a vote at a future regular city council meeting.
