After standing for nearly 80 years, the historic Turner Building in Victoria is set to be demolished following a series of fires that have left the structure unsafe.
The derelict two-storey building on Richmond Road, which has sat vacant for over two decades, has been deemed a hazard by city officials and will soon be torn down.
The latest fire occurred just before 4 p.m. on Saturday, with witnesses reporting smoke rising from the vacant building.
Firefighters arrived on scene at 3:45 p.m. and worked for nearly two hours to extinguish the blaze. No injuries were reported, and no evacuations were necessary, according to Victoria Fire Department Battalion Chief John Kirkendale.
This incident follows another fire in the Turner Building on January 16th. The structure, once home to the beloved Ian’s Jubilee Coffee Shop, has long been slated for redevelopment, but its state of disrepair has increasingly become a safety concern.
A sidewalk closure on Richmond Road near the site will remain in effect. While the cause of Saturday’s fire has not been officially determined, the structure’s continued deterioration has prompted immediate action.
While the Turner Building will soon be gone, its legacy will live on in a new six-storey rental and retail development planned for the site.
Last year, Victoria City Council voted in favour of a project that will replace the aging building with a mixed-use complex designed to revitalize the area.
Developer Karl Robertson, founder of Empresa Properties Ltd., received unanimous support from the City of Victoria’s Committee of the Whole for the project, which is expected to break ground by mid-2025.
The new development will feature 55 purpose-built rental suites inspired by the original Turner Building’s distinctive flat-iron design.
In addition to residential units, the project will include ground-floor retail spaces and a pedestrian-friendly plaza, creating a welcoming atmosphere that will serve as a gateway to the North Jubilee neighbourhood.
“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.”
Originally constructed in 1946, the Turner Building housed a variety of businesses, including a convenience store, a flower shop, and residential apartments on the second floor.
The property, now valued at $1.7 million, was purchased by Island Cardiology Holdings in 2013 with initial plans for a five-storey medical office building—plans that never materialized.
In 2022, Empresa Properties took over the site and shifted focus to the current mixed-use redevelopment plan.
With demolition set to begin soon, Victoria will bid farewell to a piece of its history.
