The long-vacant former Romeo’s building at Blanshard and Fisgard streets is getting a temporary new life.
The City of Victoria has confirmed with Victoria Buzz that it will lease out the space to a restaurant for the next five years while work continues behind the scenes on a major new downtown park.
The former Romeo’s location, located at 1703 Blanshard Street, closed at the start of the pandemic and has sat empty ever since.
The city purchased the property in January 2024 along with the neighbouring former Urbana Kitchens site for a combined $11 million as part of a long term plan to create new parkland in the downtown core.
City spokesperson Colleen Mycroft told Victoria Buzz the building is in good condition and no major upgrades are expected before the lease begins. While she confirmed the tenant will be a restaurant, she was not able to disclose which business will move in.
According to the city’s notice of disposition published last week, the property will be leased for $122,979 per year until May 2031. Revenue from the agreement is expected to support city operations while adding some business activity to the area during the interim years.
Park planning remains in early stages.
Engagement and design work is expected to take place from 2028 to 2030, with construction currently scheduled to begin in mid-2031 once the lease expires and pending future approval from council.
The new park is envisioned to wrap around the Philippine Bayanihan Community Centre next door.
Mycroft noted that staff responsible for future park development are currently focused on the Crystal Pool replacement project, a major undertaking with a budget of more than $200 million.
There is no set timeline yet for demolition of any of the existing buildings. The land purchase was funded through a reserve the city created to acquire new parks and open spaces.
