The float-plane terminal in Victoria’s Inner Harbour will move from land to sea and a new public plaza will replace the existing terminal site as part of the signing of a new long-term lease between the City of Victoria and float-plane operators.
Victoria Float Plane Terminal Ltd., a group that includes Harbour Air and Kenmore Air, has agreed to a 20-year lease with the City of Victoria that will see the terminal move from city land to the city’s water lots in front of 950 and 1000 Wharf St., adjacent to Ship Point and the lower Wharf Street parking lots.
It also means float-plane operators can get to work on the long-planned $4-million floating terminal building.
“This is exciting, exciting for us and for Victoria,” said Randy Wright, senior vice-president at Harbour Air.
“It allows us to proceed with a floating terminal,” he said. “We required the confirmation of a long-term lease before we committed to the project.”
The new terminal building will be a two-storey, 5,200-square-feet structure that should take about 18 months to be built off-site and then floated into place.
Wright said as soon as the ink was dry on the lease agreement, he started engaging consultants and “started spending money” on the project, which includes a public plaza where the existing terminal buildings stand.
“I think that will be the catalyst to start the David Foster Pathway where those buildings were,” Wright said. The waterfront pathway will go from Ogden Point to Rock Bay when complete.
The plaza will have green space, trees, benches, bike racks and room to accommodate passenger pick-up and drop-off, taxis and buses.
Wright said it is a huge step in improving the Inner Harbour gateway, which hasn’t seen much construction in the past two decades.
“Whether it’s investors, tourists, corporate or government travellers, this is going to give them a very good impression whether arriving or departing,” he said. “We are really excited about it.”
Under the lease, the terminal and plaza are to be completed by the end of January 2017. The lease agreement provides an initial term of five years with a starting annual rental rate of $202,000, rising to $253,000 in year five. There are provisions for three renewals of five years each.
“We believe this is a great deal for the city,” said Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin.
“This gives the operator some certainty — enough to invest to do a multimillion-dollar investment in our downtown — and from a city perspective it gives us an ongoing lease at fair market value that allows us to pay for and provide improvements in the area.”
The city approved the design of the floating terminal building, docks and plaza in April 2013.
The plaza will bring to life one of the concepts included in Harbour Vitality Principles 2014, a draft report the city has been reviewing.
Victoria is asking for public comment on making improvements at three sites — Belleville Terminal, Ship Point and lower Wharf Street.
Once approved, the principles will be used to support Inner Harbour revitalization.
The public can review a draft document for Harbour Vitality Principles on Victoria’s website at victoria.ca/harbourdialogue and send comments via email to harbourdialogue@victoria.ca.
