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Historic Janion Hotel’s fate hangs in balance; redevelopment decision delayed

A final decision on whether or not to allow the redevelopment of the historic Janion Hotel Building has been postponed until next week. Vancouver-based Reliance Properties wants to redevelop the 1891-vintage building at 1612-1614 Store St.
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Jon Stovell, president of Reliance Properties, left, and architect Paul Merrick survey the Janion Hotel in June 2012.

A final decision on whether or not to allow the redevelopment of the historic Janion Hotel Building has been postponed until next week.

Vancouver-based Reliance Properties wants to redevelop the 1891-vintage building at 1612-1614 Store St. into 113 micro-lofts, two-thirds of which will be in newly constructed additions. The ground floor of the heritage building would be converted into commercial space. Total costs could reach $15 million.

“I think this is kind of remarkable: That a building as troubled and long in waiting as the Janion is able to restore itself, restore the heritage fabric, bring new activity into the building and activate both the waterfront walkway and the plaza,” said Jon Stovell, Reliance Properties president.

A public hearing was held last week into the application for a development permit for the residential/commercial project. About a half-dozen presentations were made.

Ken Johnson, president of the Hallmark Heritage Society, said his organization is generally in support of the project, calling it “a good, adaptive reuse of a historic building.”

“This development is very well done in that it incorporates traditional building elements within the new design and transitions slowly down toward the water, becoming more modern as it meets the waterfront,” Johnson said.

The city had to adjourn the hearing without discussion or making a decision on the application, due to an error in distribution of notices for the Heritage Alteration Permit. That hearing will now be held Oct. 24.

Mayor Dean Fortin said the decision to delay the hearing was made “out of an abundance of caution.”

“You want to make sure that everything is done [properly]. It’s clearly our fault. It’s our responsibility and we acknowledge that.”

The redevelopment proposal would see the derelict Janion, unused for about 35 years, rehabilitated to accommodate residential units above ground-floor commercial space. New additions would be built to the rear and the back of the existing building. The side addition would be three storeys and have an entrance for underground parking.

The rear addition, which would be one storey higher than the existing hotel building, would comprise residential units and ancillary residential space.

The small condos would range in size from 253 square feet to 717 square feet, with the median at 368. Storage for 114 bicycles is proposed.

There would be access to the waterfront and the proposal includes a five-metre-wide harbour pathway connection.

Janion Hotel

Reliance Properties bought the Janion for $2.49 million in June 2012. It also bought the Transport Canada land directly behind, creating a site 59 feet wide by 302 feet long for the development.

City staff recommended issuing the permits, concluding that the design of the addition as well as the proposed changes to the existing building comply with Canadian standards for conversion of historic places.

Staff also feel the proposal is generally consistent with several such city planning documents as the official community plan, the Downtown Core Area Plan and the Victoria Harbour Plan.

As well as the Janion, immediately north of the Johnson Street bridge, Reliance Properties also owns the heritage Northern Junk site on the bridge’s south side. Reliance has proposed a $25-million, five-storey, commercial-condominium development at the Northern Junk property, which has not been approved by the city.

bcleverley@timescolonist.com