The Telus Ocean project, a 12-storey office tower to be built on a triangle-shaped lot at Douglas and Humboldt streets, is headed to a public hearing on Dec. 9.
The public will consider a slightly scaled-down project that has been modified in response to concerns from some councillors about the height and infringement on views of the Olympic Mountains in the original plans.
The building’s height has been lowered by a few metres to 51 metres and the project has a floor area of 145,000 square feet. The building has also been rotated and shifted slightly away from the north end of Douglas Street to reduce the impact on the view of the mountains.
The ground floor of the building will have a lobby open to the public, retail space, a restaurant and improvements to the public realm, including an expanded sidewalk on Douglas Street.
Melanie Ransome, communications and engagement manager at Aryze Developments, said the changes will transform the area into an “inviting and vibrant” hub downtown.
“I think current day today, the pedestrian experience is kind of an area that many people would say they avoid. It gets congested, and isn’t really a pleasant experience, necessarily,” she said.
If approved, the two car rental companies operating on the space will need to relocate when construction begins.
Some Victoria councillors have opposed the project, citing concerns about height and infringement on views of the Olympic Mountains.
Coun. Ben Isitt said he believes the project encroaches too far south into a public plaza adjacent to Crystal Gardens, “which I think is valuable open space in the downtown.”
“I think there’s also problems in terms of how the height and the massing impact this sensitive part of the downtown in light of the proximity to the Empress Hotel and, sort of, our key tourist precinct,” he said.
Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe said she shared Isitt’s concerns, calling it “an attractive building that’s in the wrong place.”
Telus announced in 2020 it had agreed to purchase the city-owned Apex site north of Victoria’s Crystal Garden for $8.1 million and possibly another $1.1 million depending on the final proposal approved after the rezoning process.
The company says the building will serve as a headquarters, combining their existing offices into this location for their workforce of about 250 people. The building is designed for Telus to expand to 450 employees.
regan-elliott@timescolonist.com
