The future of an important lifeline for single parents in Greater Victoria is at risk after the non-profit agency was forced to abandon its headquarters for fear it will collapse.
The 1UP Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre owns the red-brick building at 602 Gorge Rd. East, but the heritage designation of the 1885 structure means options are limited. Remediating the heritage home would cost at least $1 million, money the centre does not have.
Selling the building has been a challenge because as a heritage property, it cannot be torn down for redevelopment.
“Having a registered heritage building means it can’t be demolished,” said the centre’s executive director, Marianne Sorenson. “I love the heritage building, but in our case, it’s really threatening the future of the organization.”
Since the centre purchased the heritage building in 1991, it has been a community hub for thousands of families across the region. There was a room packed with toys for parents who can’t afford birthday or Christmas presents. Another room was stocked with fresh bread and non-perishable items for parents struggling to buy groceries. Its backyard hosted countless community barbecues and larger rooms were used for free counselling sessions, parent coaching and mentorship programs.
But in recent years, the 134-year-old building was showing signs of structural impairment. Deep cracks were appearing in interior walls and the exterior.
The centre’s board of directors felt it was no longer prudent to be patching up holes.
Last summer, the centre commissioned a structural safety review.
A report, received by the board on Jan. 22, found that because the ground under the building is shifting, the property will eventually collapse. The next day, like a family grabbing only what they need during a fire, the centre’s staff collected the essentials and shuttered the building.
“We had to abandon it. We had a couple of hours to grab what we needed and lock the doors,” Sorenson said.
Board chair Lynn McCaughey said the staff had no other choice but to leave the dangerous building. “It would be absolutely incomprehensible than do anything other than close the doors to ensure the safety of our members and our staff.”
The building needs to be lifted so a new foundation can be poured. Structural and seismic work is needed to repair the integrity of the brick structure, Sorenson said.
The building was previously on the market for 18 months, listed at about $700,000, with zero takers.
“It’s a massive amount of work. It’s not enticing for a potential buyer, unless a buyer could purchase it for the value of the land and take it down and redevelop,” Sorenson said.
The centre is talking to the City of Victoria about options, including putting in a request to remove the heritage designation.
McCaughey acknowledged that removing a heritage designation is a decision the city does not take lightly. “Having the heritage designation relaxed would be helpful, but we understand that is a sensitive subject for the city,” she said. “One option is if a developer who is interested in heritage properties would come forward and buy it with the heritage designation attached. They’d have to see the heritage potential in it.”
The centre has found a temporary location in the Centennial United Church across the street, but it’s only open three days a week. The church does not have the space to collect donations of food, clothes and toys, items families desperately need
Sorenson has already noticed that fewer clients are using the resource centre in its temporary location.
McCaughey worries that a decline in clients could result in a loss of funding.
“It’s a domino effect that can happen when an organization like ours can’t function as normal,” said McCaughey, who first got involved with the resource centre seven years ago when volunteering as a mentor.
The centre operates on a shoestring annual budget of $357,000, with about $85,000 of that funded through provincial gaming grants.
The centre is looking at sharing space with another non-profit agency that helps families, but it needs to free up money to pay rent at a new location.
“In order for us to move forward, we need the funds from the sale of the building or the value of the land to fuel the next several years for us until we can work out a long-term solution,” Sorenson said.
