1025 Johnson:
Fire Hall &
Affordable Housing

It All Begins Here.

1025 Johnson is a response to two critical needs in our city – permanent affordable housing and improved safety in the event of a natural disaster. The building design brings together the state-of-the-art Victoria Fire Hall No. 1 & Emergency Operations Centre, one floor of office space and eight floors of affordable housing. Two levels of underground parking will serve residents, commercial tenants and the public with car and bicycle parking.
Integrating emergency services with housing above follows a precedent being set in other North American cities. This innovative, needs-based approach to development creates vibrant neighbourhoods and provides cities with cost-effective essential services.

 

Affordable Housing.

The 130 homes planned for Phase One will represent the largest purpose-built affordable rental building in Victoria. Owned and operated by Pacifica Housing through a below-market purchase from Dalmatian Developments, these homes will provide housing affordability to moderate, low and very low-income households. The program of affordability is governed by BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund. To learn more about BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund click here. To learn more about Pacifica Housing, click here.

Residents will enjoy:

  • 130 thoughtfully-designed rental homes including studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom and 3-bedrooms
  • Homes ranging in size from 365 – 1,011 square feet
  • 7 rental homes will be designed and constructed to be accessible for persons with disabilities
  • Underground parking spaces for residents and the public
  • Bike racks at street level and secured in the parkade
  • Two dedicated high-speed elevators for residents
  • Fire hall viewing gallery from the resident lobby
  • Indoor community gathering & recreation space for residents of the building
  • South-facing children’s play area and outdoor seating area
  • Dog run and outdoor landscaped area
  • Terraced, tree-lined landscaping
  • Private terraces and balconies on Levels 4 and 8
  • In-suite laundry
  • Minimum building energy efficiency Step Code 1 (striving for Step Code 3)

Pacifica Housing Building Amenities

Fire Hall No.1 & Emergency Operations Centre

The first floor and mezzanine of 1025 Johnson Street will house Victoria Fire Hall No.1 and a BC Ambulance Rest and Ready Centre. Victoria Fire Department headquarters and crew suppression along with the City of Victoria’s Emergency Operations Centre will be located on the second floor.

 

A Forward-Thinking Solution: Replacement of Fire Hall No. 1:

We were pleased to propose an innovative and cost-effective emergency services building in response to the City of Victoria’s Market Sounding for Replacement of a Fire Hall No.1 in 2015.

We reached an agreement with the City of Victoria for the delivery of the fire hall in March 2018. Our agreement is subject to the approval of our rezoning and development permit applications through the City of Victoria’s standard processes, just like any other development application.

Our Agreement with the City of Victoria includes:

  • A fixed-price contract for the City of Victoria to purchase a turn-key post-disaster fire hall and emergency operations centre within an urban mixed-use building.
  • A refundable deposit paid by the City of Victoria at the outset of the project, with the remaining payment to be made upon completion and acceptance of the facility.
  • A building that will be constructed to post-seismic standards, meaning that it is designed to be safe to enter immediately following a major disaster such as an earthquake. This level of construction significantly improves the safety and emergency response in the City of Victoria.
  • Design and specification requirements have been reviewed by third parties to confirm that the form and function of the building will meet the needs of the City of Victoria and the Victoria Fire Department.

A Good Neighbour.

We share our neighbours’ interest in alleviating noise and traffic for the benefit of current residents of the area and future residents of this development. The Victoria Fire Department has worked closely with our development team on a design and operations plan to ensure that traffic and noise will be mitigated through a variety of strategies.

The following efforts and design decisions have been made in order to mitigate sound impacts:

  • Traffic management strategies to reduce the use of sirens
  • Double-pane windows throughout the residential areas of the building
  • Relocation of the mechanical facility, fuelling station and operational training to other existing fire department locations
  • A “good neighbour” agreement with the community
  • Co-location with BC Ambulance Services will reduce simultaneous responses of emergency vehicles
  • BC Ambulance inclusion in the development as a ‘rest-ready’ location only

Premier Office Spaces.

One floor of Class A office space complements the public safety and residential uses in this building. The 16,500 square foot space is ideally located in a commercial and social hub and is easily accessible via transit, and cycling routes. Office users will have access to underground parking, secure bike storage, electric charging stations for vehicles, scooters and bicycles.
Further Inquiries

What’s Next?

Johnson|Cook|Yates received rezoning approval and Phase One development permit approval on October 24, 2019. Phase One at 1025 Johnson Street began construction in January 2020.