OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT

The Leiser Building Rehabilitation, Victoria

Mr. Chris LeFevre, LeFevre and Company Property Agents

The 1896 Leiser building on Lower Yates Street and the adjacent Thomas Earle warehouse, built in 1900, are two of the most important historic commercial structures in Victoria’s Old Town District.

The two buildings had been renovated in the 1970’s for offices for the Capital Regional District. In the 1990's the CRD commissioned a number of studies to look at seismically upgrading and expanding the facility but came to the conclusion they needed a new building, and move out in 2005.  Without a new purpose and with concerns about seismic upgrading, the future of the two vintage buildings was a potential problem for the City’s heritage program.

But that same year, Mr. Lefevre acquired both buildings with the intent of developing a mixed use project.

The economics of the project were assisted by two $50,000 grants from the Building Incentive Program of the Victoria Civic Heritage Trust and a 10 year tax exemption from the City of Victoria.

To tackle the seismic upgrading challenge, the space between the two buildings was utilized to install large steel braces.  The solution was economical, effective, and avoided heavy-handed intervention within the two heritage structures.  The space below the bracing was left as an open courtyard, while accommodating a new elevator tower to access the upper floors.

Thirty-two new residential loft condominiums were created on the upper floors and took advantage of the large windows and exposed brick walls to form unique downtown living spaces. New retail spaces created on the ground floor accommodated a men's fashion store and a new home furnishings outlet.

The original wood windows were rehabilitated and reglazed with laminated glass.  A new contemporary/frameless glass entry was installed on the Leiser building with similar doors for the entry to the Thomas Earle warehouse. New wood double hung windows were also installed on the second and third floors of the front elevation of the latter building to provide natural ventilation for the new residential units above.