THE VICTORIA STOREFRONT PILOT
INCUBATE YOUR IDEA
The Victoria Storefront Pilot – Incubate Your Idea aims to enliven underused and vacant commercial real estate within downtown Victoria with temporary arts and business leases or licences granted to qualified arts and cultural organizations as well as small businesses.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Competing priorities for land uses in downtown Victoria are limiting the number of affordable and suitable spaces available to artists and small businesses. However, the current, higher than historic average, commercial vacancy rate downtown provides an opportunity to temporarily activate vacant spaces for artists and creative industries. This opportunity is highlighted in the City’s Create Victoria Arts & Culture Master Plan, the Cultural Spaces Road Map and was identified during public engagement to help inform the City’s Industry, Arts & Innovation District planning. To address these challenges and identify solutions, the City of Victoria has contracted Bertrand Crump Property Services to support phase one of the Victoria Storefront Pilot – Incubate Your Idea project.
The project is currently in its first phase, which aims to:
gather information from artists, entrepreneurs and space owners about their needs and wants
develop a project plan for a one-year Victoria Storefront Pilot project
Phase two of the project, if approved, would see the implementation of mutually beneficial space activations through temporary tenancies, with opportunities for professional development and public programming.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We are looking to connect with artists, not-for-profit arts and culture organizations, entrepreneurs and real estate professionals to hear about your needs and barriers and to identify vacant or underused spaces as we develop the Victoria Storefront Pilot project plan.
BE A LEADER
Be a leader in shaping a new real estate paradigm for your community by participating in the research phase of this project, which will inform the one-year pilot project plan that focuses on activating vacant or underused sites with creative economy tenancies. The research and findings will also help inform municipal planning and policy solutions to support the sharing economy.
Help us facilitate a win-win solution through the Victoria Storefront Pilot.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
1. Test the interest and capacity of the local real estate sector to provide below- market rental rates through temporary lease agreements for vacant and underused spaces to artists, arts organizations, not-for-profits and other entrepreneurs.
2. Assess, evaluate and document the demand and requirements for temporary spaces within the arts and culture and entrepreneurial communities.
3. Revitalize underused and vacant commercial spaces in downtown Victoria through temporary artistic programming, occupation, pop-ups and incubation opportunities for artists, arts organizations, not-for-profits and other entrepreneurs.
Phase one work has begun with best practices research and we are now in the outreach and engagement steps as per the project plan below. The phase one work with a project plan will be completed over the next two months.
Reach out through the survey or sign up to receive updates as we plan knowledge-sharing and networking events in October.
THE PROCESS & TIMELINE
1. Research best practices from other jurisdictions and review local policies, zoning regulations and land use plans, market conditions and funding opportunities for the creative and cultural sectors.
2. Conduct extensive outreach, engaging with the creative and cultural communities in ongoing dialogue to understand space needs, barriers and operational readiness for short-term lease and space activations through a survey, interviews and meetings.
3. Engage with property owners, developers and real estate professionals to understand requirements and identify vacant or underused spaces for activations.
4. Develop a project plan for the Victoria Storefront Pilot with resources, tools and funding solutions to support temporary (up to one year) activations of vacant and underused commercial spaces in downtown Victoria.
ABOUT US
Bertrand Crump Property Services is a commercial property acquisition, activation, management and consulting firm with a focus on advising social enterprises in arts-based uses in marginalized commercial properties. Two of our most recent relevant projects include cSPACE Projects Meanwhile Lease SPACEPILOT Project and an 18-month activation of The Eau Claire Neighbourhood Hub for the City of Calgary.
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