20 hours Ago By Christine van Reeuwyk
The Gothic Revival style brick church at the corner of Quadra and Balmoral could become an arts hub in a Victoria neighbourhood already singing the tune. These days, the sanctuary at First Metropolitan United is home to three different church groups, while the fellowship hall boasts pickleball and wrestling matches. But the church envisioned a more varied and community-focused use of its 1913 building.
Not far away, the Victoria Conservatory of Music on Quadra fills the halls of another historic former church, and a handful of other community arts groups have city offices a stone's throw away. If Aryze Developments and the United Church of Canada can swing their latest plan, the church and neighbouring land will be home to worship, arts, commercial and housing, with some dubbed affordable and designated for artists. When First Metropolitan United Church amalgamated with Broad View United Church and moved in 2023, the property reverted back to the Pacific Mountain Region's responsibility, explained Don Evans, director of property development for Pacific Mountain Region of the United Church of Canada.
The organization, whose mission is to support the health of United Church communities didn’t want to sell it, and downtown churches are limited in options. “We knew some churches in the east had worked with the arts community, and we knew the City of Victoria really wanted to see a new arts venue,” Evans said. Exploring that avenue was as easy as looking across the street, where Aryze has a new build underway.
“As a company, we have a long history of partnerships and working with partners across the city,” said Chris Quigley, Aryze's director of development. This approach aligns with the company’s vision of how cities and neighbourhoods should evolve, bringing new life to public spaces in historic sites. Together they explored how to reimagine and reinvent the church, coming up with a campus-style plan that includes arts, culture and faith groups as well as commercial spaces and housing.
It would have 128 housing units, ranging from studio to three-bedroom, and potentially include affordable housing specifically designated to those in the arts. “We’re really excited about it. We think this could be an amazing benefit for the arts community, an amazing benefit for us, too,” Evans said.
“We know there’s support from the city of the arts side of it, and we think we have some support from the community on the housing side of it as well.” While the outside would remain the same, the interior would be remodelled and acoustics improved to provide a “first-rate space for the arts community.” The proposal for the three sites, 930 and 934 Balmoral and 1701 Quadra, is in the early stages.
An application was just submitted to the city, and an April 23 meeting is set for the North Park neighbourhood. Find the project details and provide input online at or through the city development tracker at ..
