r/VictoriaBC • u/Andmck • 1d ago
Future Of The Bay Space
Idea: turn the Bay downtown into a public market. Similar to Seattle’s Pike Place Market, or London’s Burroughs Market. Gives local farmers, vendors, florists, etc. an opportunity to sell their wares and creates a much-needed sense of community and heart in the downtown core. Plus, a huge attraction for tourism (just look at the markets above for an example). The Oak Bay Night Market and Moss Street Market are always packed – indicating an interest in this type of set-up.
Thoughts? The Victoria Public Market was largely regarded as a flop - why? What could be improved upon?
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u/South-Ad-4656 1d ago
Well the Victoria Public Market was supposed to have that vibe and it is now closing. Granted its location was not central enough.
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u/Classic-Progress-397 1d ago
Nah, it was the expensive food and stuff they had there. Public markets have cheap stuff (open fruit vendors, etc) to draw people.
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u/AaAaZhu 21h ago
I thought the location was the only thing that was right..........
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u/South-Ad-4656 15h ago
I think in theory it could have been fine but it’s not in the core walking area for tourists.
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u/Particular_Ad_9531 1d ago
Both the library and the ymca are looking for a new home.
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u/Cndwafflegirl 1d ago
Should become Simon’s.
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u/South-Ad-4656 1d ago
Simons is fantastic, but I would think they would have similar issues with getting foot traffic in, shoplifting, and I can’t see the escalators ever truly working since apparently the only escalator repair people are on the mainland which is why escalators here are always out of service. Now of course I’m off topic and discussing the escalators again.
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u/SecretsoftheState 1d ago
The Bay escalators were out of service in stores across the country. This is a problem that is very solvable with money, which they clearly didn’t have.
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u/lindsayjenn 1d ago
Other big box stores here seem to have no issue keeping their escalators in working order (your Canadian tireses, wal marts, best buys etc )
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u/South-Ad-4656 1d ago
True. The staff at the Bay said they couldn’t find repair people on the island. The Mayfair Bay escalators were also broken the last time I went.
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u/lindsayjenn 23h ago
Likely the Bay had difficulty finding escalator service bc they didn’t pay their invoices
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u/Typical-Corgi8607 1d ago
Take a look at downtown vacancies, the size of the Bay and get used to it being empty. It’s gunna take a bullish outlook and deep pockets for anyone to take over that whole space.
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u/Creatrix James Bay 21h ago
It doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing tenant. That space can be carved up into individual floors, and those can be subdivided into commercial spaces.
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u/Typical-Corgi8607 19h ago
Yeah it’s possible that eventually it will get chopped up, but the preference for the landlord is going to be for a single tenant so I’d expect that option to take a while to be available.
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u/islandguy55 1d ago
Parking downtown kills any ideas like this, it would make more sense at mayfair
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u/scottishlastname 1d ago
The Mayfair one converted into a games place would be fun. Bowling, or go karts or those cool Interactive light up/escape room things. Oh Laser Tag!
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u/No-Highlight-1882 1d ago
Public market and central library would be big draws.
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u/Vie_nord 1d ago
Multi-level indoor go kart track with the escalator spaces used to go between floors. Could be down right epic.
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u/Clash1977to1985 1d ago
Deja vu? How about Deja don’t. It didn’t work a little further down the road in the other Bay and it won’t work in the current Bay which is even closer to the core of the madness that downtown has become.
It might work if downtown can be at least partially salvaged, but that is not in the cards under the current municipal and provincial leadership.
That said…it would be nice; but we don’t get to have nice things while standing by and watching the downtown core decay into chaos.
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u/Careless-Arm-7565 1d ago
Someone suggested that the Vancouver Bay could become the new art gallery. That could work here. The gallery should have a downtown space.
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u/TossawaytotheeTosser 1d ago
Or turn it into an IKEA ….. 🧐
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u/PennX88 1d ago
I think the amazon facility by the airport would be a good spot for ikea
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u/TossawaytotheeTosser 1d ago
Agree, thinking about all the free parking they would have instead of the downtown paid parking
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u/JordanJCaron 1d ago
And where do people park? Some ideas in here are terrible and not sure it’s trolling or just pipe dreams.
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u/Internal-Food-5753 1d ago
I’d love a market or like an adult food court. Variety of foods and a few bar “stalls” lots of tables.
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u/Tamatajuice 1d ago
Canadian Tire. Do it now.
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u/Creatrix James Bay 21h ago
Wistful sigh... besides having an Ikea there, this would be wonderful. Downtown needs a hardware store, since Capital Iron became just high-end furniture.
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u/grislyfind Saanich 1d ago
I was thinking Dystopialand theme park: move all the Pandora denizens in there.
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u/samvanisle 1d ago
I like the idea of Simon taking it over but I don’t think it would draw enough people. Victoria might be too small for a store like that.
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u/hekla7 1d ago
It's already in the works for the old Hudson's Bay (Victoria Market) - grocery store. From CHEK News Mar 26, 2025: Townline shared that the indoor market would be replaced by an unspecified “full-service, urban-format Canadian grocery store” in early 2026. Loblaw PR confirms to CHEK News the grocery store moving into the Victoria Public Market space will be a No Frills.
For the one right downtown, it'll probably depend on the new property owner.
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u/Tired8281 Downtown 1d ago
No. That whole mall is a write-off. Put some residential towers up in there, with a few floors of better retail on the bottom.
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u/Familiar-Risk-5937 1d ago
I would vote towards tearing that building down, I cant imagine trying to repurpose that space.
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u/scottishlastname 1d ago
The whole mall?
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u/Familiar-Risk-5937 1d ago
yup. I would take out that McDonalds and shoppers as well, redo that entire area into a cool city centre, maybe the market could be there.
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u/superpowerwolf 1d ago
If city council is supportive of it, turn it into a casino/hotel. That will bring in a lot of money to Victoria and help limit large property tax increases.
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u/kingsbreath 1d ago
I think it should be the new Value Village. They would fill the space easily
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u/FreeRangeRicky 1d ago
Ouch, a greedy for profit American corporation right in the heart of downtown ??
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u/Big_Guide599 1d ago
I heard there turning into a meth den for the drug addicts to use their free drugs in
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u/butterslice 1d ago
Do you seriously just go around to every canadian city sub to post right wing vomit? Take a hike
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u/growingalittletestie 1d ago
Old Hudson Bay building, turned into a public market...where have I heard this before?